A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock! Sorry it's been a couple of weeks but work has been more than a little busy!

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me

Despite the fact that he had been driving all day and had done virtually nothing else, Joseph found that he couldn't sleep once he had retired after leaving Her Majesty's study, he was more curious about what she had planned for tomorrow and, almost as importantly, how she had gained 'permission' from Scott… not that she needed permission to do anything, he reminded himself hastily.

She was the Queen of Genovia and didn't have to answer to anyone… but still, he was curious about how Scott had agreed to whatever she had planned… although he suspected that given what had transpired today, he would have agreed easily to whatever she wanted… maybe they weren't leaving the palace, maybe they were just staying at the palace…his mind was whirling with possibilities but Joseph knew that he had to wait until tomorrow to find out what Clarisse had planned…

0

The next morning, the palace was still quiet and still when Joseph exited his room and made his way upstairs- he knew that he really should go and see Scott and the rest of the team, apologize and promise that his behaviour would be different, he wouldn't be so irritable with them in the future, but he was more curious about what Clarisse had planned.

There was only a momentary pause when he knocked on the suite doors before, to his surprise, Clarisse opened the door with a bright smile, looking surprisingly alert and already dressed.

"Good morning, Joseph."

"G-good morning, Your Majesty," he almost stammered in reply.

"You seem a little surprised that I'm up and about so early."

"No, not really….you usually get up early…."

"Or maybe you're surprised that I answered the door myself."

"No, ma'am."

"Joseph, will you please relax? I'm not angry with you about yesterday," she said firmly, guiding his face that he was meeting her eyes.

"Sorry..." he muttered- he wasn't quite sure why he was being shy around Her Majesty… Clarisse… but he was beginning to realise that she was right- he did need a break. "Are you ready to go? Have you had breakfast?"

He himself hadn't had breakfast- again, he hadn't wanted to step into the kitchen or the security hub- but he was more concerned that Clarisse… Her Majesty… had already eaten.

"No, but I'm fine… I've had the kitchen pack a hamper so we can have something on the road."

"On the road?"

"Yes, we're going away from the palace for the day… if it worked for me, I'm sure that it will work for you as well."

"What about….?"

"You don't have to worry about Scott, he and I have worked it all out and he has agreed with what we're doing… I'll tell you about it once we're away from here."

"May I ask, where are we going?"

"You may," she gave him a flirty smile as she closed the door behind her and stood in front of him, waving a set of keys in front of him. "We're actually going to your cabin for the day."

"My cabin?"

"Yes, I thought that it was a place that has privacy, gives you a chance to relax away from the palace…you don't mind, do you?"

"No, I think it's a good idea."

"Well, we'd better get going if we're going to spend much of the day at the cabin… you don't mind driving again, do you? We're taking one of the palace cars, not yours, if you wish."

"No, I'm fine to drive, ma'am."

"Joseph." She paused halfway down the stairs and turned to him.

"Yes?"

"It's Clarisse."

"Aye, aye ma'am… Clarisse," and he gave her a more genuine smile, a smile that told Clarisse that he was starting to relax.

000

"Why didn't you choose to drive?" Joseph asked an hour into their trip, the atmosphere had been quiet in the cabin up until now but it hadn't been a tense atmosphere, instead a companionable silence between the two of them, a quality that had always been part of their relationship, something Clarisse had never questioned- she had always felt more comfortable with Joseph than anyone else, even her own husband.

"I suppose I could have, seeing that my license has never expired here… but I also haven't driven for a few years and I could be a little rusty with the road rules…"

"Nonsense, I'm sure you would be alright to drive," he said briskly.

"I suppose so… but I assume that my Head of Security wouldn't like me driving too much, particularly in Pyrus."

"He would have his reasons for that but I'm sure that he would let you drive out on the open road if you wished…"

"No, I think I'm perfectly happy being a passenger," she responded, snuggling down in her seat with a smug smile. "I'm not used to sitting in the front passenger seat, though, so I'm going to enjoy this."

"So…" Joseph said after a moment. "Are you going to tell me how you managed to get around Scott to organise this trip? I'm sure he would have put up a battle for it… he wasn't happy when we had our trip to the beach house."

"Actually no, he was quite reasonable about it and he was very helpful."

"Scott? Reasonable? Helpful?" Joseph couldn't help but sound surprised.

"Yes- Scott was reasonable and helpful. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"He can be rather… stubborn… at times."

"Hello pot," Clarisse teased gently. "Anyway, Scott was very helpful when we were planning this….

"Scott?"

"Yes ma'am? You wished to see me?" the younger man was standing in front of her desk and Clarisse removed her glasses, setting them on the desk and sitting back in her chair.

"Yes, I did. I hear that you had quite an eventful morning in the security hub…. Charlotte told me," she added as she saw Scott open his mouth to question her.

"It was nothing, ma'am…"

"Joseph storming out of a security meeting would hardly qualify as nothing, would it, Scott?" Clarisse raised a quizzical eyebrow and Scott suddenly turned bashful.

"No, ma'am. Sorry ma'am. I just wanted to reassure you that we're handling the situation well… there are no problems whatsoever."

"I know that, I know that your team works well together and you all know what you're doing."

"Then…."

"I wanted to see you Scott, because I have an idea about what will happen when Joseph returns… and I can say that it won't be termination."

"Ma'am?" Scott was cautious but curious.

"Do you remember a couple of months ago, when I was having a very, very bad day and Joseph suggested I have a day off?"

"Yes…" Scott said slowly- what was she leading up to?

"Well, I was thinking that Joseph has been quite stressed lately…."

"That's for sure," Scott muttered under his breath before he realised that the Queen had stopped and stared at him and he remembered that he had interrupted her.

"…Anyway," she continued after a moment. "I was thinking that he may need some time off as well… I know that that day made all the difference to me and I… I'm hoping that it could be of benefit to Joseph."

"Ma'am?"

"I'm suggesting that Joseph has a day off- tomorrow, if possible- and that he is sent away from the palace for the entire day."

"Where would he go?"

"I'm thinking that maybe he could go to his cabin, just for a day, just to get away from here… and give you and your team a break, as I'm sure that this hasn't been the best time for you either," she gave him a slight, warm smile and Scott shrugged, a little uncomfortably.

"We haven't really minded…."

"Still, his behaviour hasn't been exactly professional and I'm sure it would have been difficult for you all."

"We understand and we try to support him as much as possible… so," he decided to change the subject so Her Majesty didn't pursue it any further. "If he will be going to the cabin tomorrow… will you be going with him? Or did you want one of us to go with him instead?"

"No offence intended Scott, but I don't think either you or any of your men would be who Joseph would want to see… Yes, I was planning on accompanying him, as a friend of course, and that's why I wanted to see you…."

"You don't need my permission, ma'am," Scott said respectfully but, deep down, he was celebrating- he had always been suspicious about the feelings between Joseph and the Queen but this had all but confirmed that the Queen cared about him… much more than as an employee, but of course he couldn't say a word to anyone… not that he would….ever…

"I know I don't… but I would like you to agree with my plan."

"It's fine with me, Your Majesty," Scott said finally. "I think it's a good idea and I think that Joseph does need a day off…."

"He crumbled quite easily," Joseph chortled and Clarisse chuckled lightly.

"I wouldn't say that he crumbled… although," she allowed with a wry smile. "I thought it would be a little more difficult to convince him of the merits of this plan."

"But…."

"But I think, despite his big mouth, he was being respectful to me."

"More likely he was afraid of you," Joseph chuckled at the thought of his second in charge being scared of the Queen.

"I don't think so, I think he was being respectful… and you have to admit that you're pleased that Scott agreed to this trip."

"Alright, alright," he said after a moment and looked sideways to smile at her. "I am. I am glad that he agreed to this… and I'm glad that we're doing this."

000

Instead of stopping for breakfast (or even having a snack while 'on the road') they opted to drive straight through to the cabin.

"It's better to have another half hour or hour there then having to stop and eat," Clarisse had said and Joseph had to agree with her.

They finally drove down the tree lined dirt driveway leading towards the single level wooden cabin that Joseph had owned for years, and Joseph was momentarily surprised to see smoke coming out of the chimney.

"What's going on?"

"I had a few men come over and organise a few things… I hope that I'm not overstepping the mark," Clarisse said apologetically when the car came to a stop.

"No, no… I'm not offended at all," he turned to look at her, his eyes twinkling. "I very much appreciate it… and I'm glad that I don't have to pile firewood into the fireplace and light a fire… It's supposed to be my day off, after all!" he joked before the smile slid off his mouth and he looked at her soberly, reaching out with a hand and gently caressing her cheek, loving the way her skin felt underneath his hand, the way that her eyes closed momentarily at the touch.

Clarisse too felt the change in the car, the gentleness and tenderness in his caress, the intensity of his gaze (which remained even when she opened her eyes again) and for a moment she though he was going to lean over and kiss her before, to her disappointment, he dropped his hand and turned to get out of the car….