"But its time to face the truth. I will never be with you"

He had failed her. Joseph awoke for his uncomfortable position on a hospital chair. The lights overhead were bright and harsh to his opening eyes. He had spent the better part of the night in the waiting room outside the emergency wing of the Genovian Hospital. Shades and Eric had told him to go back to the palace countless times during the night and get some rest, but Joseph couldn't, wouldn't. His angel was on the other side of those doors and he wasn't leaving without her. They told him it was pointless for him to stay, saying that Clarisse had been put in emergency surgery to remove the bullet completely. But he refused to listen, if something happened he wanted to be there, hopefully nothing bad would happen.

As he walked to the bathrooms to wash his face, he looked around. He realized that it was almost six in the morning and the waiting room was quiet and empty, except for the tv blaring some sitcom, the receptionist typing away at her computer behind the front desk, the few security guards that joined Joe at the Hospital, and a woman in her 50's. The floor was blindedly white and clean. The lights blared and shone bright off the white walls.. It was sterile, the typical hospital, unfeeling and clean. He pushed the wood door open and walked over to the sink to splash cold water on his face.

He looked at the reflection that was staring back at him in the mirror. He looked old, tired, and worn out. He was only 52. Lines appeared around his eyes and were more noticeable when he smiled, but in his mind there was not much to smile about. He had failed her. His hair had been gone for awhile now, almost 3 years. Joseph kept his head bald and his goatee trimmed.

As the water dripped down the drain he thought of her. Of her beautiful smile, the blue of her eyes, the way she smelt. Anything and everything about her. The way she said his name, the way she looked before he kissed her, the way she walked, the way she danced. He let her down, did not protect her. He had failed her.

How could he do this to her, he thought as he punched the wall. He hand exploded in pain and he quickly regretted his actions. He knelt on the floor of tile and held his hand close to his body. He had let her down. How could that happen to her? A million questions ran through his mind.

"Joe," Shades pushed opened the door and looked around for his boss.

"Yes?" Joe said quickly standing up. "What is it?"

"She's awake," was all he said.

Joe pushed past Shades and down the hallway. Two young nurses opened the doors to the ER hallway. Two guards were standing outside her door. He nodded at both of them and quietly pushed open the door.

The room was dimly lit by two lamps next to her bed. The shades were drawn to create privacy. She had been given the room at the end of the hallway the most secluded and luxurious. There was two oversized chairs and a couch in one area. A large wide-screen tv was hanging over a burning fireplace. Candles had been placed on end tables and other surfaces, and were burning to create a wonderful smell in the room. He chuckled to himself even in a Hospital bed she still required her room to smell perfect. She had always hated hospitals. Always. The smell, the look, the feel, the reason she was there. He knew this because one night when Rupert had been especially sick she had told him when they both waited in a separate room. That was the night he had learned so much about her. Her favorite food, and color, the way she liked her tea. Everything about her.

She was lying in bed eyes closed and he thought she had fallen back asleep. He walked softly over to her bed. Her face was whiter, paler than usual and her left arm was in a sort of a sling. Even in this ugly place, she was beautiful.

He reached down and lightly touched her cheek at which her eyes fluttered open. The beautiful blue green color in her eyes were scared and frighten.

"Joseph," she said scared and held onto his lower arm. " What happened? Where are we? I thought I had lost you." Her eyes searched his face for answers and she looked around the room hurriedly. " Where am I?" The look on her face broke his heart. She didn't have any idea of what happened.

"Clarisse," he said his voice choked with emotion. "You are in the Genovian Hospital." Her face lost all color.

"What happened?" She looked scared and nervous like a lost puppy.

"Clarisse, my dear, you were shot in the upper left arm at the ball last night." The grip on his arm increased as her nails dug into his bare flesh. "Someone hired a hit man for the ball last night and the palace believes that the bullet wasn't intended for you."

She looked into his eyes as her's filled with tears. "Do you know who it was?"

He looked away, they hadn't found any evidence at who had hired the hit man, but as always there were suspicions. "No Clarisse we don't know who the hit man was hired by, but we know who the target was."

"Which was whom?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. She already knew the answer. She just didn't want to believe it.

"The palace believes it was intended for me." He looked away when he told her. He heard her gasp and her hand fell from his arm as tears silently fell down her face.

"Joseph," I... I can't believe it. No please say it isn't true. Please," her eyes begged him to tell her differently and he wish he could have.

She sat up as best as she could with pillows propped up against her back. "Who could have done this to you?"

Joseph shook his head, he didn't know. He sank slowly to his knees. He closed his eyes briefly to stop his own tears. The last 12 hours had been hell for him. There were times when he thought he had lost her for good. Just seeing her, her angel like face, made him know everything was alright.

"Clarisse I will assure you we will find whoever was behind this. Don't worry."

"I can't help it," more tears falling freshly down her face, "I couldn't bear to loose you. All my dreams since the last time I saw you, were filled of us not being together and you dying. I couldn't handle it."

He hugged her, she curled up next to him, with her head in the crook of his neck. He held her, feeling her body shake, tears falling down her face. He buried his face in her hair. If he tried really hard, he could still smell some of her perfume she put on last night. It had only been last night since he held her but it had felt like a lifetime.

It had been a 3 days since the Queen of Genovia was brought home to the palace and things were just starting to return to normal when disturbing evidence was found. The hit man who was hired to kill Joseph, came forward and told of the plan. He said that Viscount Marbrey had put him up to the job to kill the head of security but it was never found out why. Both men were thrown in jail for life sentences. And then once again life in Genovia continued as normal as could.

More to come I promise and hopefully it will be quicker than the last update. THANK YOU so much to the people who reviewed and kept up with this story. Please leave a quick review because they make my day and I love them. I promise there is more too come. I have just been so busy but I still love C&J and to write about them. So please review and if you have any ideas just give them to me please lol. THANK YOU! The opening line is credited to James Blunt with the song You're Beautiful. I make no money from the work of this fanfiction and I know that I don't not own them, they are property of Walt Disney and Meg Cabot.