A/N: No dark, but definitely sadness.

"Joe!" her scream echoed out from the bathroom.

Joe was immediately on his feet, running toward the partially open door. "Clarisse?"

"Help me," she cried out.

Joe pushed the door open and rushed in. "Rissee!" he shouted at the sight of her collapsed on the floor.

"Please! It's too soon." She gripped his hand. "It's too soon."

Joe felt the walls closing in around him. What did she mean? Too soon? Too soon for…oh god. "Rissee, are you in labor?"

She nodded. "But it's too soon. She can't come now."

Drawing on all the strength he possessed so that he could remain calm, Joe caressed her cheek. "Shh. Let me carry you to bed and call the doctor." He carefully lifted her into his arms, carrying her out into the bedroom. Gently depositing her on the bed, he sat on the side and lifted the phone from its cradle.

Clarisse fisted her hand in the comforter beneath her as the pain shot through her abdomen causing a whimper to escape her lips. This couldn't be happening. It was too soon. Their baby wasn't supposed to be born for another three weeks.

Joe turned his attention back to Clarisse after hanging up the phone. "The doctor is on his way, Rissee." His hand smoothed the hair from her forehead, his breath catching in his throat when her hand squeezed his as another contraction ripped through her. "I wish there was something I could do." He felt useless.

"Don't leave me," she panted out.

"Never."

"I mean when the doctor comes and orders you from the room," she held his gaze. "Don't leave me. I need you."

"I promise. I won't let him make me leave." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "It's going to be alright, Clarisse." If only he believed that. For the first time in his life, Joseph Elizalde was completely and utterly afraid.

CnJ

Joe cringed as another whimper escaped Clarisse, her fingernails digging into the back of his hand. With her positioned between his legs, her body leaning back against his, he could feel how tense every part of her became with each contraction. "Isn't there anything you can do, Doctor?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Elizalde. There is nothing I can do. Nature must take its course."

Joe was afraid of that. Since the doctor had arrived twelve hours ago, nothing had been going their way. There had been nothing he could do to stop the early labor and so they had to face the prospect of their baby being born too early to survive. Clarisse had been miserable for hours. When her water had finally broke, she had breathed a slight sigh of relief, sure that it would only be mere minutes before everything was over – that had been three hours ago.

"I'm scared." Clarisse whispered as she relaxed as best she could against his chest.

"I am, too." Joe kissed the top of her head. "I had no idea."

Clarisse frowned. How could he not have any idea? "I'm confused. How could you not know? Both of my sons were born in a very public setting."

"I wasn't there."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because," he sighed. "I was already angry about the way you were being treated, and I wasn't sure that I could control myself. Seeing you now, I know that I couldn't have. I would have fought to get to you and taken you somewhere safe and away from prying eyes so you could have your babies without the added embarrassment of all those people." Joe smiled at her and wiped the sweat from her brow with his handkerchief. "Hearing you cry out in pain," he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh, Darling." She bit her lip, tensing as another contraction seared through her entire body.

"Clarisse, get ready." Her doctor looked up at them. "You can push with the next one."

"Finally," she sighed tiredly.

Joe looked at Clarisse. He was worried about her. Her face was pale, her eyes dull with exhaustion. Could she make it through this? And if she did, would she survive if their baby didn't? So many questions burned through his mind, her hand squeezing his bringing him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Darling."

"It's time." Her weary eyes met his, drawing on the strength of the love she saw there.

Joe kissed her softly, then listened to the instructions the doctor gave him. Saying a silent prayer that everything would be alright, he gently coached Clarisse through the next agonizing hour.

Clarisse lay limply against Joe, her eyes closed, her breath coming in shallow rasps. "Joe, I don't hear her crying."

"It's not a girl, Love, we have a son." Joe couldn't bear to tell her the reason she didn't hear their baby crying.

"A son," she breathed, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "He isn't going to cry…is he?"

Joe fought the pain in his heart and the tears threatening to blind him. "No, Rissee, he isn't."

Never opening her eyes, she nodded in sad acknowledgement. "Name him Joseph H. Elizalde the second," she whispered before letting exhaustion claim her, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I will." Joe whispered as he looked up at the doctor with worry on his face.

"She's just sleeping," the doctor assured him.

Clarisse felt her body tighten and jerked, her eyes opening in fright. Gripping Joe's hand, she fought blindly to hold on to her control. "Oh god!"

"Rissee." Joe whispered, breaking into the dream.

Clarisse slowly opened her eyes at the gentle touch of lips against her skin. Smiling, she focused on the handsome face in front of her. "Hello."

"Hello." He smiled. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Our past here," she whispered and wiped a tear.

"I thought that might be it." He smiled before placing a tender kiss to her lips. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Clarisse caressed his face before sitting up and placing her arms around his neck. "Yes, I would." She kissed him softly.

Joe helped her stand then grabbed his jacket and put it over her shoulders. "I have some flowers ready on the table." He pointed.

"Oh Joe," she sighed as they made their way outside, the flowers gently clutched in Joe's hand.

Walking silently through the garden, Joe thought about all the times they'd walked in the garden over the years. Stopping when they reached the shade tree in the back corner of the garden, he handed Clarisse the flowers and watched as she knelt beside the tiny headstone, laying the flowers over where they had placed their stillborn son so many years ago.

"He would have been twenty three now." Clarisse whispered as she caressed her fingers over the name carved into the marble.

"Yes, he would have been." Joe whispered as he moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Joe."

"Clarisse." He knelt beside her. "Rissee," he whispered, turning her face to look at him. "How many years are you going to carry the guilt? How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't your fault? It just wasn't meant for him to live. You did all that you could. I've never blamed you. Never." He helped her stand and pulled her close.

"I always thought you did. I guess that was the reason we grew apart over the years. I felt so awful for what had happened. I knew that you were hurting, I could see it in your eyes. No matter how many times you reassured me that it was alright, that it wasn't my fault," she sighed. "I guess I always thought you were just doing what you always had, protecting me from the way you really felt. I blamed myself and couldn't understand how you didn't blame me."

Joe held her a little closer. "I never did understand what happened. I just always thought that losing our son was too much and that I reminded you of everything."

"And then I plunged myself into my role as Queen. Then Philippe's life became such a mess and I had to help him, and then…" she looked up at him. "What a fool I was. I'm sorry for shutting you out all those years."

"And I'm sorry for not realizing that you continued to blame
yourself. I thought my reassurances had worked. You were no more a fool than I."

"And yet, even after my shutting you out, you were still there for me after Philippe's death."

"I knew the pain better than anyone."

"Yes, you did, and I couldn't have made it through without you." She looked up at him, her finger tracing his lips.

"It's getting colder, Darling. Let's go back inside and eat something."

"Mmm, sounds like a very good idea." She smiled. "I love you, Joseph."

"And I love you, too, Clarisse, so very much."