A/N: This chapter isn't as bad as the last in terms of 'dark'. Thank you for the reviews etc. It's a bumpy ride readers ;)

"Was I right, Joseph?" Clarisse lay against Joe's chest, his arms holding her tightly.

"Clarisse, Darling, she has to know about that disgusting ritual."

"But does she need to know all the horrid details?"

Joe titled her face up so he could gaze into her eyes. "My Darling, I know how painful those memories are for you. I think Mia does need to know everything you went through, but I don't want you to have to tell her. I don't want you to have to relive that pain." He gently caressed her cheek. "Are all of the details in that journal?"

"No, my love. Those details are in a hidden diary. I kept those thoughts and details separate so that if my diary was ever discovered, they wouldn't learn who my angel was." Clarisse smiled, reached up and took his hand in hers, placing it against her lips. "Those memories aren't painful. They're sweet and beautiful. I can still remember when I found out who my angel was as if it happened yesterday."

"I never intended for you to find out." Joe whispered as he continued to stare into her blue eyes.

"Why?"

"Because, I knew that it could cause trouble for you. I didn't want you to know who I was in case they decided to ask you who had been helping you. I didn't want you to have to lie."

"Oh Darling." Clarisse felt her eyes welling up. "I never did understand why you became my personal guard. When I first met the King and Queen, you were the King's personal guard. What changed?"

"The King." Joe sighed. "He assigned me to you after witnessing the way Rupert was with you that first night."

"Oh." Her voice grew quiet as she averted her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Darling. I didn't mean to make you sad."

Clarisse pulled his arms tighter around her. "What will I tell Mia when she asks me about Rupert? I told her that we had grown fond of each other, that we were friends."

"Tell her the truth. I think she's ready to hear it now. She wasn't before."

"How do you always have the right answers?" Clarisse looked up at him again.

Joe gently repositioned Clarisse so she was in his lap, facing him. "I don't always know the right answers."

Clarisse watched his green eyes grow sad, and knew what memory he was thinking of. "Oh Joseph." She caressed his face, tenderly wiping away the lone tear that rolled down his cheek. "Don't think of that, my darling."

Joe sighed as he felt Clarisse's hand tenderly caressing his neck. "I love you so very much, my beautiful wife." He pulled her closer, his lips touching hers.

Clarisse wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips tenderly returning his caresses. She needed to know that she could help ease the ache in his soul just as he'd always been able to for her. Pulling back, she looked into the green eyes she had always seemed to get lost in. "I love you too, more than I ever dreamed possible."

Joe sighed and caressed her face. "Do you know that I pinch myself every morning to make sure this is real? I've loved you for so long."

"When?" Clarisse whispered.

"When what, Darling?"

"When did you fall in love with me?"

"I…" Joe paused. They were trying to stop the memories of the past, this would only bring them up again.

"It's alright, Darling," she assured him with a gentle kiss.

"I fell in love with you that first night I carried you to my room."

"Oh Joseph." Her eyes welled with tears.

Joe wiped at her tears with his thumb. "Shh. Now you know why I didn't want to tell you. I know that night was horrid for you, but I couldn't help it. You were like a wounded bird and so fragile. I felt so helpless as I held your trembling body in my arms." His throat clogged up with the emotion he felt as he closed his eyes. "When I saw the bruises," he couldn't finish.

Clarisse buried her face in his neck. "My darling," she breathed as her tears flowed freely.

Joe held her and let her cry. He knew it was what she needed. He wiped the tears from his cheeks with one hand, the other tenderly caressing Clarisse's back. Realizing she had fallen asleep, he leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes, but a soft knock on the door made him sit up and crane his head around to see who it was.

"Grandma?" Mia whispered as she carefully opened the door.

Joe motioned for her to come in with his free hand. "Shh."

Mia took one look at her grandmother and started to back out. "I'm sorry, I'll leave."

Joe could see that she'd been crying and knew that she'd come to talk about the diary. "No, Mia." He shook his head. "I'll go and lay her down if you'll let me try to help you." He smiled tenderly at her.

Mia saw the evidence of tears on Joe's cheeks and wondered what had been going on. Nodding her head, she watched as Joe carefully stood up with Clarisse in his arms and carried her to their bedroom. "He loves her so much," she sighed as she sat down on the sofa.

Joe gently settled Clarisse in their bed and placed a kiss on her forehead before going back into the sitting room to talk with Mia. "I'm sorry," he said after he closed the door. Turning around, he noticed Mia sitting on the sofa, her arms wrapped around herself visibly trembling.

"He…he…Joe…he…" she tried to speak, but the words were too horrid.

Joe walked over to the sofa and pulled Mia against his chest. "Shh."

Mia clung to Joe as she cried. "What he did to her…it was…it…"

"Yes, Mia, it was. Your grandmother didn't want to upset you, but she felt that you needed to know about the ritual." Joe told her as he caressed her back.

Mia pulled back and looked at him through her tears. "You mean," she stopped and took a deep breath. "They're going to do this to me, aren't they?" Her voice shook as the realization of why her grandmother had let her read her diary finally hit her.

"Yes, Mia, they will. Unless we find a way to abolish it, the same embarrassment will fall to you. The only difference will be that you won't be physically hurt because you love Nicholas."

"Nicholas and I can't even become engaged until we get rid of this ritual." Mia's tears stained her cheeks once again.

"I'm sorry, Mia." Joe whispered as he pulled her back into his arms. He sighed. The past was hurting his girls and there was nothing he could do but hold them.