I do not own Spy Kids.

Epilogue

Gary was pacing frantically. It had been several days since he last saw Carmen and he was told that she was recovering from her ordeal and would be well enough for visits soon. Only her mother could see her, despite Gregorio's objections, who was firmly, but gently, put into his place.

It was a miracle that Carlos hadn't succeeded in penetrating her, though the bruises he left behind were more than enough. Both Gary and Gregorio had to be restrained from pummeling him into the floor and Juni looked just as murderous. The prince had been swiftly hustled out of the room and shortly after Ingrid ushered everyone out except for Gerti and herself. She wanted only females around Carmen, she had said.

Carlos was locked in a guest room (due to his rank and status as the Crown Prince he had to be treated accordingly, though anything that could be used as a weapon was removed before he was secured) and Gregorio issued orders to continue with their course. He also informed the Monacan government that they had found the prince and would be in port within the hour.

Surprisingly, they were greeted with very little fanfare. Carlos was secured in a car with two guards to watch him and everyone else followed. Carmen stayed behind with her mother and Gerti while arrangements for a transport to the hospital were made. Ingrid insisted on it, though Gary wished to join them. It was Gerti who told him that it was not possible.

"She needs to be examined, Gary. Both physically and, well, mentally. Out of all of us she was the one who was in the most danger, and to be frank, I'm surprised she was able to hold herself together as long as she did. She needs peace and quiet now."

Gary smiled wanly. "Since when did you become so wise and mature, little sister?"

"Since I got a chest and began puberty," she replied with a wink. Gary chuckled.

"Give her time. She'll be ready when she's ready." Gary nodded, reassured only a little bit.

And now, almost a week later, they would be meeting the king and queen. They had requested a private audience with the Cortezes and Giggles, and they had graciously accepted. Both parties knew this would be a painful meeting for both sides, and one that would probably last several hours at least.

Gary was anxious for several reasons. He knew Carlos would not be there and that he had been confined to his chambers with a guard always on duty. The king and queen seemed resigned that their son was mentally unbalanced, but Gary wasn't quite sure what his punishment would be. He just knew that the prince deserved more than what he would probably get.

"Sir, the meeting will begin shortly. Shall I accompany you?"

"Please." Gary straightened his shirt, still not quite used to being addressed so formally. He nodded and followed the servant to the meeting room downstairs.

King Juan was a tall, imposing man but with a mouth prone to smiling and twinkling eyes. Broad shoulders and a dark physique completed the look of a king descended from the major European royal houses. Upon inheriting a wealthy kingdom, he was beloved of the people and rarely a day in the pubs went by without at least one toast to his health.

Contrary to what Carlos told them, Queen Clara was still alive. Despite having aged since the portrait in the parlor was made, she was no less elegant now. Slightly shorter than the king, she was a kind woman who often went out of her way to ensure the happiness and well-being of those around her. Carlos' sister, the princess Arabella, was a bright, vivacious girl of 16 with her father's dark looks and her mother's kind smile. She was neither oppressed nor did she possess a quiet, meek disposition as the prince had confided.

Evidently, Carlos had lied about his family circumstances. Not only that, but he had also committed treason and those accomplices who helped him (namely dissatisfied nobles who wanted more wealth and titles) were also guilty. In the past treason was punishable by death. But having entered the 21st century, the king did not think it right to execute his only son when he was not even in his right mind.

Gary thought about all this as he was escorted to the meeting room. The king and queen were standing by the fireplace, with Gregorio and Ingrid standing opposite them and his sister and Juni seated on the sofa. He bowed to the king and queen, as custom dictated. Ingrid reached out to embrace him and he let her, feeling a keen sense of loss that his own mother was not there with him today. Gregorio patted him on the back.

"Please be seated. We have much to discuss." The king took a seat in the chair by the fireplace and indicated for them to choose a spot while the queen rang a bell before sitting in the chair closest to her husband. A maid entered and bowed. "Please bring some tea, coffee, and some refreshments in. We might be here a while," the queen said quietly. "Yes ma'am."

The queen exchanged a quick glance with her husband, who looked just as pained as she did. Then King Juan cleared his throat and began. "I thank you for patience. I would have arranged to meet earlier, but this matter required extreme delicacy, for reasons that I will explain to you shortly. However, the queen and I would like to thank you on behalf of our kingdom for discovering the truth of the plot and for stopping…. our son from doing any more harm."

Ingrid and Gregorio nodded graciously, while Gerti and the others murmured polite replies. "We would also like to thank you as a mother and father," the queen continued, resting a hand on top of her husband's. "We understand that Carlos has committed unforgiveable acts against you and yours. Despite running a kingdom, we are still parents who have made mistakes." She nodded towards the Cortezes. "Running a large, secret organization might be different than running a country, but the concept is the same. Politics rule business just as much as government and both require a skill that only experience can give. I am sure you understand this."

"We do," Ingrid replied with a small smile. Gregorio nodded.

"Then perhaps you also understand that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, business gets mixed in with personal."

"Unfortunately," Gregorio said wryly.

"Carlos has always been difficult. As the oldest and only son, we wished to train him in not only the running of a government but in the ways of royalty. Our country may be small but we are a proud lot. Our family is descended from the Spanish, French, and Portuguese royal lines, and therefore is just as ancient. But to explain how our son has reached this point in his life, we must tell you how the king and I met."

The queen took a sip of her tea while the king settled into a more relaxed position before continuing. "Before I became king, I went through that phase that all men and women experience at some point in their lives: running wild and disobeying their parents. I was no worse than most, although extra attention was paid to me due to my royal status. My father, the old king, was an easy going man and understood that this was just a phase. My mother, however, was not. She was from a smaller branch of the old Italian royal family and therefore was always conscious of her dignity.

She convinced my father that I should be given more responsibility and her wish came true. I grew into my role as future king and my father began to step back and allow me to take the lead. On one of our many state occasions, I became acquainted with a lady, a distant cousin on my grandfather's. The Lady Alyssa, Countess of Pouters, was a woman of good breeding and perfect for a future queen."

"We were actually educated together," the queen interrupted quietly. "I didn't know her too well, but she struck me as proud, though she was quite intelligent and knew her mind. Our families ran in the same social circles, but we were never close. In fact, if I can remember correctly, my mother and her mother had quite a history."

"Indeed," the king replied. "We courted for just over a year before I met Clara. My duties allowed me little time to dawdle and as my father continued to defer the running of the kingdom to me, I was soon being pressured upon to marry. My parents recognized the times we were living in, of course, and would not have arranged a marriage for me, but they insisted that I start to think about settling down.

Around this time, I expect, Alyssa was beginning to sense that my attention was drifting, and started to speak of marriage more often. However, while I was truly fond of her, I did not love her. When I told her I could no longer see her because there was someone else, she was gracious and kind about the matter, and we remained friends."

"Alyssa even became a friend of mine, though I did not consider her a confidant," the queen said. "Something about her seemed strange, as if she was trying too hard to be nice. But I was too concerned with learning my role as Crown Princess and future queen. When I grew pregnant with Carlos, Alyssa was recommended as a governess by the dean of our old school."

"I suppose I agreed to the appointment for the guilt I had in jilting her. Once Carlos was born, Alyssa moved into the palace to take charge of the nursery. We had contact with her every day during our visits and every week we had weekly meetings with his household to ensure that everything was run accordingly. And two years later, Arabella was born."

"We suspected nothing until later. It was unfortunate because if we had known earlier we could have reversed the damage," the queen continued. "Alyssa had never forgotten that she had lost out of a chance to become queen. Her resentment of me grew and she sought to rule our son through that. As the years passed, Carlos started to lash out. Never at his father but always at me. He was rude and disrespectful. I had no idea what to do. No amount of discipline helped. At first I consulted with Alyssa, who told me to give him some space, that perhaps it was just a phase. But alas, it just gave her more room to manipulate him."

"A maid in his household finally came to us and spoke about what was going on. Apparently, Alyssa was not a kind mistress to those in her employee," the king continued, his voice wry. "We sent for other servants who confirmed what the maid was saying, once they were assured that they would not lose their positions. I won't go into detail about what was said but after years of poisonous whispers and manipulations, combined with a sickening maternal love, Carlos viewed her as him mother and his true mother as a usurper. A terrible revenge on us both, but she wanted to be queen and when that was denied her, she thought to rule through our son."

Queen Clara looked at her husband, the king, with compassion, and reached over to take his hand. "It was a terrible time and it soon grew to a public scandal, though the details were unknown to those unassociated with Carlos' household and the king's council."

"Carlos was never the same after the loss of Alyssa," the king said quietly, his tone bereft of what could have been. "He can never assume the throne now. I must talk to the Council and Parliament about his sister taking over the duties of heir."

There was a long pause while everyone processed what had been said. Gary found he was sorry for the king and queen, but still angry over what Carlos had done to Carmen. Yet it was Gerti who broke the silence. "What will happen now?"

"He will be under constant supervision. I will engage a psychotherapist and a psychologist to evaluate him. Depending on what they say, he will be medicated. But he will never be allowed the freedoms that were once his and, unfortunately, we cannot make an immediate announcement to the public about his condition. His will have no visitations except those sanctioned by his mother and I, with no access to the Internet or his phone. Until there's any improvement of his mental faculties, I am sure this will be quite a long punishment. I wish I could do more, but until we know how much is Alyssa's influence and how much is his own, this is all I can give you.

But I will personally guarantee the safety of Miss Cortez; provisions will be made for her security until we can ensure that Carlos will not try to reach out to her. With your permission, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Cortez," he added, nodding towards the older couple across from him.

"I don't think we will need such measures but I will ask Carmen to make sure," Ingrid replied, graciously. "May I ask how your daughter is doing?" the queen asked, her brow creased with genuine concern. "She is recovering fast – indeed, I think forced idleness is never appreciated, even when done with the best intent." Ingrid smiled. "She will be fine but I think she is ready to go home."

"Indeed, please allow us to personally see to your travel arrangements. I am sure everyone is eager to be on their way. I can't thank you enough for what you have done for my family and for my country. I do believe a disaster has been averted, though I regret that it was done in such extreme measures. You have the gratitude of myself and my country." The king stood, signaling an end to the meeting. Queen Clara reached out to grasp Ingrid's hand. "I hope that you will keep in touch as to Miss Cortez's recovery and I beg you to reach out for anything, anything at all, if you have need of assistance." Ingrid swallowed, touched by the queen's compassion and glad that she is not closing a door, but opening another. "I will do so."

Gregorio shook the king's hand, bowed to the queen, and then steered Juni out the door. He understood a parents' plight, and while he didn't condone their actions, he did wish that Alyssa had not been allowed at Court when the king and queen were newlyweds. So much could have been averted by that one single action. But he was too old to regret and besides, everything in hindsight is almost always viewed with a glimmer of guilt.

"Mr. Giggles, if you have a moment to spare before going back to your rooms?" the queen asked as Gary bowed over her hand. He raised an eyebrow but nodded and waited for the room to clear. Gerti shot him once last glance before leaving, the door closing softly behind her.

"Thank you, Mr. Giggles," the queen said. "I am sure that, aside from Carmen, you were the second most to be affected by Carlos' actions against you." She looked at him knowingly. He nodded, wondering where this conversation is going. "I can see you have feelings for her," she said with a small smile, as if she could read what he was thinking. "I don't deny it," he said proudly, but blushing all the same. "We've known each other a long time, Carmen and I, and it hurt me almost as much as her to see her put into such a position."

The king looked on respectfully, interested, but it seemed like he would allow his wife to take the lead in this conversation.

"I am glad of it. I am sure your own mother could say this to you, and Mrs. Cortez as well, but because my son is incapacitated, and he is the one who initiated the damage in the first place, I wish to pass on a bit of advice my mother said to me and my husband. I speak to you now not as a queen, but woman, and a woman who has lived for quite some time.

You will have many women in your life, just as Carmen will have many men in her life. But none should matter much as the one you truly love. If, and I believe this to be true, you love Carmen, you should protect her, honor her, and love her. Give her space when she needs it; allow her time with her friends; get to know those in her life as she should get to know those in your life; but above all, respect her choices. Give each other room to make mistakes. Be angry with each other. Be sad together. But never forget that no matter how many hurdles life throws your way, together you can accomplish anything. The definition of love is not in loving each other, but loving life together: as friends, as partners, and as lovers."

The king took the queen's hand and smiled at Gary, nodding pleasantly. "You two have been through much together but you've already jumped over one exceedingly difficult hurdle. Never forget this."

Gary swallowed, tears threatening to spill over. His own father was a weakling, ambitious, but petty and mean in the end. His mother had been in out of the picture for years. To have strangers speak to him of love and life, giving him advice with a woman who knew he loved (though she may not know it) was astounding. "Thank you, your majesties. I will remember what you have said."

They nodded, smiling and watching him bow and leave the room. Somehow, Gary suspected, in some small way, they wished their own son had turned out like him.

Carmen was glad to be leaving the palace. After the initial examination and several nights as an in-patient, she was discharged and given a guest room in the palace. It was as expensive as the room she had on Carlos' yacht, but nowhere near as sumptuous. She suspected that his mother had more of a simple, elegant taste than her son.

She knew her family and the Giggles had gone to a meeting with the king and queen, but she had yet to see them herself. In fact, even though her mother and Gerti had told her all that was said, despite their firm objections, she was not sure she wanted to meet with them herself. Gerti told her they were kind, and that she would have liked the Princess Arabella. But in truth, she just wanted to put the whole escapade behind her.

Yet fate would not let her. Just as she dressing herself from a long hot shower, someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" she called from the bathroom. She heard the door open ("Be right there!") she called. When she came out, her hair still wet from her shower, she was startled to see a woman with dark hair like her own, sitting on the bed, a small package sitting next to her.

"Oh!" she said, rather stupidly. The woman smiled. "Hello Miss Cortez. You may call me Ms. Clara if you wish." Carmen just stared at her, before comprehension dawned on her face. "Oh! Your Majesty!" She did a half bob-half curtsey. The queen laughed pleasantly. "Please don't. I get enough of that when I leave my bedroom. Will you sit down?"

Carmen sat on an ottoman, stunned into silence with this charming woman who was royalty. "I can't be that scary, can I?" The queen asked, a twinkle in her eye. Mutely, she shook her head. But suddenly remembering that she had a mouth, she spoke up, her voice quiet. "No, of course not, your – Ms. Clara."

"I know that you are leaving this afternoon, but I wanted to give you something. A gift from my husband, and from myself. And I also wanted to apologize personally to you for what my son has done to you and yours. I am sure you will hear what was discussed at the meeting, if you have not heard about it already."

"Ms. Clara, there is no need. It is part of my job." "This may be true, but I doubt your job requires you to be as emotionally, and, uh, physically distressed as you have been during this assignment. Please. No woman should be subjected to what you have endured, and I am ashamed to admit even to myself that the perpetrator is my own son." Carmen sensed this woman would not let it go until she forgiven for not taking charge of her child as any normal mother would have. So, she nodded. "I accept your apology, then, You Majesty," using the queen's title to indicate the genuine acknowledgement of their distress towards the situation.

The queen swallowed and one tear escaped her eye before she quickly wiped it away. "Thank you, my dear. And now, I have a gift for you. The king wished we could deliver it together, but his meeting with council is sadly taking longer than expected. But he does send his heartfelt good wishes to you and wants you to know that this belonged to his grandmother. It was intended for his sister, but unfortunately, she passed away at a young age and he could not bear to part from it. Until now."

She handed the package to Carmen, who took it with wonderment. Her family connections had not denied her wealth, but this was the first gift she had received from royalty. "Open it, my dear." She unwrapped the pretty paper, and gasped to see a small wooden box inlaid with precious stones and the edges gilded with silver. Upon opening it, she saw it was lined in velvet with a small silver key, attached to a green ribbon, placed on top of a plush pillow. "This is beautiful!" "It belonged to a distant relative from his grandmother's side: a French princess. It's an antique, as I'm sure you've realized, dating back to the 17th century from an ancestor of his grandmother's: a French Princess of the Blood, I believe. He wanted to give it to his future daughter-in-law, but due to recent happenings, I think he decided to give it to someone much more worthy."

"Ms. Clara, I cannot accept this," Carmen said seriously. "It's beautiful but if its worth as much as you say, I am not worthy you of it. Truly." The queen shook her head and took her hand. "Carmen – may I call you that? – you have endured much. While normally we would not wish to give anything, even a small token, to someone who has been what you have been through, we both believe that you deserve this and so much more. You saved our country from ruin, you saved our family from destruction, and you have opened our eyes to what an unfortunate son we have. All at the peril of your own physical and mental health. Our gratitude knows no bounds and this is the only way we can thank you. Please take the box."

Carmen started to cry, overwhelmed at such a kind gesture from a beautiful queen. She nodded, unable to speak. The queen dried her eyes with her own handkerchief and smiled at her. "Such beautiful eyes you have, my dear. Use them to your advantage. I know of a certain young man who is very impatient to see you since your mother and sister have kept him away." She winked. "Perhaps you can fill this box with keepsakes that I know he will give you in the future."

Carmen watched, completely astonished, as the queen stood up and smoothed her dress down. She had all but revealed that she knew of Gary's feelings for her and had suspected hers were the same. "I may be the same age as your mother, but never forget we women of older years have known the happiness of a first, and lasting, love." She smiled pleasantly and opened the door, before turning back. "Good luck to you both, dear, sweet Carmen. And if you need honeymoon ideas, or anything else for that matter, you can always call on me." The queen's chuckle was heard echoing in Carmen's mind even after the door had closed and she had long closed her open mouth.

Gary and Carmen hadn't spoken much on the flight home, as they were both exhausted from their ordeal. Gerti and Juni played card games and kept watch at the clouds passing by while Gregorio and Ingrid sat hands clasped, alternating between watching their children and watching a spy movie. By the time they arrived home in California, all six were ready for a long sleep.

In truth, it was several days before Gary and Carmen could speak quietly. They had to report to the OSS on their mission (despite the Director being Carmen's father, rules were rules) and both needed to adjust to the time difference which was quite the opposite from where they were. So it wasn't until the Friday of after their return that they could meet.

They chose a public spot, a small café outside of Napa. They could see the vineyards from their seat outside and they sat quietly, neither knowing where to begin but aware that there was tension in every bone of their bodies.

"Carmen, I – "

"Gary, you should know – "

They started at the same time, stopped, and then burst out laughing at the absurdness of their behavior. "You'd think we were still two pre-teens on their first date," Carmen said. "Psh, did we ever really grow up?" Gary replied, a sly smile on his lips. "No. I did, but you did not." He mock-glared at her before sighing and turning serious. "Do you want to talk about what's happened?" Carmen looked at him thoughtfully for a long time. But then she slowly shook her head. "No, not really. Perhaps one day, but not now. He could have done worse and even what he did accomplish will give me nightmares. For now, however, it's enough to know that he's locked up on the side of the world and I am here, in sunny California. As far away as I could hope for."

Gary nodded, accepting her answer. He was relieved. The whole plane ride home he mulled over what the queen had said to him and she was right. And he found himself glad that she was right. "Very well. So what happens now?" He smiled and took her hand. "I don't know, what would you like to happen?" she replied, her eyes twinkling, as relieved as he about the change of conversation. "Well, perhaps, and this is just a suggestion, but how about I take you to dinner at Traditions? That really fancy Italian place you like? And then maybe we can go for a boat ride after?"

Carmen looked at him, her eyes full of love. "That sounds like a perfectly reasonable suggestion and I think you should arrange it." His look, mirroring hers in mutual love and understanding, told her everything. And when their lips touched, it was as if the world was finally coming to rights again.

. . .

From across the street, Gerti and Juni watched their siblings finally come together. "Its about time," Juni said as they turned and made their way back to the car. "I agree," Gerti replied. "It won't be perfect, but if they can survive Monaco, than they can survive anything,." Juni nodded. He opened the door for Gerti then quickly slid in to the other side. "So where now? I'm not too keen on spying on them for the rest of my life, however interesting it may be." Gerti smiled at him, her first crush and finally her best friend.

"Let's just take a drive, shall we?"

End.

A/N: HOLY SH*T! WOW! *wipes brow* IT'S OVER! IT'S COMPLETED! IT'S DONE! *does happy dance* EIGHT YEARS LATER! Shout out to those who have stuck with me since the beginning and for being patient with me. I'm sure it's been as trying for you as it's been for me. In any case, I am truly grateful. Thank you to newcomers! Those random emails stating "New Favorite Added" has really help keep me going. Seriously. I probably would have given this up years ago, if it wasn't for those emails.

A little note that I would like to add: I know that the writing content, length, grammar, spelling, and even wording changed drastically from Chapter One to this one here, the Epilogue. I have no intent to change that anytime soon, however one day I may go back and re-do the first three or four chapters. If anyone has any further questions, don't hesitate to PM me. Seriously. I still check my account fairly regularly.

And without any further comment, I bid you all a farewell and a final, truly heartfelt, thank you!