Thanks to everyone who read the update, and a bigger THANKS to tengland2 and Honkytonkangel for your comments, its much appreciated, THANK YOU!

ooOoo

...Continued.

The next half hour past in a blur for Clarisse, from crying while watching them bring Joseph back, to being guided onto the ambulance staring at her blooded hands while sitting next to Pierre, to being taken to a private room while they whisked Joseph off.

After she got cleaned off and given a spare nurses shirt to wear till someone brought her another top, she went back to the private room and sat in shock as Pierre tried to talk to her, getting know where when Sasha and Jason came in.

"How's he doing?" Jason whispered as Sasha next to Clarisse.

"We don't know, we haven't been told anything?" Pierre answered watching his Mom.

"Can't we ask to find out?" Jason asked.

"I have been but they just keep telling me when they have news they will come tell us!" Pierre whispered back while looking at him then at Clarisse, realizing she was changing her top, he quickly turned around "Thanks for the warning, Sasha?" he exclaimed as she looked over.

"Sorry!" she replied and looked back at Clarisse as she pulled her top down and sat back "You can look again now." Sasha said.

"Thanks!" Pierre said turning around as someone knocked on the door "I will get it." he said moving over and opened it to see two police officers stood there "Hello officers." he said checking their ID as Clarisse looked towards them and stood up.

"Your Majesty." nodded the lady officer

"Hello Dawn." Clarisse stepped forward "It's ok Pierre, I know them."

He looked over at her as she nodded and he stood to the side, letting them in.

"Thank you." they offered.

"This is my partner, Simon." Dawn said introducing him.

"Hello." Clarisse nodded, as they both nodded back.

"We have news Your Majesty." Dawn said as they all looked at them "We have made an arrest this evening, he came into the station and confessed to shooting at you and Joseph."

"He wasn't aware though that he had in fact shot Joseph." Simon added said.

"Oh." Clarisse exclaimed while putting her hands up to her face as she started crying again.

"Thank you!" Pierre nodded and put his arms around Clarisse's shoulders.

"I wondered if we could get a statement from you, Your Majesty?" Dawn asked while standing beside her.

"Of course." she nodded and wiped away her tears.

After they were finished, they left her and Pierre in the private room, when Sofia came in with Sasha.

"Mommy?" Sofia cried while rushing over as she stood up and wrapped her arms around her.

"Is there any news?" Clarisse asked looking at Sasha as she shook her head as Greg and Jason came in.

"I will go and see if I can find out anything, Mom?" Pierre offered as Clarisse nodded while closing her eyes giving Sofia a hug.

"Where's Ella?" Clarisse asked lifting her head and looked at Sofia.

"My Mom has her." Greg answered "My Dad brought us." he added watching Clarisse and Sofia as Clarisse nodded and put her hands up cupping Sofia's face.

"I know it's hard darling, but we need to stay strong for Dad ok?" Clarisse asked.

"Yeah!" Sofia nodded and wrapped her arms around Clarisse's waist "I love you Mom!"

"I love you too darling." Clarisse whispered while wrapping her arms around Sofia's shoulders again, holding her close while closing her eyes.

After a few minutes Pierre returned and everyone looked at him.

"The nurse was just about to come and let us know, they've taken Dad up to surgery to remove the bullet." he said slowly as they all watched "His nurse will come and let us know when he's out."

"Ok, thank you darling." Clarisse whispered as Sofia clung to her.

"Does anyone want anything?" Sasha asked "Like coffee, tea?" she offered.

"No thank you." Clarisse answered while moving and sat down with Sofia "I will have to remember to thank Peter later for bringing you here." Clarisse said slowly looking up at Greg.

"He doesn't expect a thank you, Mom." Greg answered.

"Well still, I will still thank him." She whispered while looking down then at Sofia "Darling?"

"Yes Mommy?" she looked at her.

"Can you go home and be there for your Sister? she still doesn't know what's happened." Clarisse said watching her.

"But I want to stay here with you." Sofia whispered.

"I will be here Fia?" Pierre said as they looked at him.

"She doesn't know yet and I want you to be there and be strong for her too, ok?" Clarisse asked her.

"Ok Mommy, where is she?" Sofia asked while wiping her face with her hands.

"Still at Marla's house." Clarisse answered and looked at her.

"Ok, we will go and pick her up and take her home." Sofia nodded and hugged her tight.

"We will call as soon as we have news." Pierre said

"Thanks." Sofia whispered while standing up and hugged him "Look after her ok?" She whispered and looked at him as he nodded "Thanks." she stepped back and looked at Greg as they left.

"Do you want us to stay?" Jason asked as Clarisse stood up and walked over to the window while folding her arms.

"No you may as well go home too." Pierre said looking at Clarisse for a second then looked at them "We will call whenever we get news, we promise."

"Ok." Jason said and left with Sasha.

Pierre stood watching his Mom for a few moments then walked over, standing beside her.

"How did you know something happened? or where to find us?" Clarisse asked looking at him.

"Holly." he answered while looking at her "When she came back on her own with your scarf around her neck, we knew something had happened and as Shades and Paul followed her on foot, Me and Max drove in the car and kept in touch through the phone." he said looking at her.

"Ahh ok." she nodded and looked out the window, trying to be strong.

"She's a clever dog, you know?" he asked as she nodded, not taking her eyes from the window "He will be ok you know?" He whispered while looking at her "He's a strong man and will pull through, I know it."

She slowly looked at him "What if he doesn't?" she whispered and looked back out the window "I just can't believe this happened." she said shaking her head "Why must it always go wrong when things are doing so well?" she asked while looking down at her hand, starting to play with her wedding ring.

"Mom, he will pull through and will be back on his feet in know time!" he said putting his arm up, around her shoulders.

"I hope so." she whispered and started crying.

"Oh Mom." he moved putting his other arm up, giving her a hug as she cried on his chest.

After a while they sat down, Clarisse rested her head on his shoulder while talking and fell to sleep not long afterwards.

"Your Majesty?" the nurse whispered while gently rubbing her arm to awake her.

Slowly she opened her eyes and sat up "What's the matter? Is everything alright?" she asked while not taking her eyes from her as Pierre sat up.

"I'm afraid, Mr Romano didn't make it?" the nurse whispered.

"What?" Clarisse shook her head as Pierre sat in shock "No he can't be gone?" she whispered to herself "No.." she exclaimed as she started crying feeling Pierre's arm's wrapping around her.

"No!" She gasped while sitting up to see the nurse crouched down next to her "No." she shook her head as Pierre came too and looked at them "Please don't tell me he's dead?" she cried.

"Your Majesty, it's ok!" she said grabbing her hand "I'm here to tell you that he's doing ok, he's out of surgery and is doing well in recovery." she smiled as Clarisse sighed in relief while closing her eyes.

"Thank you." she opened her eyes as Pierre put his hand on her back "Thank you so much." she whispered with a nod.

"You're welcome." the nurse nodded while standing back up straight "I will bring more news when I have some."

"Thank you." Pierre nodded and looked at Clarisse giving her a hug.

"I really thought she was going to tell me he had died." she shook her head.

"How come?" he asked.

"I had a dream that she came to tell me he didn't make it, I scared myself awake and she was right there." she gasped "I honestly thought she was here to tell me my worst fear?" she whispered and started crying "I thought he had gone Pierre." she whispered while looking at him.

"It's ok Mom." he soothed giving her another hug as she cried on his shoulder "Everything's going to be ok, you'll see." he looked at her "Philippe is looking over him." he half smiled as she slowly nodded.

He went to say something when his phone started ringing, quickly grabbing it from his pocket and looked at it "It's Sofia, do you want to talk to them?" he asked holding the phone out to her.

"Yes." she answered taking the phone and answered it.

She sat talking to her and Olivia for a while, giving them the news that they had just been told. After an hour they hung up and Pierre went to get some coffee returning a little while later.

"I just noticed the time." Pierre said handing her, her coffee "It's nearly 1am."

She took it and checked the time "I didn't realize it was so late." she said and took a sip of her coffee "Thank you darling." she looked at him "And thanks for staying with me, I really appreciate it." she said looking down at her coffee cup.

"Oh don't worry, I couldn't really leave my Mom alone now could I?" he asked as she looked back up at him "By the way I called Andrew and let him know what happened."

"Oh god yes, Andrew!" she exclaimed while putting her hand up onto her forehead "What did he say?" She asked looking back at him.

"He thanked me for letting him know and he's going to try and get a flight as soon as he can, I welcomed him to stay at the Palace, I hope that was ok?" he asked sitting back and looked at her.

"Of course, I told him he's always welcome." she looked back at him "Thanks for doing that, I completely forgot about Andrew." she whispered and took a sip of her coffee.

"It's understandable really?" he said as she looked back at him "You were in shock after all." he sipped his coffee as Clarisse nodded.

"I still can't get my head around it." she said going into a day dream, Pierre noticed and didn't answer, he just watched her "I really thought I was going to lose him when we were in the field." she whispered slowly looking at him.

"He's a fighter Mom, I know seeing him on the floor like that is hard but Philippe was looking over him." he whispered as he remembered him laying there and hated seeing how his Mom was.

"Thank you." Clarisse whispered while looking at him then sipped some of her coffee.

After a while the nurse came to give them news.

"He's awake and asking for you, Your Majesty." she smiled.

"Can I see him?" Clarisse asked while standing up with Pierre.

"Of course," the nurse nodded "Follow me."

"I will wait here ok, Mom?" Pierre smiled as Clarisse looked at him "Tell him we all love him though?"

"I will." she gave him a quick hug then followed the nurse.

After a few moments they reached his private room and she slowly walked in, seeing him laying on the bed she pushed the door up and slowly walked over, watching him open his eyes and smile.

"Well." she whispered getting teary eyed "There's a smile I thought I'd never see again?" she whispered while leaning over and kissed him "Hey you." she whispered looking into his eyes.

"Hey." he smiled as she took his hand

"Don't ever scare me like that again, do you understand? or there is going to be trouble." she smiled at him as he smiled up at her.

"I thought I'd never see your smile again either you know?" he whispered while putting his hand up, cupping her face as she closed her eyes and put her hand up onto his, feeling the warmth "I love you Clarisse." he whispered as she opened her eyes again "More and more with every second that passes."

"The same to you." she whispered and kissed the palm of his hand "I really thought I had lost you out there." she whispered as he looked up at her.

"I know." he nodded "I'm so sorry." he whispered wiping away her stray tears "Come sit on here with me, there's plenty of room?" he asked as she turned a little and sat next to him on the bed "That's better." he smiled and kissed her fingers as she rested her head on his shoulder gently.

"When you are better we will go away for a few days to our pad, as you call it?" she laughed a little while lifting her head and looked at him grinning.

"Going to our pad with you, sounds like a plan." he nodded and looked at her "I can't wait." he smiled.

"Neither can I." she smiled putting her hand up cupping his face and kissed his cheek before resting her head back on his shoulder.

"You know something?" he asked holding her hand up and looked at their wedding rings, together.

"What?" she asked while looking at him.

"It was your love that kept me going, you know?" he whispered while bringing her hand up, kissing her fingers next to her wedding ring "If I didn't have that I doubt I'd be here now."

"Don't talk like that," she looked at him and noticed he was crying "Oh Joe?" she sat up, putting her arm around him giving him a hug "It's ok, your still here and doing well." she kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Clari." he whispered as he looked at her "Ti Amo?" she nodded and kissed him.

"Together, forever, remember?" she smiled as he nodded "Good." she kissed him and rested her head back on his shoulder "Ti Amo."

She stayed with him a little while, till he had fallen to sleep then she went back to Pierre. Stayed a little while then decided to head home to get some rest and give an update at the Palace. After telling the girls the news Clarisse went to bed, but couldn't sleep so she just lay there everything spinning around her mind.