Jace Lightwood often catches me by surprise. Like when he punched my father in the face, thinking he was Jonathan. Or when he slammed the door in a six year old's face on accident.

Or when he sat on the floor, a diamond ring on the palm in his hands, covered in peas.

Let me explain. This is going to have to start from the beginning.

So there we were, surrounded by all my friends and my twenty eight year old brother at my twenty-first birthday party (1). Jace was repeatedly apologizing to my father while I giggled by his side.

"I'll get you an ice pack! Anything you need sir!" Jace said, rushing to the freezer. "I really did think you were Jonathan though. You see, Jonathan and I have this thing where we catch each other by surprise –"

"Jace?" I interrupted.

He looked at me quickly. "Yes?"

"You seriously need to shut up," I said. "He's clearly not even mad."

I looked at my father who had a twinkle in his dark brown eyes (2) and was trying to keep a straight face.

Jace looked embarrassed. "Oh sorry."

"Can you go get my keys?" I asked. "They're hanging up."

"Yes!" he exclaimed, rushing out of the room. As he opened my bedroom door open, my niece flew backwards. She luckily hit the bed.

"Jace!" I sighed. "You might need to ice packs."

"Jace!" My mother yelled. "Can you come help me a moment dear?"

He looked nervously at the crying girl on the floor before rushing off. "Coming dear! Uh, I mean Mrs. Morgenstern. You see you just look so youthful…" I stopped listening to his blabbering and looked at my father.

"I still can't believe you approved of me dating him. I mean, I love him and all, he's just a handful," I sighed.
My father smiled, running a hand through his white hair. "He's just nervous, Clary. Besides, that boy has a good head on his shoulders."

"While you have a bruised head on your shoulders," I retorted. "What's he nervous for anyways?"

"Oh nothing you need to know about dear. Why don't you go see if he's knocked anymore children out?" He asked, a smirk on his face.

"Alright," I agreed.

Just at that moment, Jace rushed back into the kitchen, going to the freezer.

"One, two…" he muttered, grabbing ice packs and a bag of peas.

"Who'd you hit now?" I asked, closing my eyes in annoyance.

"Your mother just wanted peas, Clary," Jace replied. "I'm not that clumsy."

At that, he handed my father one ice pack and then rushed into my bedroom and gave the crying Lydia one. My brother's wife Serena glared at him.

"She said you didn't apologize!" Serena snapped.

"I'm very sorry Lydia," Jace said, kneeling down next to the little girl. "I should've been more careful, huh? Don't worry though; you're not the only one with a bruised cheek. I gave one to your granddad too."

Serena laughed. "What'd you do to Val? Hit him with a door too?"

Jace waved a hand nonchalantly. "Nah. I punched him square in the face. On accident of course."

I snorted in the doorframe.

"Very elegant Miss Morgenstern," Jace retorted, looking back at me. "Especially for one who is becoming a lady today."

I wrinkled my nose with a smile. "You love it," I replied. "You have been dating me for six years now."

"Touché," Jace smirked. "I do love it."

"Get out Lightwood," Jonathan teased. "We don't feel like using our high school courses to figure out that damn word you call Touché."

"Daddy!" Lydia exclaimed. Lydia was an absolutely adorable little girl. She had curling brown hair like her mother and brown eyes like Jonathan. Her skin was stark pale like a vampire, another trait from Jon, and was unnaturally short, something my mother says comes from her.

Serena was tall and elegant, a perfect posture. She had wavy hair that was a couple shades darker than Lydia's, and tan skin.

"Sorry," Jonathan said, leaning down to touch noses with Lydia. "I meant mess."

"Jonathan," I sighed, "get out of my room."

"No boyfriends in the room without big bro. We don't need a little Lightwood running around before you're married," he laughed. Jace stared daggers at him and I raised my eyebrows.

"Cake!" I heard my mother yell.

"I never even gave her the peas," Jace muttered, "That woman moves fast."

I laughed before taking his hand, starting down the hall.

The front door creaked open as I passed by and the tall, beautiful Isabelle Lightwood stepped through.

"Isabelle!" I squealed, jumping into her arms. "You said you wouldn't make it today!"

"Yes, well, Jace kept bugging me about how it was so important that I showed up to such a huge milestone in your life and blah blah blah," she sighed.

"What?" I asked, looking at Jace. "I'm only turning twenty-one and it wasn't like I didn't already drink occasionally."

Jace was now sighing dramatically, glaring at Isabelle.

"Oh!" Isabelle said loudly, realization flickering through her eyes. "You haven't-? Never mind."

I looked at both of them, confused. "He hasn't what yet?" I asked, fingering my promise ring Jace gave me three years ago. "You're not planning on…" I let the question finish itself.

"No!" Jace exclaimed. "No not at all, Clary. It's good news, hopefully."

"Hopefully?" I squeaked.

Before Jace could answer the question, I heard Jonathan yell. "Clarissa! I said no little Lightwoods! Now you to get out of that bedroom!"

The entire kitchen busted out laughing. I could just see my brother sitting there with a satisfactory smirk on his face.

"C'mon," I said, grabbing somebody's hand.

"Clary," Isabelle said in a manly voice, "I am not your man, and therefore will not accept your hand in mine." I jumped startled and Jace snickered.

"Clarissa!" Jonathan yelled.

I rolled my eyes and Jace laughed, taking my hand on my left. "I love your family."

"They haven't quite grown on me yet," I muttered. Jace kissed me on the temple and continued walking.

As I entered, my jaw dropped in shock. The cake was five layers tall and pure black with green scrawl written across the top of it. There were no balloons (finally) and a black light was cast over everyone's faces. My mother sat there with a wide grin on her face.

"Happy birthday, Clary!" my mom squeals. I step forward and squeal shock as something slimy hits me on the head. I look down to see I'm drenched in peas.

I whirled around to see Jace rocking back and forth on his heels, holding the bag of peas.

"This was your idea wasn't it?" I asked venomously.

He holds up his hands. "It was for a good cause, trust me!" he defended.

"What good can come out of this?" I hissed, frowning at my dirty jeans.

He knelt down. "Clary, you are still the most beautiful girl, even drenched in peas. Will you forgive me and then marry me?"

I looked I him in shock. Was this really how he asked a girl to marry him? By ruining her new outfit with peas? "This is so romantic," I muttered. "I'm practically constipated with the cheesiness."

"Just answer the question!" Isabelle squealed.

I scowled at him. "Fine, yes, whatever."

Jace shrugged. "Good enough." He stood up and then walked towards the backdoor. He pulled a rope before he exited and mash potatoes rained down on his head. "She said yes!" he screamed. My mother had an incredulous look on her face.

He came back in. "Together, we make a meal." I smacked my face with my hand.

He slid the ring covered in peas on my finger and kissed my cheek.

"Ugh," he muttered. "You stink. Go take a shower."

I rolled my eyes, giving him a huge hug.

He pouted. "Now I'm just a meal by itself."

I giggled, patting his cheek before my brother cleared his throat. "You might want to give her the ring."

Jace smiled then slid the disgusting ring on to my finger. I wrinkled my nose in protest, but Jonathan hit me on the back. "Hurry up!" he yelled as I ran out of the room. "I want some cake."

I scoffed. "Men."

Yeah, so I really like this one! It took me three weeks to write.

As for my other stories, I lost interest in them for quite a while, but now I'm going to begin writing again. I've been doing one shots for a while now to make up for not posting anything. This is going to be a cute little fluffy story that I hopefully will continue to update.

Sadly, in replace of gaining one story, I will also be getting rid of a story, The Battle of the Angels. No one's really showed interest in it so it's leaving. Sorry.

-Bethanie