A month later.

Its been a busy month for Clarisse, as well as having a bad case of flu for over a week she's had a lot of paper work to catch up on. This morning she has a meeting with Parliament and Pierre was yesterday trying to catch her up with everything.

This morning she was awake early, a mix of having a weird dream and worry that she will forget something. She had breakfast then got herself ready, checking on Joe before leaving to find him still sleeping.

As she headed down to her office she ran things over in her head and found herself talking to herself, stopping half way down she shook her head and carried on to her office to find Pierre laughing behind the door.

"and what is so funny?" she asked while letting go of the handle and walked over to her desk

"you talking to yourself" he smirked as he looked over at her

"it's not funny" she sat down "I am worried I am going to forget something" she slipped her glasses on while crossing her legs under the table

"don't be, it's fine" he said while sitting opposite "I will be there with you, so if you forget I will just remind you or tell them myself"

"oh good" Clarisse nodded while looking at him "thank you"

"you're welcome" he smiled "Charlotte is just getting us some coffee to have while we go over the forms once again"

"ok, thank you" she smiled and checked her diary "this meeting is important, it can't be messed up" she sighed and rested her head on her hand while resting her elbow on her desk

"it won't be" he answered while watching her "is there something wrong?"

"hmm" she said looking up at him "just still feeling a bit run down after being ill" she shrugged "I will be fine soon, I'm sure"

"ok" he nodded "it still sounds like you have a cold though, have you took your medicine?" he asked as she nodded "good"

"always the worrier" she said with a small smile "you take after your father with that too" she said looking back down at her diary "he always worried when you, Philippe or I was sick" she said looking back up "it was the only time he did worry though, any other time he didn't" she sighed and looked back down

"I was going to say he didn't any other time" he said watching her "though I like to think I got that worry gene from you" he smiled as she looked up "you are more of a worrier than Father was" he smiled "even though you don't realize it" he chuckled

she sat thinking for a second then looked at him "I suppose your right" she nodded and looked back down "I will be glad to feel normal again" she sighed and grabbed a tissue

"maybe you shouldn't go to this meeting?" he asked as she looked up "I know everything anyway so why don't you stay here and go back to bed?"

"as tempting as bed sounds right now, I need to get back into things" she said looking at him "after I have had my coffee I will be more alert" she chuckled just as Charlotte came in "good morning darling" she smiled

"good morning" Charlotte smiled back while putting the tray down "I have your coffee and I brought you some sweets too Mom, just in case you fancied them" handing them to her

"oh thank you" she smiled taking them "this will wake me up I am sure" she chuckled while popping a sweet in her mouth and smiled at them

Pierre and Charlotte looked at each other "shes back" he smiled as Clarisse smiled at them

Returning from the meeting Pierre went over to his house to check on the kids while Clarisse went inside, closing the door just as Joe came through from the kitchen.

"your back already?" he asked as she looked over

"yep" she nodded and headed into her office

"how did it go?" he asked following her and stood next to her as she slipped of her coat

"it went very well" she nodded and kissed him before walking over and stood next to her desk while putting her bag down on it

"really?" he asked standing next to her while putting his cup down and put his arms around her waist as she looked at him"then why the sad face?"

"I'm just tired that's all" she smiled with a nod

"ahh ok" he watched her go through her bag taking a couple things out then he looked around the room before leaning in and whispered in her ear "we could always have that fun now" he said patting her desk as he winked at her

"oh Joe" she chuckled "behave" she smiled while looking down as she checked her phone with a blush

"made you blush and smile though" he said while watching her lean over her desk grabbing a pen and with a cheeky smirk he grabbed hold of her hips while standing directly behind her "or instead of doing it on it, how about over it" he smiled as she started laughing

putting one of her hands back on his hand "will you please behave" she said quickly writing something down then stood up straight "I haven't got the energy in me to be naughty today" she sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind

"you wouldn't have to do anything" he whispered while resting his chin on her shoulder "I will do everything" he smirked

she put one of her hands up cupping his face "then that's no fun" she sighed while resting her other hand on his arms around her "maybe later" she smiled while turning around in his grasp "but I ain't making any promises" she said putting her hand up and placed her forefinger on his lips "so don't get your hopes up to much, ok?" she asked

"okay" he whispered against her finger then kissed it "I really hope you get better soon, I hate seeing you sick" he whispered while taking her hand then kissed her palm

"why? so you can have your way with me again?" she smirked as he looked at her

"maybe" he chuckled as she giggled "no mainly because I do honestly hate seeing you sick" he said and kissed her a couple times before giving her a hug

"thank you" she smiled while wrapping her arms around his shoulders

As they stood hugging in her office they shared a couple words to each other in Italian, then shared another hug. A few minutes later someone knocked on her office door, making them part. She moved around and sat down as Joe stood half behind her with his hands behind his back.

"come in" she called out while turning to look at Joe "you don't have to stand right behind me, you know?" she chuckled as he smiled and moved

"sorry, it's a habit" he smiled and moved across the room as Shades came in and shut the door

"sorry to disturb you, I wonder if you have a few minutes?" he asked while looking at her then at Joe for a second then back at Clarisse "or is this a bad time?"

"no no, not at all" she smiled and looked at Joe "can you give us a few minutes, please?"

"of course" he asked while walking out and pulled the door up behind him

"what can I do you for?" Clarisse asked as Shades came over

"its just to do with what you asked me to check out for you, last month" he answered

"oh yes, of course I completely forgot about that" she answered while looking up at him

"sorry it took so long, I have been trying to do it without Joe being around as you didn't want him to know and that is sometimes impossible" they both nodded "anyway I did a few searches for you, and found nothing" he said while looking at her

"you found nothing?" she asked while sitting back in the chair then looked up at him

"the last people to have lived in that house was over a year ago, it was an old couple under the name of Rogers" he said watching her stand up "the husband died over a year ago which prompted the wife to move into a home, who died a few months ago" he said looking at her as she turned to look back at him

"and know ones lived there since?" she asked as he nodded

"they are trying to sell it though so maybe the people you saw going into the house was looking at it to maybe buy it themselves?" he asked

"that is a possibility, yes" she nodded while sitting back down "alright, thank you for your help Shades" she said looking at him

"anytime" he nodded and left

She sat thinking to herself for a bit when Charlotte came in with her post.

"thank you Charlotte" she said with a smile and started going through it "aww look" she said holding up an envelope as Joe came in "to the attention of Mrs C Romano" she smiled over at Joe

"Sasha?" he asked as she opened it "that was nice of them to actually send them"

"indeed" she said going through the photos "aww I love this one, I had no idea Sasha was looking at me while her Mom was taking the photos" she said handing them to Joe and read the letter then looked in the envelope "aww she drew me a picture too" she smiled pulling it out and held it up as both Charlotte and Joe smiled over

"what are you going to do with it?" Charlotte asked

"put it on my wall of course" she smiled getting some sticky tape from her drawer as Joe read the letter "I feel like I should send her something back"

"that's a good idea" Joe smiled "but what?" he asked

"I don't know yet" she shrugged as she attached tape to the back of the picture

"you said she likes monkeys?" Charlotte asked as Clarisse nodded "maybe send her something of a monkey, like a teddy or something"

"that's a good idea" she nodded and stood up "remind me Joe to look for something monkey related that I could send her?" she asked while standing next to the wall behind her desk

"of course" he said watching her stick the picture to the wall "and maybe you could send her a photo back of you standing next to the picture she kindly drew for you, I am sure that would make her day to know that The Queen put her drawing on her office wall" he smiled

"indeed" Clarisse smiled while sitting down "I like that idea" she smiled reading the letter and going through the photos again "she was such a great kid" she smiled up at Joe

he nodded "she was indeed" he smiled "I have an idea though, he started as both Charlotte and Clarisse looked at him "maybe instead of sending her the gift" he said taking the envelope with the address on "we could hand deliver it ourselves?" he smiled

"that's a great idea" Clarisse nodded "it's more personal that way" she smiled

"of course" Joe smiled and watched as she signed one of the photos for her

"aww I bet she would love that more than the teddy itself" Charlotte chuckled

"who knows" Clarisse smiled and started going through the rest of her post "hmm" she said looking at one

"whats wrong?" Joe asked while looking over at her

"I am having a case of Déjà vu" she said looking around her desk and started going through everything

"what over?" Charlotte asked while watching her

"Clari?" Joe asked

she stood up straight while holding the letter in her hands "a letter like this" she said putting it down and started going through her drawers "I have seen one like it here before"

Charlotte walked over and picked it up "yeah, I have too actually" she put the letter back down "I will help you look for it"

"what kind are we looking for?" Joe asked while walking over and took the envelope "its from someone in America?" he asked putting it down

"uh huh" Clarisse answered not paying attention as she searched through her stuff with Charlotte then stood looking at Joe "instead of standing there, help us?" she said and carried on looking

"ok, sorry" he replied and started looking

After a few minutes Charlotte found it.

"found it" Clarisse stopped and looked over at her as she walked over

taking it from her "thank you" she said looking at them as she started to shake a little

"Clari?" Joe asked as he stood next to her and Charlotte stood the other side "what's wrong" she looked at him as people started talking in the hall

"Stephen?" she said looking towards her door as Charlotte and Joe looked at each other

After a second she pushed past Joseph and rushed over to the door and stood looking at the 6ft 3 tall man standing by the front door next to Shades, who saw him looking passed him and turned to see Clarisse in the door staring at them.

"I am sorry Your Majesty, he insisted on seeing you" Shades started as she rushed over to them as Charlotte and Joe came out of her office

she stood in front of him while putting her hands up and cupped his face "is it really you?" she asked as he nodded and the girls and Amelia started coming down the stairs

"whats going on?" Sofia asked looking at them then Joe

After a second Clarisse started crying as Stephen crouched down a little, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her of the floor as she cried burying her face in his shoulder

"Dad?" Olivia said looking at Joe then back at them as Stephen started crying

To Be Continued...