Chapter Fourteen
A few more months down the road of time...
Annie walked into the kitchen in her nightgown. She noticed Chris also awake. "What are you doing awake?" she yawned taking the chair next to him.
"Hot chocolate," he answered. "Do you want some? There's extra."
"Thanks," Annie said as the prince poured her a cup.
"Why can't you sleep?" he asked.
She gave him a weak smile as she took a sip. "Same reason as you. I'm thinking of Auntie Jo with your father."
"What makes you think I'm thinking of that."
"Because I know you Christopher."
He was silent for a while. He thought of Wills and Jo and how they were in Sweden in the family's secluded cabin in the woods. And how it was cold tonight. And how they were probably snuggling close to each other for warmth. The way he wanted to snuggle close to Annie right now just by looking at her... Wills used to take Mum up there every Christmas, he remembered.
"I wonder what they're doing right now?"
Chris raised an eyebrow. "You need to ask?"
"You think they've 'dun it' already?" Annie asked in hushed voice.
Chris shrugged. "If not they're going to soon." Poor Mum, he thought. "Do you ever miss your Mum?" he asked Annie suddenly. "I mean, she's in the States. You're here..."
Annie nodded. "I always miss her. But-" she hated to remind him sadly. "I get to see her again each summer. It keeps me going."
Chris was quiet. "Can I tell you something?"

"Can I tell you something?" Wills asked Jo.
Jo looked at him lovingly from the couch. The warm fire burning in the fireplace cast a glow on her face. The day had been filled with skiing, playing like kids in the snow. Now they were unwinding. "You can tell me anything," Jo said.
"It concerns Helen." Wills said.
Helen, the haunting name echoed in Jo's mind. She forced herself to be brave. "What about Helen, Wills?"
"When I married her..." Wills sat down on the couch next to Jo. "When I married her I knew she accepted because it was the most sensible thing to do since Harry left her at the altar." He paused. "In the beginning, I thought I could make her forget about Harry. If that makes sense. Do you know what it's like to be in love with someone who used to be in love with someone else. It's like fighting a ghost."
"Yes, Wills I know." Jo wondered how she succeeded in keeping her voice from breaking.
"At her death bed-," Wills took a moment," The day she passed- when I was in the room sharing her last moments with her; she said- she said-"
"What did she say Wills?" Jo asked. She wanted to keep the doors of the past shut. That way, whatever was in the past couldn't harm what she had with this man. But she knew he had to tell someone. And even if it might hurt her she would always be there for him. Since she loved him.
Wills continued with. "Helen told me: I loved Harry first. But I grew to love you more."
"Love you more," Jo echoed. She gave Wills a faint smile. Awkwardly she commented. "That's good, isn't it?"
"That wasn't all," Wills proceeded. "She also told me that she couldn't live a lie and that at least she glad she was given the opportunity to tell me a truth. A truth that- that-"

"Wills, you're not Chris's father. Harry is," Chris recounted what he had overheard that night.
Annie stuttered. "I-I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything.".
"But your father-," she babbled, stunned. "Why didn't you tell anyone."
"Who would I tell?" Chris asked. "I was eight. And I was more that affected by Mum's passing."
"But now-"
"If I tell- If this gets out in the open do you know what it can do to the succession line?" Chris reasoned. "Who'll be the next monarch? Di? Can't. She's a girl. She'll come later. Tom doesn't know the first thing. Billy?"
"Does Harry and Wills know that you know?"
Chris shook his head. "I don't think Harry even knows I'm his son. Look, this isn't a problem. It's just something I had to get out of my system. Wills loves me as well as any father can in his position. I see Harry everyday...Everything's fine just the way they are. Promise me you won't tell anyone."
Annie looked at him. He pleaded to her without the use of words. "I promise."

"Does Christopher know?" was Jo's first question when Wills told her.
"I don't think he does. Why ask him to choose? He has a lot on his mind right know without questioning who his true father is."
"Will you ever tell him?" Jo asked.
"Maybe... he has that right." He looked at Jo. She looked so pretty. He had always thought so. His emotions were high ignited by feelings of the past. Wills kissed her.
Jo responsively kissed him back.
"The earth moved," Wills said as they broke apart.
Jo smiled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Helen said... That if you kiss someone you love...The earth will move. It moved for me just now."
Helen. Jo thought. "Wills, if your trying to use me to replace your wife-," she gulped. This wasn't easy for her. " I need to be wanted for me-," she hoped Wills knew what she meant. To be sure she expounded with. "Not some replacement for Helen." she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Having said her piece she waited. She raised her eyes to meet Wills'. What was he going to say now?
The prince said nothing. He lifted her bridal fashion and brought her into the bedroom. There he showed her how much he wanted her.
***AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, RIGHT????? ;-) ***

Chapter Fifteen
Jo smiled snuggling under the covers as the sunlight that streamed into the window, waking her up.
Wills got out of the shower, newly changed. "How do you feel?" he asked.
"How dare you ask?" Jo teased. No real lady would discuss what had just happened that night. But the memory made her blush happily.
He moved to kiss her.
"Morning breath," she warned.
He kissed her anyway.
The phone rang.
Wills arm reached for it.
Jo tried to stop him. "Let it ring." she moaned.
Wills laughed, kissing her again. "What if it's the kids?"
She reluctantly let him answer it.
"Hello?" he greeted cheerily. But the smile was immediately wiped off his face. "...I-What do you want me to do?...Of course. We'll fly in right away... How are Chris, Di, Tom and Billy taking it?... That's good. That's good. I'll see you when I get there." he hung up the phone.
Jo came to him. "What was it?"
Wills's voice was emotionless. "That was Harry." he turned to Jo. in his eyes were tears he refused to shed. "My father just passed away."

It was after the funeral. Same rules. No crying in public. And if possible no showing of the slightest emotion. There was the after funeral gathering in the house but Wills trusted Harry to take care of the formalities. He secluded himself one of the rooms of the Palace. He sat and looked at the window, the curtain was drawn but he knew if he looked behind it he would see the mountains of bouquets being laid on fence. It brought back a lot of sad memories he thought he'd forgotten.
Jo entered the room where Wills was reflecting. "What are you thinking?" she asked softly.
"Do you think he knew I loved him?" Wills wondered aloud.
"Wills-"
The words were pouring over one another. "Because I wasn't allowed to show it, you know? Not in public. And we were always in public. And how are you supposed to know someone loves you unless they show it? Yes, I've hugged him. I've kissed him on the cheek a couple of times but was it enough? And now-now I can't show him and-and-" He broke off holding back. He took a deep breath. "Now I can't show him anymore." he looked at Jo searching for an answer. "Did I love him enough?"
Jo stood behind the chair and bent over to kiss him on the cheek. "You loved him Wills. And he knew that."
Wills looked up. He took her hand in his, grateful for the kind words. But if it remained true that everything he loved was destined to suffer and die then... "Maybe I loved him too much." he murmured.

Chapter Sixteen
Wills was a king and the public cried out for a queen. After a long period of mourning over Charles' death they needed a happy ending. And they weren't blind. They knew what went on in the Palace at night. They all but commanded Wills to propose to Jo.
The paparazzi followed them and refused to give them peace. This was a typical scene as Wills brought her into Buckingham.
"Are you in love with him?"
"In love with William Windsor?" She shook her head and smiled. "You can't be in love with him. You can like him. You can love him. You can be obsessed with him." She laughed." But you can't be in love with him. It hurts too much."
Wills smiled at her proudly. She was learning...

Christmas Eve of the later year...
Wills and Jo looked at the dinner prepared for them by the kids.
"Enjoy," was Di's exiting words as she ushered everybody out.
Jo read the card nestled in the centerpiece of flowers. "Merry Christmas. Hope you have many more together." she read aloud to William. "You think they're hinting at something?" she didn't bother to tell him that everyone but Chris signed the card.
"What are they hinting at?" Wills teased.
Jo sat down for the dinner.
"Delicious," Wills claimed as they finished.
"Scrumptious," Jo agreed. "Do you think it was take out?" She sipped her wine.
"Are you ready for more surprises?" Wills asked.
Jo laughed. "What else do thay have planned?"
"It's not from them. It's from me." from out of his pocket he took out a velvet box. He opened it to reveal a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"
Jo was speechless. She blamed this image on the wine. "Wills..."
William hastened to explain. "I can marry you but I can't love you."
Jo opened her mouth to speak.
Wills continued with. "Because everything I've ever loved has gone away. And I don't want you to go." He offered the jewel to her.
Jo took it out of its case and slipped it on her finger.
"The children so much need a mother. And-," his voice was husky. "I need a wife."
Jo tried to stop the tears of happiness running down her cheeks but it was impossible. she threw her hands around him and embraced him with her life. "Yes. Yes." she kissed him over and over. "I love you."
"I love you too."

The children were crowded around the Christmas tree. They were waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
Once William entered the room they knew he was going to announce something important. There was something about the way he and Jo held each other's hands. There was a hint of something that wasn't there before.
"Papa, what is it?" Di was the only one brave enough to ask. She suspected.
Christopher didn't need to hear the words. He already knew.
"I asked Jo if she wanted to marry me. She accepted," William announced.
"Really?" Tom asked. "Papa, that's terrific."
Billy got up from playing videogames and hugged Jo with all his might. "Mummy," he said for the first time in his life.
Wills rejoiced at this. "That's right. She's going to be your mother."
Chris exploded. "She's never going to be my mother!" He walked over and tore Billy apart from Jo.
Billy stared up at his eldest brother who he looked up to, next to his father, as a god.
"She's not my mother." he declared again. Chris faced his siblings. "Nor yours." he turned to Tom. "Nor yours." to Di. "She's not mum. She'll never be mum!"
"Chris, just because your father loves me doesn't mean he loves your mother any less."
"That's a lie. You can only love one person better than another. There is no equal."
"What about your brothers and your sister? Your father? Annie? Don't you love them all?" Jo tried to make him see.
Chris's eyes scanned the faces around the room. "I don't know," his voice was hoarse. "Because right now -I HATE YOU ALL!"
"Chris behave yourself, right now."
"And you're not my father!" Chris screamed, storming out the room.
His last words hung in the air.
Wills's and Jo's eyes met in understanding.
There were confusion in the faces of Chris' brothers and sister. Did he know what he just said? or had he been too angry he had just blurted out nonsense?
Annie who had remained silent all this time looked after him worriedly. "Shouldn't someone go after him?"
"Chris will calm down in the morning," Wills said softly.
Jo was uncomfortable as she looked back at the children. Their expressions were clear. Christopher was right. She wasn't their mum. "Maybe we shouldn't-"
"No," Wills said firmly. "I'm going to marry you. Chris will just have to live with it."

Chris went into his room. He screamed out his frustration. How could Wills do this to his mother? He could take Wills dating Jo but Wills marrying Jo? Was he the only one of the family who wanted to keep the spirit of their mother alive? He looked at the faded photographs which decorated his room. Billy had always loved Jo. But what about Di and Tom? When did they side with the enemy?
Instead of looking at the loving face of his mum when he looked at the pictures he saw that her face was filled with accusation. Why aren't you pleased that your father's happy? she seemed to be asking of him.
"He's not my father," he said, confused. Chris began breaking things.
He knew he was acting in a behavior his mum would highly disapprove of. But Jo's replacing you... he told the picture silently. It still looked as if she was accusing him of doing something wrong. With one swipe of his arm he made all the photographs come crashing down. The glass shattered in chaos on the floor. "Mum. Mum. I'm sorry." he told the picture. He bent down to retrieve the broken pieces. The slivers cut his skin deep and spread blood over the photographs. Christopher stared at it as it dripped and soaked his mother's face.
He watched in fascination.
Then he slit his wrists.

The sound of the crash made Annie get up. "I'm going to go see that he's all right." She told them. She left the room.
It was quiet.
"Chris. No!"

Wills looked at Chris' lifeless body on the hospital bed. I did this, he thought. I did this to your son, Helen. To our son. He knew this for his heart was breaking as Chris was indeed sired by him. He thought of Jo. "I love her, Chris. Is that so terribly bad?"
No response.
Annie came in the room. "How is he?" she asked.
Wills sighed. "Still the same." he hugged the girl. "Go back to the Palace. Get some sleep."
"We're all staying." Annie informed him. She looked at the sleep-deprived king. "I love him, you know."
Wills looked at the girl. Then at Chris. "Yes, I know."
"Do you think I'll ever get the chance to tell him?" She looked at the prince. "You can't leave." she told him. "I won't let you. You're the only one who treats me decently in this strange land. If you go who will I have left. You can't go. I need you too much."
I need you too much. Wills knew the feeling.
Annie sighed, having tried her best.
Wills kissed her on the cheek.
"You'll call me when he wakes up?" Annie asked anxiously.
"I will," Wills assured. He looked at Chris. When he wakes up...

Wills was awaked by the sound of murmuring. "Papa... Papa..." At first Wills thought it was part of his dream. He opened his eyes to see the weak figure trying to move on the bed. He walked to the side of the boy.
Chris looked at his wrist. The bandages were evident of the crime. He looked at the life support systems surrounding him. His gaze lastly fell on Wills. "Father..."
"Do you want me to get, Harry?" Wills asked, not sure of what Chris meant.
Chris managed to place a finger on his lips. "I won't tell if you won't." He smiled weakly.
Wills smiled back. Then he excused himself to go out of the room. There were others awaiting to hear of Chris recovery.

Chapter Seventeen
When Chris came home from the hospital that's when Jo made her decisions. She had been thinking about it for some time but now she was taking action. She knew what she had to do. She took out her suitcase and began packing.

"Hey, Billy," Chris grinned as he hugged his brother.
"I'm glad your home," Billy told him.
"Same here," Chris returned. He looked at the little welcome home party they made for him. there was his father. And his brother and sister. There was Annie. And the many servants. Where was-

"Jo," Chris called as he entered her room. The sight that met him stopped him in his tracks. She was packing. Without anything better to say he settled to express in a quiet tone "You never came to visit me at the hospital."
"You gave royal orders that you didn't want to see me," Jo said.
"I did," Chris confirmed. "But I thought you'd at least try."
Jo shrugged as she continued packing a suitcase.
"What are you doing?" Christopher asked.
"Going away," Jo said.
"Where?"
"France. Spain. Maybe back to America."
"You're just going to leave my father?" Chris accused.
"What do you want me to do? Stay?" She gave a bitter laugh. "You made it perfectly clear that you've disliked my relationship with Wills ever since I stepped foot into Buckingham."
"You were competing with my mother."
"It was never a competition between me and your mum Chris. If it was I'd have no worry. Wills may have loved her dearly. Maybe with a love that cannot be erased. But he loves me now. That I'm sure of it. I can at least be in the running with your mother. But it's not a competition between me and her. It's a competition between me and you. And that's a contest I cannot win! He's your father! You're his son! He loves you! He'd choose his children over anything in this world. Even me. I'm leaving. I'm making the choice so he won't have to." She clicked the suitcase shut. She didn't realize she was crying.
It was odd. He had wanted her out of their lives for so long. And now when she was leaving he couldn't explain it but he didn't want her to go. "Papa will miss you." he said quietly.
Jo tried to keep her voice in control. "He'll understand."
"And Billy," he spoke up. "Billy will miss you terribly. You're the only mother he knows."
"I'll miss him too," Jo informed.
"Di's going to need someone to guide her through the world of make-up and fashion. She can't ask dad.'
"I'll write often," Jo promised.
"Tom - Tom is going to need help on his homework. No one can make him do it but you."
"He can e-mail me his assignments. We'll work it out through the Internet."
"I-"
Jo looked at him. "Yes?"
"I-" he shook his head. "Nothing." he sighed.
Jo got her bags. She'll send for the rest tomorrow. She got out in the hallway.
"Jo!" Chris called.
Jo turned around.
"I need you to be my mother."

Daddy: Chapters 17-end