A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!

Bliss…. It was complete and utter bliss….it was almost as if he had returned home….

"So," Clarisse said when they finally broke apart and she sat back against the sofa, somewhat dazed but clear headed enough to know her purpose for today- to get Joseph to talk about what was troubling. "Are you going to talk to me now or am I going to have to...'convince' you again?" her eyes twinkled playfully and Joseph couldn't help but laugh at her words.

The kiss had made him feel ever so much better, it reminded him that Clarisse still cared about him, that last October hadn't been a dream that he had dreamt up… that their relationship was actually real….

"If that's your technique for getting me to talk, I would be willing to undergo the 'convincing' again!"

"Nice try," she chuckled before she turned serious. "Again… are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Joseph gave a long, heavy sigh and sat back on the sofa, staring blankly into the fire for a moment as Clarisse watched him carefully.

"There's not one thing that has been troubling me… it just seems as if there has been so much going on the past few months, so many problems and pressing issues that I've had to deal with… and I have to admit that…I haven't had the opportunity to really relax and stop worrying about what has happened…"

"Such as? What issues have you had?"

"Well, that intern for starters…."

"Yes, he was a mistake, but not yours or Scott's- the young man obviously had a glamourized idea of what security and guarding the Queen was and I think he discovered that the reality was quite different. He was young, he didn't know what he was doing…"

"But… not knowing who the Prime Minister was! Not accompanying you on a public occasion…small mistakes were alright, yes he was young, but when those things happened… no, I knew that he wasn't meant to be in security."

"Yes, some of those instances weren't quite professional- and, as you recall, I gave you a dressing down because of it…"

"That was justified, I know it was."

"But it was mean to be professional, not personal- I knew that you personally had nothing to do with it but…."

"Again, it was justified- I shouldn't have sent him out on such an important assignment with very little training."

"Yes, maybe so… but you and Scott shouldn't continue to feel badly about him. It happened, he was here for a little while but that's all over now."

"I know Scott doesn't feel badly about it anymore…although a little guilty…"

"Then why are you still feeling badly about it?" she asked softly.

"Because… because," he looked down at his hands and then back into the fire. "I felt that I let you down."

"You didn't," she said immediately, reaching over and resting a hand on top of his. "I have never had any doubt about your abilities as my Head of Security. It was a mistake to have him as an intern, I'll admit that, but don't doubt your own abilities. I trust you, I always have and I always will and I'm fine, I'm safe and that's all that matters. Do you trust me when I say this?"

"I do," he finally looked back at her and she gave him a slight smile.

"Good. Then stop flaying yourself about this… it's done. What else is bothering you?"

"I don't want to seem as if I'm complaining, given that you have asked me time and again if I wanted time off, a holiday… but the last few months… it's been quite busy and…"

"You're overworked, I suspected as much."

"Not overworked but….there were quite a few people sick during the Christmas period and I had to take up the slack…. Again, I don't want you to think that I'm complaining…"

"You've never complained before and you're not complaining now… and, if you feel that you are, I think that it's justified….how many men were you short staffed by at Christmas and New Year?"

"Six, maybe seven…."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You already had enough on your plate… and we did get a few of the men from Lybitt and Mertz to come and fill in but… it's not the same as having your own men…."

"I see…but how badly overworked were you during that time?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but after the past few months…"

"I see… well, maybe it is time, once we return back to the palace, that you start delegating tasks to Scott and some of your work colleagues… I know that you like doing everything yourself," she added as he opened his mouth to protest. "However, it is also important that you don't overwork yourself into the ground so you must allow others to help you as well… I suspect that you know that I'm correct when I say that you take too much work on yourself."

"Guilty as charged," Joseph said with a wry grin. "Alright, alright- when we get back, I will start delegating tasks to my colleagues."

"I will be making sure that you do so," she said sternly but her eyes were twinkling.

"Thank you."

"What for?

"For caring… and listening."

"Why shouldn't I? Even if we weren't friends and… exploring another side of our relationship," she added haltingly, blushing at her words. "I would still be concerned with your state of mind and would want to know how I could help my Head of Security."

"You would?"

"I would," she affirmed, a little surprised that he would question her as such. "I'm not as hard a taskmaster as Rupert was, although his method must have worked as well as he inspired such loyalty from his men as well as the members of parliament."

"That doesn't mean that his method of inspiring loyalty…."

"How did you find him? Before you became my personal bodyguard, that is."

"Considering I was your personal bodyguard almost from the beginning, I spent very little time under his security team, although I did find that he encouraged a camaraderie with his men that I found a little… disconcerting."

"Disconcerting, how?" Clarisse was curious, although she suspected she knew what he was going to say.

"I think you know what I'm going to say…" he began hesitantly. "They kept his secrets, including the women that he visited and hence… he kind of encouraged friendships with them, knowing that they wouldn't say anything…he kind of encouraged of a boy's club."

"Yes, I thought that that would happen… while we shared our own security team, I found the men that were his, who accompanied me occasionally out in public… they were rather familiar with me, as if they didn't respect me, which of course they didn't."

"Which was their loss… and why do you think I got rid of most of those men when the King passed away? Although, by then, there were two very separate security teams with their own Head of Security."

"I wondered about that… thank you, although I could have handled them."

"You may have, I wouldn't have," he scowled at her and she laughed.

"You're very protective of me, aren't you?" she teased and he only moved closer to her.

"You have no idea how protective I am of you," he almost murmured.

"I have some idea…" she said with a smile before he tipped her chin up and gently kissed her again, the kiss deepening a little before Clarisse pulled away again.

"This is not getting us anywhere."

"Oh, I disagree," Joseph argued before leaning over and kissing her again. "I feel so much better now…"

"Good," Clarisse pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. "Truly, do you feel better?"

"I do… I always feel better when I'm around you….I guess…" he trailed off.

"What?"

"I suppose…. I felt the emotional separation badly…."

"Emotional separation?" Clarisse looked puzzled.

"We've barely seen each other privately in the past few months….professionally, yes, but personally…."

"Oh, I see," Clarisse suddenly looked understanding.

"I know neither of us are ready to declare our true feelings for each other, but I have to admit… I felt jealous whenever I saw you dancing with a member of parliament… yes, irrational, I know," he continued, not looking at her but sensing that she wanted to interrupt him. "But…."

"It may be irrational, but it's also very sweet," she suddenly interrupted him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I didn't realise…"

"How could you? You're always surrounded by people and busy working… and my jealousy is just complicating matters between us…"

"How so?" she pulled away and looked at him in bewilderment.

"Well… as I said before, we're not anywhere near declaring our feelings for each other…"

"But we do know we have deep feelings for each other," Clarisse said quietly. "Just because they are not said doesn't mean that we don't know that they're there… and jealousy is one such emotion… I get jealous too, at times."

"You do? About me?"

"Yes, about you," she gave him a small smile. "You have no idea how many women watch you, do you?"

"When do they watch me?" his bewilderment was growing- he had no idea what Clarisse was talking about.

"Whenever you're at my side, escorting me somewhere… I see their looks and I also sense their looks as well…. You're a very handsome man, my dear Joseph, and I'm sure you have a line of women waiting for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm sure you're wrong- besides, if you are right…"

"And I am," Clarisse said knowingly.

"IF you are right, I don't look at them, I can't see them…besides, I'm sure most of them are the unhappy wives of men of parliament."

"You're very modest."

"I am," he nodded, looking modest before he chuckled. "I am indeed. So, what now?"

"Have you told me all that has been bothering you?" she looked at him intently and he nodded.

"I have, and now I'm feeling foolish that I've made much about some silly issues that I could have dealt with a lot earlier than before."

"Don't feel foolish, you needed to talk to someone, gain a little perspective, which I assume that you have now."

"I do… I just feel…"

"Don't," she pressed her hand on top of his again. "Don't, you're not that, I promise."

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," Clarisse said lightly, the tension in her stomach easing now that Joseph looked so much more relaxed than before. "Actually, I have a confession to make to you as well." She suddenly turned coy, looking down at her hands for a moment, piquing his interest.

"Oh? What's that?"

"You were talking about missing spending some time with me, privately?"

"Yes…."

"Well, I have to admit that I have missed that too."

"I wouldn't have been able to tell that."

"It's the truth…"

"Truly?" he moved closer to her again and she nodded, looking back up at him again.

"Truly."

"Then that definitely makes me feel better," he said in a low voice before leaning over and kissing her again….