Never fear! Chapters 3 and 4 are here. (This one is so small, I felt it only right to post the next chapter at the same time.)

For reviews, favorites, follows, or quietly reading – thank you, thank you! I truly appreciate it.

He gave her ten minutes to get back to her suite and have a bit of breathing room, then he called her.

*Once*

Had he not just been sitting there, wishing she had been with him? ¡Ayyy! He couldn't stand it.

*Twice*

¡Madre mia! Where was she?

*Three times*

At first, he waited five minutes between each call, but the space between grew shorter as his anguish grew deeper.

*Four*

He was going to have to start punching something.

He called for the fifth time, then immediately hung up and called the security hub instead.

"Claude speaking."

"It's Joe."

"What can I do for you, Joe?"

"You on the monitors?"

"I am."

"Is Her Majesty about, do you know? Or has she retired for the night?"

"She made her way to the kitchen. Didn't stay there long. Passed through the portrait gallery. Last I saw, she was heading for the library. All exits are secure though. She hasn't left the palace."

"No, I'm not worried about that. She wanted to see me, but I – um… I missed her…call. Can you let me know when she's back in her suite?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

He had paced to the other side of the room, still arguing with himself about whether he should pursue her or give her some space, when the phone finally rang. He flew to it and was speaking before he had the receiver all the way to his mouth.

"Yeah, it's Joe."

"I thought she had been in the library a rather long time, so I switched to that view. She appears to be sound asleep on the couch. Not sure why she wanted to see you, but I'm thinking it will keep until morning."

He picked up on Claude's subtle hint that he was free to try and get some sleep as well. But even if Joseph let her sleep, there wasn't a chance he would find any for himself. "Alright. Thanks for keeping me posted."

"No problem."

He was dressed and ready. During his second redial to Clarisse's suite, he had changed his pants and put on his shoes. By the first phone call to the hub, he had stuffed an earpiece and mic into his pocket just in case, attaching the battery pack to his belt. So when he hung up with Claude this time, all he had to do was grab his ring of keys with all its special security guard tools and head for the door.

to be continued…