Clary held her sketchbook closer to her face, studying it. After a long look she said "Found you." She twirled her pencil in her hand and erased a stray line. She shifted in the soft couch and looked up at the clock. She gave a sigh of exasperation. Jace was late. Again. She had figured he'd at least be somewhat on time for Thanksgiving dinner. Clary began to outline her drawing when a loud knock came from the door. Clary shot up at the sound. She picked up her book that had fallen on the floor and laid it on the couch gingerly. She patted it and whispered "Sorry." "Clary, will you get that," she heard her mother call from the kitchen. "Yeah," Clary replied.
She rushed over to the door and swung it open. Cold air rushed into the hallway. Clary frowned. She was hoping that it was Jace, but it was just Luke. His glasses seemed to have frost on them and snow was covered his hair. "You look disappointed," he said. "It's nothing." "Well maybe this will cheer you up." He held up a bowl with tinfoil covering it. "What is it," Clary asked. "It's emergency cranberry sauce!" Clary gave him a wry smile. "Oh and I found something on the way here." Luke walked past Clary and revealed Jace wearing a large coat and earmuffs. Clary rubbed her arms trying to warm herself up and said "Can't you ever be on time for once?" "It's called fashionably late. And can you let me in already? It's freezing out here. Even though I am devilishly hot doesn't mean I can't get cold." Clary closed the door behind them and kissed Jace on the cheek. "It's nice to see you too," she said. Clary walked over to the couch and started collecting her pencils. Jace leaned over and looked at the sketchbook. "Whatcha drawing?" "Uh, nothing really. Just doodling." "Are you drawing me as an angel again? Because this time I can prove that I really am a heavenly being." Clary punched him in the arm and said "Go hang up your coat or something." Clary heard Jace mutter something as he hung up his coat and earmuffs in the hallway closet.
Clary stashed her art supplies under the couch and turned back to Jace. "Do you really have to wear that?" "Wear what?" Clary pointed to his belt holding a seraph blade. "What if hoards of Raveners show up? Who'd seem unprepared then," he replied, "At least it's in its sheath." Clary rolled her eyes. "Clary, Jace, can you set the table please," Jocelyn said as she stuck out her head from the kitchen. Clary nodded and walked into the kitchen. Plates and bowls were lying out on the countertops. Water was all over the floor. Luke was still in his jacket cutting vegetables and Jocelyn was putting oven mitts on. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun and she was covered with flour. "What happened here," Jace asked, "Did a bomb go off?" "Your wit never disappoints Jace," Luke said. "Welcome to Thanksgiving Jace," Jocelyn said. "C'mon, let's set the table," Clary said as she grabbed Jace's hand and dragged him away. She opened a cupboard and handed him some plates.
"I can carry more," Jace complained as she tried to shoo him away to set the table. Clary gave him a skeptical look. "Don't break anything," she said as she placed several glasses on the plates. Jace balanced it gracefully on one hand and said "More." "Please don't break my dishes Jace," Jocelyn said as she took the turkey out of the oven. "Actually they're my plates," Luke corrected. "We're getting married, technically they're mine." "Look at this, we're only engaged and she's trying to take over my life." Jocelyn leaned on the counter and gave Luke a look. "What?" Jocelyn raised an eyebrow. "Yes dear," Luke teased. He went up to her and kissed her on the forehead. "Ugh, come on Jace. They're going to make out any moment now."
Clary lead Jace to the table and helped set it. "So… Thanksgiving," Jace said as he placed ice in the glasses. "You don't celebrate holidays?" "Well, not mundane ones. So pray tell, what do you do on this wretched holiday." Clary started to fold the napkins into special designs and said "Well you say what you're thankful for and you eat food." "That's it? Really?" "Well there is a parade and then you have to go through the stress of cooking everything which I get out of since I burned the turkey one year." "It was horrible," Luke said as he put the cranberry sauce on the table, "All she had to do was set the timer. And she set it to hours." "You're supposed to cook it for hours!" "Not for six!" "Isabelle would have been proud," Jace teased. "Like you'd do any better," Clary said, "I doubt you even know how to cook." "That's not true, I've cooked lots of things. Ramen noodles, smores, water—" "Boiling water doesn't count," Clary complained. "It so does!" "Children calm yourselves," Luke said. Jace placed the turkey on the table and mumbled "She started it."
"I'm going to clean myself up," Jocelyn announced and she left. "Clary, am I pretty enough for dinner," Jace asked. "You're gorgeous," she replied. Jace held her close and said "Was there ever a doubt." "Please, some of us don't want to lose their appetite," Luke said as he sat down. Jocelyn came in and sat down next to him. Clary and Jace sat down. Somehow all four of them fit in the cramped pathetic excuse of a table Luke had. Jocelyn gave Luke a look. "What?" "Coat," Clary coughed. Luke looked down and noticed he was still wearing his coat and scarf. "Oh, I'll be back." Luke left the kitchen and hung his coat in the closet. He plopped back into his chair. "Sorry about that." "So, do we eat now," Jace asked. "What is it with teenagers always thinking about food," Jocelyn said. "It could be worse. It could be a lot worse…" "Well Jace I doubt you ever had Thanksgiving before," Luke said, "So what we do is say what we're thankful for and dig in." "I like the food part," Jace said. Clary elbowed Jace and said "Stop being a jerk."
"Alright, alright, I'll go first." Jace folded his hands like he was praying and said "I am thankful for having a beautiful girlfriend, for her mother not murdering me, for being part angel, for being made extra sexy by the big guy in the sky, for not dying a horrific death by a demon, for not dying in general, for not being part demon, and for not contracting demon pox." Jace looked up at them and smiled. "Did I do good?" Clary flushed from embarrassment and held her face in her hands. "Humble," Luke mumbled. "I am thankful for getting married to a wonderful woman, and for having a soon-to-be amazing daughter. And I guess Jace too." "Thank you," Jace said. Jocelyn held Luke's hand and said "I am thankful for having a wonderful daughter and soon-to-be husband." Jocelyn turned to Clary as if to cue her. "Uh, I am thankful for Jace, my friends, um, and for having an amazing family." Jocelyn and Luke nodded, like they were emotional about what she had said.
"Now can we eat?" "Yes Jace, now we may eat." "Jace, would you like to carve the turkey," Luke asked. "Uhhhhh…" Jace looked over to Clary for approval. "You're just cutting it," she explained. "Oh, sure," he said uneasily. Clary moved Jace's plate as Luke set the turkey in front of him.
"JACE NO!" Jocelyn, Luke, and Clary shouted simultaneously. "What!?" "Put. Down. The. Seraph. Blade." As Luke had set the turkey in front of him, Jace had pulled out his seraph blade to carve the turkey with. "What am I supposed to carve it with," Jace asked as he slipped the blade back in its sheath. "The knife Jace. The knife," Luke said. Jace picked up the knife hesitantly. He stabbed the turkey with it. "Now what?" "You cut the turkey Jace. Into slices," Jocelyn said. Jace face turned a dark red. "Oh…" He slowly cut the turkey into thin slices. "A little thicker Jace," Clary said, "And a little quicker." "I am under a lot of pressure," Jace yelled.
Jace began to cut quickly and slice it unevenly. He finally cut his finger hastily. "Ow!" Blood trickled down his index finger. "Clary I need a healing rune!" "No you don't! You barely scratched yourself." "You know what; I'm going to do this the right way!" Jace pulled his seraph blade out of its sheath and began cutting the turkey. "JACE! PUT IT DOWN!" "IT'S WORKING!" Luke snatched the blade out of Jace's hand and threw it across the room. "Luke," Jace protested. "You. Were. Cutting. It. With. A. Sword!" "It was working!" "A sword Jace! A sword!" "JACE LIGHTWOOD! HOW COULD YOU USE A SWORD TO CUT THE TURKEY WITH," Jocelyn shouted. "I don't understand why it was so wrong," Jace said. Clary laid her head in her hands. She looked up to the ceiling and spread her arms out saying "Oh Great Lord, why can't we just have a nice Thanksgiving!? Why can't we be normal for just once?"
Clary threw herself face first onto Simon's bed. Simon sat next to her, making the bed bounce. "So how was Thanksgiving?" "I don't want to talk about it…"