Author's note: I absolutely hate this chapter. To the extent that I considered not even posting it. It's just eugghh. But no matter what I did I couldn't make it flow better or seem more sophisticated. In saying that, I don't know the story would be the same without it so I decided (despite how much I didn't like it) to posit it anyway.

Thank you so so so so much for all the reviews. I've never had a story anywhere near 200 reviews! S0 thank you.

Part 4

Five years later

Clarisse had been busy when Amelia had arrived from the States, meeting with the Diplomatic Envoy from Britain, and hadn't had a moment to say hello. She was tired, really, and a little fraught with all the organisation that had been going in to the party for her 21st. so to have a moment alone was essential, in order to fortify herself, for the coming weeks of parties and balls and galas to celebrate.

She settled back into her desk chair a little when Charlotte retreated and closed her eyes for a few moments before she was interrupted again.

Of course, this interruption was a little more welcome.

He had been gone almost a week this time, tidying up final details in America, and she had missed their routine and contentment almost as much as she had missed him.

"Hello," she leaned forward and propped her chin on her hands.

"Good afternoon," he leaned across the desk and, as naturally as always, kissed her forehead.

"How are you?"

"I am…tired," he smiled, setting down at the settee in her office, "But no more trans-Atlantic flights for a while, I would like to imagine."

She laughed and joined him, "Where is my granddaughter now?"

"She is catching up with her aunt and uncle, of course," he slid his jacket off and she set it aside, resting over the arm, "And well, she knew you were in a meeting…"

"Yet I wasn't?"

He grinned, "I figured you would have a while in between."

"You are always playing to an unfair advantage Joseph," she laughed, "I have actually cancelled my last appointment."

"Because?"

"Because I am the Queen," she smiled, "Need there be any other reason?"

"None whatsoever," he rubbed his hands over his face, "Amelia is very much planning to monopolise all of your time tonight."

She quirked a brow, "Really?"

"Really," he traced a gentle path over the material of her skirt.

"And you are disappointed?"

He laughed, "Massively."

He kissed her then, properly, not the sort of kiss they would have dared exchange apart from behind closed and guarded doors. It grew more heated, less controlled, and she found herself justifying a lack of productivity and not seeing her granddaughter in exchange for an afternoon in bed.

"Mmmmm," she pushed him away gently, not enough that he was dejected but enough to stall him, "Not right now darling, I have work to complete before Mia…"

"I know," he sighed and moved down to her neck, "But I missed you very much and I wanted to show you."

"Oh, I know," she teased and pulled away, "What are the plans then-"

"Grandma!"

From the outer chambers of her apartment it was evident that her granddaughter had grown impatient.

She looked at Joseph, examined him closely, and swiped the lipstick away from his mouth before he moved to the other seat. Just as he did, a veritable procession trouped into the office.

"Grandma!"

Mia bent down, enveloping Clarisse in a hug.

Anna and Pierre, both taking time out of their own ridiculously busy lives to celebrate their niece's 21st, settled on the other settee.

"Mia has a burning proposition," Pierre said dryly, "And it cannot wait out a de-briefing from your Head of Security apparently."

"What?" Mia asked incredulously, "It is, after all, my birthday. My actual birthday, today. The majority of which I spent flying with Joe here, who was so absorbed in his work he afforded me only a grunt of affirmation at most!"

She laughed at her granddaughter's rather accurate account of Joseph, who was shaking his head in humour.

"How can we make it up to you?" He asked, motioning to the seat beside Anna, which Mia promptly took.

"Well, I figured you could all start by indulging me…"

Anna laughed, "This idea will never fly. Trust me Amelia."

Clarisse exchanged a look with her daughter, who merely smiled.

"And the idea consists of?"

"Well grandma, it is my birthday."

Clarisse nodded, "I quite understand that dear, so let's get to the point."

"Well, I figured you should do what I want. Don't get me wrong, I love a ball grandma, but it's not my idea of a party…"

"Clarisse looked at Joseph, who gave her a crooked smile.

"And I want to do what I want to do."

"Which is?"

"Which is order pizza, and beer, and watch a film in the film room."

Clarisse felt a little underwhelmed by the anti-climax. She'd come to expect radical suggestions from her children and her granddaughter so this seemed to have been treated rather disproportionately.

"I see no issue with-"

"Ah but mama," Anna interrupted, "You have to come too. And Mia thinks it is high time you had pizza…and beer."

Clarisse looked at Pierre sceptically, "We've had pizza before, right?"

"Right mama," he laughed, "Mia wants you to come right off that pedestal though and drink some real American brewskies. I told her you would find this hardly challenging at all, but she seems to think she knows you better."

She turned to Ameila, "That's really what you want? For me to eat pizza and drink beer?"

She laughed a little, "Yeah. That is what I want. Well, for just a night, just us."

"And who is the 'us'?"

"Me, you, Pierre, Anna and Joe."

She looked at Joe, who nodded quietly.

"I suppose it's a far better suggestion than club-hopping."

Amelia laughed, "Yeah, it is."

An hour later she found herself making her way to the film room, girding herself against an onslaught of poor nutritional fare in place of the dinner that she had to ask Cook to cancel. It seemed bizarre to be doing something as light, as frivolous as this, with the people she loved so dearly. The idea of watching a movie and relaxing was so far from her life that she was genuinely excited by the prospect.

She entered to find all of them assembled.

"Late, as usual, mama," Pierre laughed.

"I cannot help but think it amuses you Pierre," she nudged him gently then turned to her granddaughter, "What are you serving up for our viewing pleasure?"

"Romantic comedy of my choice," Amelia stared at her, "I didn't imagine you owned jeans."

"There is so much you don't know about me," she smiled, "And anyway, I thought I should dress for the occasion. Aren't jeans what one wears when eating pizza and drinking beer?"

"Actually," Mia threw her head dramatically towards Joe, "This guy told Adolfo to bring wine when the pizza arrives. Scared for Her Majesty's delicate palate. Always thinking about you, it seems."

She smiled at Joseph. He always took such good care of her.

"I plan to shock even Joseph tonight Amelia," she settled down beside him on the settee furthest from the large screen.

She ignored the grin on his face.

Here, she could doze if she wanted and let the younger ones get the best seat. Plus she could be beside him.

She was not seated for long before Adolfo entered with pizza boxes, stacked so high he was peering over them, and carrying a pack of beer between his fingers with a footman following and carrying the promised wine. The younger ones descended on him like vultures, leaving only a few slices for her to gaze at and realise how unappetising it was.

"Where are the plates?"

Joseph chuckled beside her and handed her a napkin, "No plates."

"Did you just ask for a plate?" Anna asked as she simultaneously uncapped a bottle of beer with worrying skill.

"Yes," Clarisse bristled, taking the proffered napkin and letting a piece of listless pizza flop on to it.

"I see," Anna smirked at her father, who was trying very gallantly not to laugh.

"Joseph," she ordered, "Get me a beer please. Let me prove to these terribly judgemental children that I can hold my liquor."

"You won't like it," he warned, doing as he was asked.

She leaned into him and said quietly, "I'll drink it if it tastes like poison. You know I am stubborn."

He nodded and grinned, "Alright."

"Come on," Mia urged, "The film's starting."

"Alright," Joseph carried her bottle of beer for her and the noise of them clinking gave her chills.

"Salud," he held his up as he handed her the bottle and settled on the couch.

She clinked it against his and grimaced, "Salud."

It was a sad fact that this kind of normalcy had been so out of her reach that she was waiting for something to go wrong. It didn't. In fact by twelve a.m. they all trundled off to their respective chambers, the night as uneventful as it had been wonderful, and she slept properly for the first time in a very long while.

I hope you enjoyed it more than me!