A/N: Hey everyone, I just wanna say a big thank you to everyone for reading the latest chapter on this story and an even bigger thank you to my amazing reviewers Chelsietx, danniso and bee-327 for taking the time to leave such lovely reviews for me. I really appreciate them and the continued support, as always! Thank you!
Now, because I had written half of this chapter the other day I wanted to finish it and post it for you, so here it is now. The next chapter….
Later that evening, once all her duties were done for the day and she'd had dinner, Mia made her way to her grandparent's suite to make sure they were okay after the earlier conversation with her uncle. But after knocking and getting no answer, she tried the door handle, not thinking for one minute that it would be unlocked, but was surprised to find that it actually was.
"Grandma? Grandpa?" She called out gently as she stepped through the door to discover Joseph sitting on the settee with his back to her, a pair of headphones on over his head, completely engrossed in a video playing on his laptop, that was resting on the coffee table in front of him.
Smiling, Mia closed the door and moved to stand behind the settee. "Grandpa?" She said, reaching her hand out onto his shoulder, which resulted in making him jump. "Relax, it's only me," she exclaimed as he quickly removed the headphones from his head in a panic while spinning around in the seat to see who it was.
"Oh good god, Mia," Joseph exclaimed and slumped back against the arm of the settee while putting his hand up onto his chest, "don't ever do that again, you scared me half to death."
"I'm sorry," Mia said, a small smile playing on her lips, as she bent one arm up and pointed towards the door behind her, "I did knock and called out when I came in."
"I didn't hear you, I was to engrossed in the videos that Diego, Vee and Juana took from when we spent time with them on honeymoon," Joseph said and took a deep breath before sitting up. His heart still pounding in his chest.
"Ooo, can I see them?" Mia smiled as she walked around to sit next to him on the settee.
"Of course," he nodded, watching her. "I have sorted through the photos too, so you can have a look at those while you're here if you like."
"Oh yes, I will," Mia smiled and glanced around the suite before looking back at him. "Where's grandma?"
"Oh, well, after we unpacked, and even though she didn't want to, because she feared she wouldn't sleep tonight if she did, she's in bed fast asleep," Joseph replied and chuckled. "She tried to hold off for as long as she could, but after having an early dinner, she was falling asleep and in bed by half five."
"Oh poor thing," Mia said, "the jet lag kicked in, huh?"
"Yes, on top of already being tired," Joseph nodded. "But she needed it. She's still nowhere near a hundred per cent yet."
"That's what I thought. Even though she's tanned, you can see she's pale and tired," Mia said, and Joseph agreed. "Don't worry though, grandpa, uncle Pierre, and I will look after her while you're away and make sure she gets plenty of rest."
"Thank you, Mia. I appreciate that," Joseph said sincerely.
"Talking of uncle Pierre, have you seen him since earlier in the library?" Mia asked, and Joseph shook his head.
"No, your grandmother said to give him time, and he'll come around," Joseph said.
"If there's anyone that knows him better than any of us, it's grandma, and if she says he'll come around soon, I'm sure he'll come around soon," Mia smiled.
"I sure hope so, Mia," Joseph nodded, "I sure hope so."
"He will," Mia said, giving him a small smile and turning her head to look at the laptop on the coffee table. "Anyway, let's watch these, shall we?"
"You go ahead, I've already seen them," Joseph said as he got to his feet and grabbed his empty glass from the end table next to the settee. "I'll be right back."
"Alright grandpa," Mia smiled and slipped on the headphones as Joseph made his way across the suite and disappeared, as quietly as he could, into the bedroom.
Clicking for the first video to play, Mia moved to sit on the floor between the coffee table and the settee, and crossed her legs in front of her as she watched the video begin with a smile. It was one of them having just climbed back onto the yacht after going snorkelling. Everyone was in high spirits, talking and laughing excitedly about everything they had seen while in the water. When that finished, she clicked for the next one to play. A video of them diving or jumping into the beautiful ocean from the yacht.
That one surprised her. Not only was her grandmother wearing one of the swimming costumes that she had bought for her, but that was all she was wearing. There was no sarong wrapped around her waist, no kimono on over her swimming costume. Like she thought there would be. Instead, she was happily joining in with everyone else, and, as Mia discovered from watching the video, she didn't seem to care that there was a love bite on her neck for Joseph's sister's and their husband's to see either. She was wearing it proud, just like she had told her to do during their conversation a couple of days after she and Joseph had married. And, that there also appeared to be one on Joseph's neck too.
"Oh my goodness, grandma. Who even are you," Mia whispered and chuckled quietly to herself while moving her hand closer to the laptop, to click for the next video to play. But before she had a chance to press it, there was a knock on the door.
Removing the headphones from her head, she set them down on the coffee table and got to her feet before walking around to open the door. "Mia?" Pierre said in surprise and glanced behind her. "Where's grandma and grandpa?" He asked, looking back at his niece.
"Well grandma is in bed, and grandpa... actually I don't know where grandpa is," Mia shrugged and took a step back, to let her uncle pass, "but wherever he went he said he wouldn't be long, so if you wanted to come in and wait you're more than welcome too."
"Thank you," Pierre said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind himself as his niece made her way back around the settee to sit back down on the floor where she was sitting just moment's before. "What are you up to, anyway?"
"Oh I'm watching some videos from grandma and grandpa's honeymoon," Mia smiled up at her uncle then looked back at the laptop as he came around the settee and sat down on it next to her. "They look like they had the best time, and grandma looks so relaxed and is glowing."
"That's good," Pierre smiled as she looked back up at him, then across the suite at the bedroom door as it opened.
"Hello, darling. What a lovely surprise," Clarisse said and slipped her hands into her robe pockets as she and Joseph walked across the suite to them as Pierre looked up at her. "I knew Mia was here, but I didn't know you were here too."
"I didn't know either," Joseph said as Pierre rose to his feet.
"Hello mother," Pierre said and reached his hand out onto the side of her arm as he leant closer to kiss her cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Still so tired," Clarisse said as she looked up at him then at Mia. "I feel like I could sleep for a week," she laughed.
"You didn't go in and wake her up, did you grandpa?" Mia teased, knowing he wouldn't do such a thing, as everyone looked at Joseph shaking his head beside her grandmother. His hand smoothing back and forth across the bottom of her back.
"Oh no, he didn't wake me up," Clarisse said with a shake of her head. "I woke up on my own, just before he came into the bedroom a little while ago and when he told me that you were in here, Mia, I wanted to come out and say hello."
"That's alright then," Mia smirked mischievously at her grandpa.
"Anyway, have you enjoyed the video's, Mia?" Joseph smiled.
"Yes, I have," Mia smiled and looked up at her uncle, "I was just telling uncle Pierre how happy and relaxed you looked when you came in," she said looking back at her grandparents as her grandmother looked up at her husband standing beside her, his hand still on her back, and smiled contentedly at him.
"Listen, mother, padre, I came to apologise for my behaviour earlier," he said, and they both looked back at him. "I understand how incredibly stressful and hard this time has been for you, and I know that I didn't help the situation, but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am for my behaviour and that you do have my support."
"Thank you, Pierre, I really appreciate that," Joseph nodded as he raised his arm up and wrapped it around the top of Clarisse's back, "and yes it has been very stressful, and very hard since we found this out, more so since your mother fell ill too. But I have tried not to think about it all because part of me feels that it's not real. That it's not happening. Yes, there is a strong possibility that I am the girls father, but I can't think about that. Not yet, at least. Not until we have the test results, and then I will deal with it then. Because there's also a possibility that I might not be, and I figured if I don't think about it, about her being mine, to then find out she's not, I can't be disappointed. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, it makes perfect sense, grandpa," Mia nodded and watched as her grandmother turned to her husband and slipped her arms around his waist to give him a hug.
"And, also, I can't just put my life on hold because this is going on. I still have things to do, people to look after. I can't just stop," Joseph said, his arms wrapping around Clarisse's shoulders as she rested her head on his chest.
"You're right," Pierre said and watched as his mother lifted her head to look up at her husband before asking him quietly if he was okay and Joseph nodding his reply before giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "If you'd allow, with mother not being able to travel with you, I would like to go to London with you, so that you don't have to deal with all this on your own there," he said and watched as his mother and stepfather both looked over at him in surprise.
"That's a great idea," Mia said, and her grandmother nodded.
"You would do that?" Clarisse asked as she studied her son.
"Absolutely, yes," Pierre nodded. "If he wants me to, that is, and if Mia can look after you here on her own."
"Of course I can," Mia nodded and watched as her grandparents looked at one another.
"I can take care of myself, but what do you think?" Clarisse asked and studied her husbands face. "I will worry less if he was with you, knowing that you actually have someone we trust there with you for support because I can't be."
"Yes, I would like that," Joseph nodded and looked over at Pierre, "and I would certainly appreciate it if you could be?"
"That's that then," Pierre nodded while stepping closer to them and extended his hand out to his stepfather, "I'm coming to London with you."
Taking Pierre's hand, Joseph nodded. "Thank you, Pierre."
"Don't mention it," Pierre smiled as they pulled their hands back and looked at his mother. Watching her step back from her husband and turn to him.
"Thank you, darling," Clarisse said softly, stepping closer to her son and putting her hands up to cup his face in them before reaching up to kiss his cheek.
"It's fine, honestly mother," Pierre said and briefly closed his eyes as she embraced him in a hug a moment before pulling back and looking up into his eyes.
"Shall we watch the rest of the videos together?" Mia suggested and watched as her grandmother and uncle stepped apart and turned to her.
"Yes, I would love to see them," Clarisse smiled and moved around the coffee table to sit on the settee the other side of Mia, who was still sitting on the floor, as she removed the headphones socket from the laptop and adjusted the volume settings.
"Would you like to sit here, padre?" Pierre asked, offering Joseph his seat the opposite end of the settee.
"Oh no, it's alright," Joseph smiled and eagerly followed Clarisse around the coffee table. "Thank you, though."
"Are you sure, because I don't mind?" Pierre smiled, and Joseph shook his head as Clarisse and Mia looked up at him.
"I'm sure," Joseph smiled and lowered himself, to sit on the floor next to Clarisse's legs. "I'm perfectly fine right here."
"Okay," Pierre chuckled and sat down on the settee while looking at his mother.
"Are you okay down there?" Clarisse asked as she wrapped her arm around the front of his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest.
"Oh yes, I am," Joseph smiled and placed his hand over the top of her hand resting on his chest as he tipped his head back onto her knee to look up at her. "Never better."
"Good," she smiled and leant down to place a quick kiss on his lips before turning to look down at Mia sitting on the floor between her and Pierre. "We are ready when you are, sweetheart."
"Me too," Pierre smiled and looked at his mother as she reached her arm across the empty seat between them and placed her hand on his arm. Rubbing it briefly with a smile before pulling her arm back.
"Okay, here we go," Mia smiled and pressed play on the next video. A short one of them still on the yacht doing shots together, an Elizondo tradition Clarisse discovered the night they went to the bar, before they all started singing along to the song playing in the background.
"Oh my, I forgot they were filming that," Clarisse said as she covered her face.
"Shots, grandma?" Mia smirked and turned her head to look up at her grandmother as she lowered her hands from her face and placed them down together in her lap.
"Yes, mother," Pierre teased as Clarisse looked at him. "I never thought I would see the day."
"Me neither," Mia smirked.
"It's part of the Elizondo tradition. They do shots whenever they get together, and now that I'm an Elizondo, I got roped in to," Clarisse shrugged and everyone laughed. "Okay, next one. Play the next video," she laughed and looked down at her husband as she rested one elbow on her knee and raised her hand up to cup her face in it.
"Are you okay?" He whispered with a cheeky smile on his lips.
"Yes, I'm just trying to remember what other videos they took," Clarisse replied quietly while wrapping her other arm back around the front of his shoulder.
"Please don't worry, I have already gone through them and the rest aren't that bad," he said while taking hold of her hand resting on his chest in his hand and lifted it to his mouth, to kiss the back of it before looking back up at her.
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled and leant forward, kissing the side of his head before looking back at the laptop and slipping her hand now in the top opening of his shirt as Mia pressed for the next video to play.
"Is this thing on? Diego…." Vee exclaimed of camera.
"Yes dear, it's on," Diego replied with a laugh.
"Oh good, it is on… okay, say hello, Diego," Vee giggled as she aimed the camera at her husband standing beside the table. "Smile for the camera."
"Hello," Diego smiled with a wave.
"Say hello Juana and Pedro," Vee said, turning the camera to her sister and brother-in-law sitting down behind her. "Are you having fun?"
"Yes, of course. We are a little drunk, though," Juana giggled.
"I know, me too," Vee laughed, "where's José and Clarisse?"
"I wouldn't turn the camera on them, not yet at least," Diego laughed off camera.
"Why?" Vee asked, turning the camera back on her husband.
"Because they be having a moment and being amorous with one another, that's why," Juana said and giggled of camera as her sister turned it onto their brother and sister-in-law. To show Joseph with his arm wrapped around Clarisse's waist, his hand pressing against her abdomen while his other hand was gripping hold of her hip, holding her back against him, as they both rocked their hips from side to side together to the beat of the song playing.
"Oh come on you two, we don't wanna be seeing that," Vee laughed as Clarisse turned to face her husband and slipped her arms up around his neck with a laugh as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist, with one of his hands going down to cup and squeeze her bottom while his other hand moved up under her blouse pressing against her lower back.
"Aww Vee, leave them alone. They're newlyweds, and it's nice to see José so happy and finally being able to live carefree. Same for Clarisse too, they are both so in love and crazy for one another," Juana exclaimed as the camera remained on Joseph and Clarisse. Capturing them both laughing as Joseph lifted his face from where it had been buried in Clarisse's neck and looked up at her.
"You can say that again," Joseph smirked playfully, glancing over at his sister's before looking back at Clarisse and moving his face closer to hers as she lowered her arms from around his neck to around his shoulders. "I'm crazy for this woman right here in my arms. I simply can not get enough of her," he said so huskily against her lips and kissed her.
"Aww," both Juana and Vee exclaimed in unsion at their brother and sister-in-law as they shared a slow kiss. With her arms snaking back around his neck. A hand grasping the back of his head while both his hands went now to cup her bottom, making her laugh against his lips as he pinned her gorgeous body so deliciously against his and swayed his hips against her.
"You do realise that they are filming, right?" Diego laughed as Joseph simply shrugged his shoulders while breaking the kiss with a laugh and turned his head to look at his brother-in-law.
"I don't care, no ones gonna see it," he said as Clarisse looked up at him and studied his face a moment before watching him turn his head to look back at her. "Besides, we are newlyweds, we can do as we so please." He smiled and kissed Clarisse a couple of times as she laughed against his lips once again.
"Okay, on the off chance anyone back in Genovia does happen to see this," Juana said as Vee turned the camera to her, "as you have probably figured out by now, we might all be, no actually, we are all a little bit drunk."
"A little?" Vee exclaimed off camera, and everyone started laughing.
"Alright, a lot. We are all, except for Diego because he's driving, but the rest of us are all very drunk," Juana laughed before trying to keep a straight face, "and for that we really can't apologise enough. Both Vee and I take full responsibility, we led, accidentally, of course, Clarisse and José astray tonight. And for that, we apologise to you, our new sisters family."
"Those damn cocktails, delicious but dangerous. Always getting us into trouble," Vee said of camera and laughed with Juana right before it shut off.
"Oh, grandma," Mia said, once the video had finished, and turned her head to look up at her uncle sitting beside her as she bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself from laughing.
"Well, I don't know what to say," Pierre smirked and looked down at his niece before the both of them started to laugh.
Looking down at her husband with her mouth open in surprise, Clarisse shook her head in disbelief and watched him slowly look up at her. "I thought you said that you had checked them, and they were all okay?"
"I thought they were, but that one I somehow missed," Joseph said, trying his best not to laugh as Clarisse raised her hands up to cover her face in them. "It wasn't that bad."
"It wasn't that bad? Joseph, it was bad. We were…. Well, we were… oh, you know what I mean," Clarisse exclaimed as she lowered her hands and looked down at him.
"We were being amorous, my love, that's what we were, and we were enjoying ourselves, it's not a crime, you know?" Joseph said, smirking up at her. "We are married, and as I said that night, we can do as we so please."
"But not doing stuff like that, not when there's a chance other people are going to see it too," she said putting a hand down on his shoulder and nodded her head towards her granddaughter and son still laughing beside them. But seeing the mischievous look in her husbands eyes, she couldn't help but laugh too.
"Honestly grandma, it wasn't that bad," Mia smiled as Joseph moved to a kneeling position and wrapped his arms around her grandmother as she laughed.
"But it's not me," Clarisse said as she and her husband pulled apart and looked at her granddaughter as she gestured towards the laptop with one of her hands. "That's not me."
"No grandma, it wasn't you. But it is now," Mia said, giving her a small smile. A smile just like her fathers. "And I gotta say that I love this new you. Being so carefree and showing everyone around you just how crazy you are for the man you love. And, it just shows how far you have come. Because just a few weeks ago you wouldn't dare behave like that. Showing everyone how in love you are."
"Yes, I quite agree," Pierre nodded as everyone looked at him. "You just do what makes you happy, and if that means doing what you did in that video, then so be it. We just gotta get used to it."
"Yeah, and if people don't like it, then tough," Mia said as her grandmother looked down at her.
"Thank you, sweetheart," Clarisse said, nodding slightly as she looked from her granddaughter to her son, "thank you too, darling."
"You're welcome, mother," Pierre smiled.
"It's alright, grandma," Mia smiled as she carefully got to her feet between the settee and coffee table and turned to her grandmother. "Right, I think I'm going to call it a day. I'll look through the pictures tomorrow."
"Yes, alright, sweetheart," Clarisse nodded as she looked up at her.
"Me too, it's been a long day and it's going to be an even longer one tomorrow, so I'm heading to bed," Pierre said and rose to his feet before turning to his mother and stepfather, still kneeling on the floor next to his mother. "I will speak to Charlotte in the morning about adding an extra room to the hotel booking."
"Yes, that'll be good, I'm sure she'll be able to sort it," Clarisse said as he stepped closer to her sitting still on the settee and bent over to kiss her cheek. "Goodnight, darling."
"Goodnight," Pierre said and looked up at Joseph, now getting to his feet. "See you both in the morning."
"Night, grandma," Mia smiled as she stepped closer to her, giving her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before standing up to do the same with Joseph, "night grandpa."
"Night, Princess," Joseph said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
"And don't worry, we will get through whatever happens all together," Mia whispered in his ear before pulling back just enough to look in his eyes and nodded, "okay?"
"Thank you, that means the world," Joseph replied and kissed her cheek before they stepped apart.
"I know," Mia nodded sympathetically and waved as she and her uncle left them alone. "Goodnight, I love you both."
"We love you too, goodnight," Clarisse called out after them and looked up at her husband as she smoothed her hands up her legs to rest on her knees.
"Can I get you anything?" Joseph asked and looked down at Clarisse, still sitting on the settee while slipping his hands in his pants pockets.
"No, I'm okay," she said with a shake of her head and sat back against the cushions, getting comfortable as she patted the space on the settee beside her, "come and sit with me here a little while before we go to bed."
"Well I ain't going to say no to that," he said, and they both chuckled as he moved rather quickly to sit down beside her on the settee. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head as she rested it on his chest and tucked her legs up on the settee with a smile. "Do you know what I'm going to do tomorrow?"
"No," she replied while snaking her arm around his waist and tipping her head back to look up at him, "what are you going to do tomorrow?"
"I'm going to go out and get you a phone, so that I can call you directly on it while I'm away without having to go through Charlotte or security just to speak to you," he said, and watched as she took her bottom lip between her teeth before leaning his head down and kissing her a couple of times, his hand moving up from her shoulder to rest now on the top of her head, his fingertips toying with her hair, "and we can text too," he said between kisses.
"Mhmm," Clarisse replied and looked up into his eyes with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Nothing naughty, I hope," she teased and watched as he laughed while looking down at his other hand going to rest on her arm resting across his waist a moment before looking back up at her.
"Alright, I won't text you anything naughty," he said with a chuckle and shook his head as she smiled mischievously up at him.
"You were thinking about it though, weren't you?" Clarisse smiled as she studied his face.
"I might have been, yes," he replied and nodded as she laughed. "Come on, shall we go to bed now?"
"Not yet," Clarisse said with a small shake of her head and rested it back down on his chest. "I'm going to miss you while you're away."
"I'm going to miss you too," Joseph said, absentmindedly playing with her hair, "but it'll only be for a couple of days, then I'll be back home with you."
"Yes you will be, and I can't wait," she nodded and tipped her head back to look up at him once again as he looked down at her and kissed her slowly a moment before looking into her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he said, giving her a small smile before watching her rest her head back down on his chest with a contented sigh. "Everything will be okay, you'll see."
"I sure hope so," she replied and closed her eyes. Relishing being in his arms, in the comfort of their own suite.