Disclaimer: Don't own and definitely make no money from this

Author's Note: Bit of a shorter chapter, basically am very preoccupied with work & other writing stuff at the moment but still plodding on with this best as i can. Just wanted to kind of tie upthis new stage in their life before moving on to the next bit... enjoy.

Fallen - Part 29

Clarisse woke several times in the night, unsure of where she was, each time she'd felt Joseph's arm over hers, holding her securely against his body and each time she'd drifted back to sleep, content. Yet it was this nagging thought at the back of her head, the idea that when morning came it would once again mean separation, that continually woke her.

At around 5 she abandoned the idea of sleep completely and lay in the darkness listening to him breathe. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest against her back, she'd never realised how much she'd missed it.

Turning in his arms she laid her palm on his upper chest, then bent her mouth down and gently kissed him. Manoeuvring her body on top of his she lay perfectly still placing sweet kisses over his shoulders and chest until she felt his hands wandering over her back.

Lifting her head up slightly their mouths easily found the other, sticky in the early morning but such a pure admittance of affection.

"I'd forgotten how demanding you were." He said huskily as their lips had barely parted.

She smiled and rubbed her chin against his beard. "I've been without the best for long enough now I think…"

"Do you plan to wake me every morning at 5:30 for this?"

Chuckling she finally paused in her gentle teasing and looked up at him, bringing her head level with his. His fingers wound into her hand, stroking her scalp.

"I've been thinking, all night."

"Me too, I noticed you kept waking. I hoped it wasn't the fact you were sleeping with me again."

"Hardly!" She kissed his forehead. "Joseph, dear Joseph, I've been thinking that I don't want to be without you anymore."

"Oh?" he barely allowed himself to hope, but perhaps… perhaps?

"I know it wouldn't work, marriage, going back to Genovia, I couldn't do that. But I know now that we shouldn't be apart for too long."

"I don't understand."

"I'm not sure it will work, we can only try right? In the end, we can only try. And I so want this to work… what if every time you were here, in the U.K. we met up?"

"Met up?"

"Well I mean, I could come meet you, stay wherever you are, for however long you would be there." She shook her head mockingly. "And don't look at me like that, I realise this goes against all I believe in, making me some sort of beck and call type woman. But if we made it work, we could make it work, couldn't we?"

He swallowed, it wasn't really the solution he wanted but hell he'd take crumbs now if they were on offer.

"If that's really what you want, but my dear I'm not in London that often you know. Every few months perhaps."

Oh…" she looked a little crestfallen and rested her forehead against his.

"But I'm in Europe quite a lot, as you know, Paris, Madrid, no reason for you not to join me there…"

She glanced at his eyes, at the hope that lay there. "I'm not sure, it's awkward… difficult, if we meet here I feel safe. If I start to travel all over to be with you it becomes more suspect does it not? I don't want people to know Joseph, still… I don't want to be thought the King's Mistress."

"I know, I know…" he stroked her hair again. "But darling people will have to be in on it, we certainly can't arrange this between us, Richard does all the travel, the hotels, the cars, everything. I certainly don't want to have my every evening taken up with boring dinners when you're with me. He'll have to know."

She mulled it over for a second then nodded solemnly. "Yes, yes he will. I accept that."

"And security."

"Why?" She gasped.

"Because sweetheart they watch my every move. They're trained too, and sure enough they will notice you. Besides I don't want them bursting into our suite if you're there changing." He squeezed her waist, a move of reassurance and tenderness.

"I don't like the idea of them gossiping…"

"I know, but that is out of my hands I'm afraid. They'll be briefed, given what information they need and that's all. They know what silence they must keep, all we can do is hope each one of them believes in that."

"Ohhh it's so disconcerting, so unsure and complicated. I wanted it to be simple, I thought," she shrugged, "I guess in the middle of the night it seemed simple, meeting you in your hotel. I forget all you have to take into consideration, the risks you take to be with me."

"Oh no, it is you who takes the risks, and for that I am eternally grateful." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "In all honesty I want you with me each and every morning but if this is all we can have then I will take very single second I can and pray to God we can make it work."

She nodded. "We will. If we work together at it."

She kissed him again, slowly and languidly. This time she felt no uncertainty or unease about their touching, about their bodies meeting. She knelt over him, let his hands work their way up her thighs and ease himself inside her with so much tenderness and sweetness, their movements seemed to have been rehearsed a thousand times yet were as fresh and new as the morning that steadily approached.

"Clarisse," he breathed as she leant over him, as her hair swept over his face. "You've touched my soul…"

She stilled at his words, kissed his trembling lips. "You say such things to me, I'm not sure how to respond… I'm not used to it." She brushed her hair back from her face and took hold of his face in her hands. "You are the only man who has ever had my heart, completely."

"And you can be assured I won't be letting go this time."

"I trust in that."

"Good, because now this is forever Clarisse, married or not, it's till death do us part…"

"Don't say that, I hoped forever meant just that…"

She captured his mouth again and tenderly resumed their lovemaking.


Taking a mouthful of grapefruit Joseph closed his eyes as the bitter juice burst into his mouth, the morning felt fresh and vibrant and his breakfast seemed a perfect compliment to that.

He lounged back in his chair and picked up his teacup as he glanced out of the windows overlooking the city.

From his position he could clearly see the famous landscape, over the Thames to the Houses of Parliament, magnificent and grand, Big Ben proud and erect, ever firm against the harshness of the world. For some reason it all looked new to him, everything seemed new and bold and bright. He was filled with a happiness that was indescribable, a completeness of soul he'd never known.

"Clarisse." He called. "Are you ever coming out of there?"

Within moments she emerged from the bedroom, glancing about the room rather sheepishly.

"We are alone," he assured her. "And I ordered enough breakfast to last one man for a week. Come sit with me."

Cautiously she crossed from the bedroom through to the dining area.

"Your room is better than mine." She quipped sitting down across from him.

"Well from now on we share." He poured her tea. "Tell me just what you have been filling your time with these past few months with?"

She sipped her tea. "What you really mean is, have I been sitting alone weeping over you?"

"Something like that." He smiled.

"Well, Rose attempted to organise several rendezvous with some friend of Martin's…"

What? Am I so easily replaced?"

"No, which was the problem, I was a real misery through each and every 'couple' dinner I had to sit through."

Joseph chuckled loudly and leant back in his chair again.

"Go on dear… you're buffing my ego here."

"I thought I already did that once this morning."

"Touché!"

"Ha, well I've kind of got involved with the local swimming club."

"Kind of? What does 'kind of' mean?"

"It means," she stretched her legs out and reached for his half eaten grapefruit.

"Ahh there are two of those you know."

"I know, but yours tastes better I'm sure." She took a spoonful and grimaced pushing the bowl aside. "No wonder I never eat this for breakfast." Instead she buttered a piece of toast. "So it means that I'm there so often that Harry…"

"Erm Harry?"

"The guy who teaches the classes for the children."

"Should I be worried?"

"I don't think so dear, besides jealousy doesn't suit you. Now will you allow me to finish?"

He smirked. "Go on, please."

"Well I'm there so often he asked me if I wanted to help at the club, teaching there."

"Swimming?"

"Of course swimming, what else would I teach needlework!"

"Alright madam go on."

"It's the girls, some of their parents aren't entirely comfortable with the idea of a man teaching them, especially as they …Erm, develop."

He laughed out loud at the sight of her tracing an invisible female body in the air.

"And what's funny about that?"

"Nothing, it's your curvy air body that amused me."

"For your information I was good in art at school."

"The muse for many a young man's fantasies I'm sure."

"Behave. Anyway I haven't accepted yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't decided if I want to do it, I'm not very good with children."

"You like to think you aren't, but I tend to believe you were the most popular aunt."

"They only had one, Martin has no siblings."

"That's neither here nor there."

She leant forward and refilled her tea. "You think I should do it?"

"Of course, I think you'd be marvellous at it. You're marvellous at anything you do."

"Very true!" She grinned and rested her hand on his. "Have you spoken to Richard yet?"

"No," he rubbed her fingers. "I thought I'd wait until we were back in Genovia."

"Which is?"

"We leave tomorrow morning I'm afraid." He gently held her wrist. "I'm sorry reunion is so short lived, in an ideal world I'd like to sweep you off your feet and take you on a winter trip to somewhere hot and exotic."

"Sounds perfect, I'll set my sights on it for January."

"You do that, January is usually a slow month." Folding his fingers with hers he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it repeatedly. "I promise…" He turned her hand over and kissed the palm of her hand. "I will be back here in less that two weeks, which right now seems like eternity."

"It does, will you be in London?"

"Yes, for a few days I think, I will speak with Richard, have him brief my security team and I'm hoping you will be able to meet me here."

"I think it could be arrange, well timed Christmas shopping for a few days, what could be better?"

"Erm, two weeks on a deserted beach…"

"Apart from that," She leant over the table and kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you too."

She sat back down selecting another piece of toast and buttering that too.

"Clarisse, you are certain about all this, because once it starts…"

"Yes, yes I'm certain, I'm terribly nervous but I'm absolutely sure I would regret it if we didn't try… but if my reputation gets splattered all over the tabloids I will disappear to some country and change my name… on your money!"

"I'd probably come with you." He grinned. "But in all seriousness I'll do everything possible to prevent that scenario from ever happening."

"Thank you… now, I assume we have at least a few hours together before you have to disappear."

He nodded.

"So, have some toast and lets discuss how you are going to entertain me for the day."


The train ride back home seemed to take a lifetime; Clarisse had attempted to read but gave up after struggling through two chapters and still not having any idea what the story actually was.

She settled back in her chair and closed her eyes; the train was empty and quiet and she was grateful for the solitude. In all honesty she was exhausted, a fitful night's sleep and so much had happened that she'd barely had time to absorb all the changes. On the one hand she was desperately unsure, afraid of what the future held now, of what her life would now become. On the other she was deliriously happy and very deeply in love.

It was a balance, she decided, she was willing to walk, she wasn't about to trade that love in for more loneliness. Not anymore.

Sighing she opened her eyes and glanced out of the window, they were almost back, another 30 minutes and she'd be at the station. Joseph would be at his dinner now, some political thing; she turned her watch over and took in the time… she hoped he would call before bed.

The thought gave her an idea and she lifted her bag from the floor and took out her mobile, she was still so clumsy with these things, it looked like child's play when she saw some young person with it, yet she had to find her glasses and study the screen intensely before she was actually confident of calling who she wanted to.

The phone rang several times and she drummed her fingernails on the table waiting for an answer.

"Harry hello it's Clarisse… yes I'm very well thank you I had a lovely weekend. And you?" She smiled as she listened to him, such a traditional Cornish fellow, so undeniably good-natured. "Listen I just wanted to call and say I've decided to accept that post, if you still need me… marvellous, I'll call in tomorrow morning to discuss the fine print. Yes I'm looking forward to it too, goodnight."

Smiling proudly she snapped the phone shut, perhaps this wasn't going to be an easy turn in events but for the most part she felt good about the changes she was making. Changes for the better.

The phone buzzed in her hand and, startled, she looked down at it. 'Joseph'.

She grinned broadly and opened it up.

"Hello darling…"

Definitely changes for the better, she decided settling back to hear all about his evening.


Please leave me a little review! Thanks x R