Author's Note: just a little chapter… I'm really going to have to get a move on with this!
Thank you to all my loyal readers- Clarisse Renaldi, addlogcon, Poppinswannabe, tabby-fanny, Captain Weirdo, Diva4Life and anyone else who reads this… you all rock!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!
Joseph was awake later than usual the following morning, not that he minded, and after he woke up properly, he cautiously tuned to check on Clarisse. To his relief, she was still asleep, which pleased him- it meant that she wasn't in any pain.
It had been a restless and mostly sleepless night (or remnants of a night) for them both- Clarisse trying, rather unsuccessfully, to find a comfortable position, one that didn't aggravate her ribs, and Joseph to keep her company, much to her consternation (although she had been secretly relieved…
0
"You don't have to stay awake with me Joseph," she protested quietly when he turned on the bedside light, a concerned look on her face, after hearing her whimper softly in the dark. "I doubt I'm going to get much sleep tonight, or for the next few nights, but there's no reason you shouldn't… In fact," she continued, struggling to sit up. "If I am disturbing you, I might go into one of the spare bedrooms."
"Don't you dare," he grabbed her arm as she tried to slide slowly and painfully out of bed, and she stopped moving. "Not only because this bed is the most comfortable in the house, but, if you do move, I will be forced to follow you!" he joked, and she chuckled before quickly regretting the action as she groaned- laughing was obviously going to be limited until her ribs healed a little, although she hated the thought of not being able to laugh at Joseph's jokes…
"Alright," she sighed at his small threat, and then leant back against her pillows. "It would be foolish, especially as I might need a little help getting out of bed…"
"Which you wouldn't get from me," he said firmly, and she smiled fondly at his tone before he took her hand in hers. "Obviously laughing is off the agenda for a while?"
He had heard her sharp intake of breath when laughing at his joke.
"Yes, and a few other things as well," she added. "Mostly… gardening, swimming and most domestic chores…" she paused and looked over at him, smiling at his disappointed expression. "Not what you were thinking?"
"Maybe I was, but I was also thinking that I can't hug you for a while…"
Clarisse looked startled- she loved his hugs almost as much as his kisses and she wasn't going to miss out because of a few cracked ribs.
"Not necessarily," she said with a determined look. "I'm not going to give those up…you're just going to have to be gentle…"
"I can be that," he said agreeably and, to prove it, he wrapped his arms around her, careful not to press too hard against her sore chest.
"I knew you would be gentle," she replied smugly, leaning against his shoulder happily…
0
He was careful not to disturb her as he slid out of bed and, after throwing on his bathrobe, padded downstairs to prepare breakfast- he assumed and expected Clarisse to rest or sleep all day.
As he waited for the kettle to boil, he strolled into the living room to watch the headlines on the news (as he usually did), and turned on his phone.
He wasn't surprised to see at least 20 messages or missed calls… most of them were from Mia, he observed as he flicked through the list, although there were messages from BJ, James, Charlie, Annie, Julie and, to his surprise, two from Pierre… Obviously they had all remembered their anniversary, and he and Clarisse would have quite a few phone calls to make, he grinned to himself… before he heard his name mentioned on the television, and he looked up in surprise, turning up the volume at the same time…
"According to sources, after celebrating their second anniversary at a local restaurant, Sir Joseph and his wife, the former Queen of Genovia, were travelling back to their beachside residence when their driver apparently swerved to avoiding colliding with an animal, and crashed into a tree…
The hospital, police and palace are all remaining tight lipped about the conditions of the three occupants, but there are rumours that the Queen may have suffered serious injuries and that she was resuscitated at the scene…"
Joseph groaned and rolled his eyes as he switched off the television in disgust- as per usual, the press had fabricated details they didn't know anything about… the only true facts were about the accident itself… Now the whole world, including both their families, knew and Joseph, knowing Clarisse had wanted to tell Mia herself, could only imagine what Mia was going to say…
Back in the kitchen, continuing his breakfast preparations, he was wondering who could have found out about the accident and told the press, before his phone began ringing… He took a deep breath in when he saw that it was Mia's number- this was going to be difficult…
"Hello Mia, how are you?" he said cheerfully when he picked up, hoping to distract her momentarily.
"Hello Joseph," she replied in a quiet, controlled voice that Joseph knew indicated danger ahead- it was the same technique Clarisse had (and still did occasionally) employed- he had both seen it and had been on the receiving end of her fury. "Did you have a lovely anniversary yesterday?"
"Yes, very quite… unlike last year, and normal… spent most of it at the beach…"
"And kept your mobile off all day," Mia sounded slight amused, and Joseph relaxed slightly. "Don't worry, I don't blame you for that- I actually rang a couple of times before I realised you'd do it… Nicholas was very impressed."
Joseph laughed at that, mostly out of relief that she was distracted.
"I'm glad I impressed your husband," he replied teasingly, and Mia chuckled slightly before the awkward silence descended again.
"I'm not annoyed about that," Mia said finally, her voice turning quiet again. "I figured I would you call you a bit later today, but something else happened that necessitated me calling earlier…"
"We were going to tell you," he began apologetically, but Mia interrupted him, her voice suddenly growing louder.
"But I found out, very early this morning, that my grandparents were involved in a car accident last night… and HOW do you think I found out, Joe?" she sounded sarcastic. "How else… but the MEDIA, rather than by the people themselves!"
"Princess… Mia," he corrected himself quickly- no nickname was going to get him out of this. "I know you're upset and angry that you found out about the accident via the news…"
"Absolutely," Mia replied angrily.
"But we were going to tell you today, you know your grandmother can't keep any secrets from you… We're both fine, although…" he hesitated, wondering if he should go on, but Mia was quick to pick up on his hesitation.
"Although…?" Mia prompted suspiciously. "Joe, tell me…."
"Although… your grandmother was hurt in the accident- a few cracked ribs…"
"WHAT?!" Mia shrieked down the line, practically deafening him. "Are you kidding me? When did that happen- before or after she was resuscitated at the scene?" Mia now sounded furious.
"She was never unconscious, Mia," Joseph said calmly. "That was all media speculation… she was just thrown against the seat belt very hard, and she's going to need to rest for a while… both the doctor and I have told her…"
"Good," Mia said with grim satisfaction. "What about you?"
"I'm fine- my knees are a little sore today, but I'm fine…" He was relieved that she was calming down, and that she had exploded at him rather than Clarisse.
"Apparently the car is a total write off…" Mia said finally, now much calmer. "But I would like to hear the true version of the story…"
Joseph retold the tale as simply as possible, withholding two facts- a) that he had almost crushed Clarisse in relief, causing her more pain; and b) that Clarisse had got very upset when they returned home.
"We would have told you," he said again after he had finished. "It was very late when we got back last night, and I was more intent on ensuring your grandmother's comfort than anything else…"
"That makes sense… and I'm glad you're her husband…"
"Thank you, ma'am."
It's just that…" Mia continued, sounding a little teary now. "It's just that I saw the headlines, hadn't heard from you, although there was a message from your security detail… and…" she turned embarrassed. "I just kind of panicked, especially as I had given permission for you two to be unescorted… You do realise that you'll have bodyguards dogging your every move?"
"Yes, I do and I don't mind… also, it's not your fault that this happened- it was an accident, and nothing you could have done about it…"
He could well understand her feelings- she had lost her father through very similar circumstances, and she couldn't bear to lose her grandmother like that…
"Can I talk to her?" she asked timidly.
"She's still asleep at the moment, but once she wakes up, I'll get her to call you."
"Thank you… and Joe… I'm sorry I yelled at you," she said in a small voice, and he laughed in relief.
After he hung up, relieved that Mia hadn't been too harsh, he continued to make breakfast. After pouring tea into the teapot, he was just about ready to go upstairs and check on his wife when he heard a noise behind her, and he turned to see Clarisse padding slowly into the room, also clad in her bathrobe.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked, gently chivvying her onto the couch in the living room, before hurrying back to retrieve the breakfast tray. Clarisse waited until he had returned, and was sitting down next to her before she responded.
"I thought I would see if I could get out of bed with out any help, and when I did, I wanted to see what you were doing."
"You're still a very independent woman," he growled, rolling his eyes in mock disgust and Clarisse smiled before changing the subject.
"I heard you talking on the phone before… who was it?"
"Mia- and she gave me quite a serving, let me tell you!"
"Just because you didn't have your mobile on at all yesterday?" Clarisse frowned- it didn't sound like Mia to get angry about something minor like that.
"No," he shook his head. "She was more upset about that…" he switched on the television where, on screen, Elsie Kentworthy had replaced the news and was talking about the accident that 'almost claimed the lives of the former Queen of Genovia…"
Clarisse rolled her eyes at that- she would always be known as that, despite that Mia was Queen and Clarisse had remarried.
"…and her husband, Sir Joseph Bonnell…" before the screen flicked to a picture of their wrecked car, obviously taken the evening before, and Clarisse could only gasp in horror.
"Was it really as bad as that?" She could barely remember the previous night's events after the crash. "I don't think I saw it…"
"Yes, it was bad, but I don't think I would have wanted you to see it anyway," he said calmly, seeing her hands shake slightly as he handed her her cup of tea.
"Wait a minute…" she said slowly after sipping her tea- she had just realised something. "How did they know about the accident? How did they get pictures of the car so quickly…?"
A look of horror suddenly dawned on her face as she thought of Mia…
"Is this how Mia found out about last night?" she asked in a dangerously soft voice, her eyes sparkling dangerously, but Joseph knew that she wasn't angry at him.
"I'm afraid so, my dear," he said gently, almost afraid to touch her, but her free hand gripped hers tightly. "I'm sorry…"
"You don't need to apologise, darling, this is in no way your fault…"
She took several deep breaths in to calm down, wincing all the while, and Joseph leaned forward, a concerned look on his face. "What is Mia going to say to me?"
"Don't worry about that now," he said reassuringly. "Have some breakfast, your painkillers, a shower and then… you call Mia."
Clarisse's face instantly relaxed at his words; before she leaned back on the cushions he had fluffed up behind her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, changing the channel and muting the television. "How are the ribs?"
"Rather painful," she admitted with a small smile. "I haven't looked to see if there's any bruising, but I'll check after I have a shower… So," she continued after a pause. "How angry was Mia?"
Joseph chuckled sheepishly as he recalled it.
"Fairly angry- she practically deafened me when I told her about you… I know you wanted to tell her yourself," he added hastily. "But she was very angry, thanks to the media…"
"I can imagine," Clarisse said thoughtfully, before turning serious. "But I AM annoyed that someone released the news to the press before we had the opportunity to speak to Mia!"
She really was annoyed- again, the press had intruded on a very personal moment (as they had when Mia and Nicholas had temporarily split up), and it was especially upsetting as it was bad news… She had wanted to tell Mia herself, to reassure her that they were fine, but instead the media had caused her pain and fear.
If she had still been Queen, Clarisse would have released a strong caution to the media about overstepping boundaries, and about spreading rumours (particularly that she had been resuscitated at the scene, that was downright nasty), but she knew Mia would probably do it herself anyway…
"So, what did Mia actually say to you?"
000
After breakfast (and her latest dose of painkillers- the pain was still bad), Clarisse slowly made her way back upstairs for a shower, Joseph promising to follow after washing up, but he became involved in a lengthy phone call with Scott over the car.
By the time he got back upstairs, Clarisse was showered and almost fully dressed.
"That was quick," he joked as he threw on some clothes before examining her bruised chest- it was black and blue at the bottom of her rib cage, and she flinched as he gently touched the area.
"Yes, you're pretty badly bruised- did someone kick you?" he joked as she pulled her blouse down, and she made a face at him. She was about to retort when they heard a knock on the front door downstairs.
"Who could that be?" Clarisse was a little surprised, as well as a little afraid, as Joseph groaned, remembering something. "What?"
"Just realised who it is… I thought it would be nice to have the spa installed as soon as possible- this week sometime… but now…"
Clarisse's face, still rather white and strained, broke into a smile.
"Don't worry darling, I think it was wonderful and thoughtful- yes, let's do it!"
"We might have to sleep in one of the other rooms for a few days…"
"It's fine, Joseph… we might have to tidy up…"
"Clarisse, don't you dare," he said quickly as he spotted her moving slowly towards the unmade bed. "I'll sort this all out, clothes and all… now, downstairs!" he said sternly.
"Yes sir!" she saluted him quickly, and he grinned at the first sign of her spirits returning.
Clarisse was just making herself comfortable on the couch when she heard voices float through the house (Joseph's was one, she assumed the others were the builder or plumber), before they headed upstairs. She was about to reach for Joseph's mobile, with the intention of calling Mia, when her husband came back into the room, his arms full of clothes, pillows and toiletries.
"I see you're very well ensconced on the couch," he teased as he placed the pile on a nearby chair, and she rolled her eyes. "I do have good news- the spa will be done in three days…I was also thinking- since it's obviously going to be easier for you to stay downstairs, we could easily sleep down here for the next few nights… the couch seems to be comfortable…"
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," she said with some enthusiasm before sighing deeply, and fiddling with the phone in her hands.
"I suppose I had better call Mia- I just hope she isn't going to shout at me as she did you… understandable as it may be, I don't feel like dealing with her at the moment…"
However, as soon as Clarisse said "Hello darling…", Mia suddenly forgot the planned speech she was going to give her grandmother, and all she could say was:
"I'm glad you and Joe are alight…"
"We're tough," Clarisse adopted a cavalier tone, but on their end, Joseph wasn't fooled- she was trying to soothe Mia, not add to her worries.
"Joseph was a regular hero," she beamed proudly over at him. "He made sure I was alright, and then he stayed with the driver until the ambulance arrived…" she paused. "No, he didn't know I was hurt until he saw the paramedics examining me… yes, I was being a hero too…" she winked at Joseph as she said it. "Alright, I won't do it again… Joseph has already spoken to me about that… No, they're cracked, not broken, and I am very sore, but Joseph's going to look after me…" she paused again, and then laughed, holding her side. "I'll tell him you said that… Yes, I'll talk to you again soon…"
"It sounds as if you got a telling off too," Joseph joked as soon as she hung up and reclined back onto her pillows with a sigh.
"Yes… and she was horrified that I didn't tell you I was hurt…"
"So was I!" he recalled the panic he had felt the previous evening when he had seen Clarisse helped out of the car…
"But she did want to say that you can be as bossy as you want with me…" Clarisse added with a smile.
"I was going to anyway, but I'm glad to have her permission," he roared with laughter. "But I can guarantee that you will have all the JLC you need!"
"JLC?" Clarisse looked puzzled.
"JLC- Joseph's loving care… which you will have in abundance," before he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
000
The rest of the day passed quietly, Clarisse forced to stay on the couch (at Joseph's insistence), but she really didn't mind as she knew that she needed time to recuperate. Joseph, as always, was wonderful, bring cups of tea and meals into her, and putting on her favourite DVD's ("I can put up with 'Gone With the Wind' or 'The Sound of Music' for you," he joked), but she didn't see much of them as she slept through them, something for which he was grateful- it meant that her body was healing herself, and she was out of pain.
It did mean, however, that he had to deal with the parade of phone calls that kept his phone busy (and using up his battery) for most of the afternoon. After giving his brother a quick call, reassuring them that they were fine (although BJ was more interested in the state of the car), and Sebastian (although he suspected that Mia would have called him), he spend the rest of the afternoon reassuring Annie, Julie, Charlotte, James, Charlie and even Pierre that everything was fine…
Both Annie and Julie were concerned enough to offer to come out and visit them…
"I'll even fly from the States for you and Clarisse!" Annie cried dramatically, and Joseph had to pause for a moment before speaking again.
"That's every sweet of you, Annie, but we would both rather you stay in the States and keep working… you never know, we might end up coming over for that film premiere of yours…" he said teasingly and, for the second time that day, he was almost deafened by a young woman screaming down the line, but while Mia's was of anger, Annie's was of pure joy and excitement…
Julie's offer was more subdued, but Joseph could tell that she was worried, and he was very touched, as he then told her.
Charlie had wanted to come out and visit that day, but while Joseph thought his tone sounded urgent on the phone, he insisted that Clarisse needed a few days to physically and emotionally recover from the accident.
"I can see that while being her husband is your priority, there's still some of the Queen's Head of Security in you!" Charlie teased.
"Absolutely," Joseph replied staunchly.
His ear was aching slightly when he finally got off the phone, thankful that everyone had been contacted, and when he went back to the living room, was Clarisse was awake and trying to stretch awkwardly.
"Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," he teased gently as he sat down on the pulled out mattress and patted her knee. "How do you feeling?"
"Better… still sore," she grimaced as, with his help, she sat up. "But better- I really did need that sleep… But, what did you do?"
"I spent most of the afternoon on the phone, telling and re-telling the story of our accident, and that we're both alright, but you're dealing with the next round of calls… although BJ was more interested in the state of the car!"
He rolled his eyes at that, but Clarisse couldn't help but laugh gently.
"That sounds just like my brother-in-law… By the way, I didn't hear much noise from upstairs…"
"That's because you were sleeping so soundly!"
"I'll ignore that… but how is it going up there?"
"Honestly, the bathroom is a mess, so you don't want to see it, but they did do quite a lot in one day…"
"Good," was all she said, and he could tell she really wasn't interested.
"Charlie and Marion wanted to come out and see you, but I suggested that it might be a good idea if they wait a couple of days, just until you recover."
"That's a very good idea," she sighed gratefully, propping another pillow up behind her back. "I don't think I could handle even Charlie at the moment…"
"I know, all you need at the moment is some rest and relaxation…" He sighed, and glanced at his watch. "I didn't realise how quickly the day has passed- it's time for me to start getting dinner ready."
He walked towards the doorway, and turned to ask if Clarisse needed anything, when he realised that she was looking at him, horrified.
"What's wrong?"
"You're limping! You're hurt too!"
"What…" he looked momentarily confused, before he realised that she was talking about his knees, which had been paining him slightly all day. "Oh, it's just my usual knee problem, nothing to worry about," he said lightly as Clarisse continued to frown at him.
"That accident didn't help you either… maybe you should sit down as well…"
"Clarisse, I'm fine," he said firmly. "You don't need to worry about me- you're the patient, and I'm the boss, understand?"
"Alright, alright," she acquiesced with a smile. "My, my, you certainly are enjoying being bossy, aren't you?"
"Of course- you may have thought you were in control of your own life while you were on the throne, but little did you know…" he gave her a wicked grin, and she couldn't help but try and throw a pillow at him, but failed miserably…
"Ow!" she complained with a small smile, rubbing her side as Joseph picked up the pillow and returned it to her.
"Better leave the pillow throwing until you're better," he said with a smug smile as he handed her the pillow, and she pouted at him. "It's just as well no one's coming to visit or stay for the next few days, otherwise I'd have to go out and buy a few more pillows…! Honestly," he pretended to sound disgusted. "How many pillows do you need behind you?"
"I'm the patient, remember!" she said with a sly smile, and he laughed as he walked back into the kitchen, relieved that she seemed to be getting her spirits back, but a little troubled at the urgency of Charlie's message earlier, although he hadn't had the heart to mention it to Clarisse… what could be wrong with Charlie?