First of all I want to say a massive thank you to everyone reading this story, and a bigger thank you to Ancorns708, RenaGraceSx and Veve for taking the time to leave me a review, you are simply the best!
I also want to say a special thank you to Ancorns708 for all your help that you've given me, Thank You SO Much!
Now here's the next part for you all...
ooOoo
Waking up a while later, putting his hand to his head while sitting up, noticing Clarisse still laying on the floor a little way from him, scrambling over to her with having no idea how long he was out for, and checked her pulse.
Looking around while grabbing his phone from his pocket, only to find it had died on him, slamming it to the floor in anger he looked back at Clarisse, trying to figure out what to do. He was still drowsy after being hit over the head, but he couldn't leave her to get help so he did the only thing he could do.
"I'm so sorry Clarisse," He said scooping her up in his arms, not even giving a damn about getting blood over himself.
Rushing out to his car around the corner, he gently put her in the back, quickly moving and got in the drivers seat while shaking his head, knowing he shouldn't be driving but had no choice, he had to get her to a hospital and fast.
Speeding through the car park and screeching to a halt outside the main doors, jumping out he called for help from a pair of nurses as they was about to go inside, and as one ran inside to get a bed the other ran over to the car.
"What's happened?" She asked as she ran up to the car, just as Shades stood back with Clarisse in his arms "Oh my god, that's Our Queen?" She gasped and shut his car door, following him over to the doors as the other nurse came running out with the bed and another nurse.
"She's been shot," He exclaimed, gently placing her on the bed and watched the nurse check her pulse and shine the light in her eyes.
"She's barely breathing, let's get her upstairs." She exclaimed and started pushing her inside with the other nurse, followed by Shades.
Only as they got inside he stopped and put his bloody hands up onto his head as another nurse came over and checked on him to make sure he was ok.
"Shades?" Joseph exclaimed rushing to him with Erica and Cara following as the nurse stepped back "What did you do to my wife," He yelled, gripping hold of his shirt banging him back against the wall, as other royal guards and hospital security stepped forward.
"Dad!" Erica exclaimed as she and Cara tried to get him off Shades "Mom needs you, don't lose it now!" She screamed.
"What did you do dammit!" Joseph exclaimed "You were meant to be looking after her, not letting her get shot!" He fumed, still pinning him to the wall "YOUR FIRED! Now get out of my sight." He said stepping back, glaring at him "Before I kill you!" He snapped and walked away with Cara.
"Does he know what's been going on?" Shades whispered as Erica stood in front of him.
"We told him, yeah." She nodded "Are you ok?" She asked as the nurse checked the bump on his head.
"I could be better," He nodded "But maybe it's best I go and get changed, come back in a bit when he's calmed down?" He said looking at her.
"Yeah, give him some space." Erica nodded "Thank you for bringing her here though?"
"It's ok, anyone would of done the same." Shades nodded and watched her walk away, sighing to himself before turning and left.
After what seemed like an eternity to Joseph the doctor finally came into the waiting room and gave them the update on her condition telling Joe that she was still heavily sedated but that he could go back an see her.
Walking into the room seeing his wife hooked up to all those machines, bruises and abrasions covering her body from head to toe caused his heart to ache, if only he had been here then maybe none of this would have happened.
Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear he whispered "I'm so sorry darling, I should have been here...I know I don't deserve to have such a beautiful and caring woman like you as my wife but please don't give up, you have to fight Clarisse I can't lose you again." Blinking away stray tears "And I promise you right now that I am never leaving Genovia without you, ever ever again." He whispered and kissed her forehead.
Sitting down moments later, holding onto her hand as he prayed she would be ok.
Early the next morning Joseph awoke, finding Clarisse still sleeping. Standing beside her bed he placed a kiss on her head while resting his hand on hers.
"She's lucky to have you, you know?" Turning to see Pierre by the door in a wheelchair.
"I'm the lucky one. I thought you were supposed to be in bed?" He asked and watched him try to push the wheelchair to move closer to them "Here let me," He said, walking over and pushed him forward.
"Thank you, Dad." He said looking at him as he moved back around in front of him "And I am meant to be, but I bribed a nurse to bring me down so I could see Mom, How is she?" He asked looking at her for a second before looking back at Joseph.
"About the same I guess, she hasn't really been awake, the medicine keeps her sedated." He said putting his hands in his pockets and looked back at her laying still beside them.
"She will pull through," Pierre said softly while watching him look slowly back at him "She's the strongest one of us all, I know in my heart she will be just fine."
"I know," He nodded slowly and sat down in the chair, resting his elbows on his legs while leaning forward, tipping his head forward "If I had been here though, none of this would of happened?" He said sadly, looking up at Pierre "None of it."
"You can't think like that," Pierre whispered while leaning forward a little "She wouldn't want you to think like that, as it's not true." He said looking over at his Mom for a second before looking back at Joseph "You were helping your friend at a time of need, which she was so proud of you for." He said watching him look over at Clarisse.
"I failed though," He whispered "I wasn't here to protect her or my family," He said looking back at him "I failed you all," He said closing his eyes and looked down.
"No you didn't Dad," Pierre whispered and watched as he began to cry "Dad, you didn't fail us." He said leaning forward, putting his arm around his shoulder "I promise you now."
After a few minutes of silence Pierre sat back as Joseph sat up and wiped his eyes.
"I know this probably isn't the best time, but Erica told me what happened with Shades." He whispered as Joseph looked back at him "He's your best friend Dad, are you honestly going to let him go? As if it wasn't for him we wouldn't of even known where she was, she wouldn't be here now and it may of been too late." He said watching him "Yes he was stupid to go and get her on his own, but Dad he saved her, she was barely breathing when he brought her here." He whispered "Even after he had been hurt himself." He added watching Joseph as he nodded "It's not his fault,"
"I'm just angry at the fact he was meant to be looking after my family, and two of my girls got kidnapped, right outside this hospital." Joseph said looking at him.
"It wasn't just him here you know? There were other guards around." He said "And how many times has Mom ordered you to stay back when she want's some alone time, you know how she can be when she sets her mind to it?" He said "Don't be hard on him, he saved her Dad."
"I suppose your right," He nodded and looked back at him.
"Of course I'm right, I'm her son, remember?" He smiled as Joseph let out a little laugh "Anyway, I best get back before the Doctor comes to check on me." He said watching Joseph stand up "My nurse should be right outside."
"Ok, I will go check." Joseph said and headed over to the door "Thanks for coming to check on her Son." He said opening the door, smiling at the nurse as she came forward.
"No trouble." He said as the nurse wheeled him backwards "Remember when she wakes up, come and let me know."
"I will do." He nodded as the nurse stopped, watching as Pierre put his hand up.
"We are all lucky to have you, you know that right?" Pierre asked as Joseph took his hand.
"I do now." He nodded, leaning forward while closing his eyes, putting his other arm around his shoulders, giving him a hug for a second as the nurse smiled "See you in a bit."
"Of course," Pierre nodded and watched him stand up straight.
After he was gone Joseph shut the door and slowly walked over to the bed, sitting down with a sigh he looked up, seeing big beautiful eyes looking hazily at him.
"Hey you," He said jumping up and kissed her forehead "How long have you been awake for?" He asked.
"Long enough," She whispered, watching him take her hand "What did Pierre mean with letting Shades go?"
"It doesn't matter sweetheart." He whispered, and kissed her fingers "Let me call the nurse." He whispered standing up and pressed the button.
"Please stay with me?" She whispered as he looked down at her.
"Of course I will stay with you, I'm not going anywhere ever again." He whispered and kissed her forehead as the nurse rushed in, making them both look up at her, relaxing a bit when she saw Clarisse was awake.
Smiling as she walked over to the bed "It's good to see you awake Your Majesty, how are you feeling?"
"I feel sore." Clarisse answered.
"That's normal especially with all the bruising," The nurse nodded "Everything else looks normal," She said as she looked over at the machines "I'll let the doctor know that you are awake ma'am."
"Thank you," Clarisse answered.
"Do you need anything before I go?" Asked the nurse.
"No I'm fine thank you," She answered as the nurse nodded and left "Joseph back to what you and Pierre were talking about..."
"It doesn't matter" He interrupted her while standing beside the bed and placing one hand on hers and the other gently on the top of her head.
"It does matter Joseph, he saved my life and if he had not shown up when he did then God only knows what else Michael would have done to me." She whispered.
"What do mean? What did he do?" Joseph asked.
As the tears poured down her face "I begged him not to," She cried, feeling too ashamed to look at her husband.
Wiping the tears from her face looking into her eyes "Did he touch you Clarisse?"
Slowly as the tears continued to flow she nodded "I'm so sorry," She cried.
Joseph cupped her face his heart breaking into a million pieces as she cried "You have nothing to be sorry for," He whispered while climbing onto the bed beside her, holding her gently as she cried against his chest "I promise you that everything will be okay and you will never ever have to worry about that man ever again." He whispered.
"I'm so sorry," She whispered.
Lifting his head, cupping her face "Look at me?" He whispered, watching her slowly open her eyes and look at him as he wiped her tears away with his thumb "It's not your fault, you have nothing to be sorry for sweetheart, I promise." He whispered, kissing her forehead "You're my world and nothing could ever change how I feel about you, I will always love you no matter what, I promise you." He whispered, moving his hands and gently wrapped his arms around her again as she cried some more "Shhh it's ok sweetheart," He whispered, almost crying himself.
After she was settled and sleeping he left her with Erica and a couple guards on the door while he went to let Pierre and Olivia know that she was okay, going out to get some air a short time later only to come face to face with Michael.
"You!" He fumed while grabbing hold of him and pushed him back against the wall "What are you doing here?" He shouted as a couple hospital guards came out to see what the commotion was but stood back once they realized it was Michael.
"If you haven't noticed, I have been shot?" Michael snapped back "By none other than your wife I might add!"
"Yes I know, I'm proud she did!" Joe snapped, tightening his grip on his shirt "Shame she didn't kill you though!"
"Did she tell you what happened?" He asked, laughing as Joseph started getting more and more angrier "She cheated Joseph, how does that make you feel?" He asked "Now you know how I felt the day I found out she cheated on me with you, funny it's the other way around this time."
"You make me sick!" He snapped, trying to keep his cool but lost it just as Shades came over and grabbed him.
"Joe it's not worth it mate!" He shouted while pulling him back "He isn't worth it." He said again as a couple of Doctors came out.
"You don't deserve to breath the air we breath!" Joseph snapped, trying to get away from Shades "Get of me Shades!"
"NO!" He shouted, pushing him back as they handcuffed Michael "Let the Police deal with him now, he will get what's coming to him soon enough." He said looking at Joe while nodding "Clarisse and the kids need you, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be any good to them if you end up inside for killing him now?" He whispered, trying to calm him.
"What?" Came a shout from behind them, both turning to see what's going on "You can't refuse to treat me?"
"We can and we have, after what you've done to our Queen you don't deserve to set foot in this hospital." The head Doctor exclaimed as the Police held Michael back "You can write a formal complaint to head office, but it will be thrown in the bin." He added.
"You can't do this." Michael fumed as they turned and walked back inside.
Loading Michael into a Police car, leaving moments later as Shades kept an eye on Joseph who stood with his hands on his hips looking down.
"What are you doing back here anyway?" Joseph asked while looking up at him.
"Well I know you fired me, but your my best friend and I knew that you and your family needed as much protection as you can get so if its alright with you, I would still like to protect you all, I don't even care that its not my job anymore, you all mean that much to me I don't want to see any harm brought to any of you." He said firmly.
"Thank you Shades, and your not fired." Joe said looking at him "I was angry, it's not a nice thing to see the love of your life covered in blood, barely breathing." He said holding out his hand to him "Thank you for saving her and bringing her here."
"Anyone would of done the same, I'm sure." He said taking his hand, and watched as Joseph shook it.
"Thanks!" Joseph said letting go of his hand "Come on, let's go back inside."
After checking on Pierre and Olivia, Joseph went back to Clarisse's room where he stayed.