So I was going to go ahead and post this chapter even though I was 1 review short of what I had asked, but then I logged on and saw that I had 10 reviews! Thank you all SO much! I'm glad you're enjoying this.

This is a LONG chapter, so I hope you all like it. I really love this chapter and I hope you do too.

Chapter Four

The next morning, Clary awoke to the sun streaming into her room. She groaned and squinted through half closed eyelids at the window where someone had opened the curtain and blind. She sat up slowly and looked around the room groggily. She glanced next to her and saw that Jace was nowhere to be found. She yawned and slipped out of bed and walked down the hall and took a quick shower. She dressed in her room in black leggings and a white tank top with a white knitted cardigan over it. She paired her outfit with a pair of grey knee-high boots, and pulled her hair up in a messy bun.

Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she then walked out of her room and went downstairs into the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday!" Six voices shouted from all around her.

Clary stopped in her tracked, blushing instantly. "Wow, thank you everyone," she said. She had completely forgotten about her birthday with everything that had gone on the night before.

Jace came up and wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his warm lips against hers. She melted. "Happy birthday, beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

Clary smiled. "Thanks," she whispered back, locking eyes with him.

Isabelle came up and hugged her next, followed by Alec, Simon, and then Maryse.

Magnus stood at the back of the group, smiling fondly at her. "Happy eighteenth birthday, Clarissa," he chirped.

Clary walked over and hugged him. "Thank you," she said. She saw on the table a large stack of presents. Then, she saw that where she usually sat was a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon artistically made into a smiley face. In the middle of the table sat a cake with pastel purple icing with the words 'Happy Birthday Clary' written on it in white icing.

"Wow," she said, smiling as she went over to the table. "All this is for me? You guys didn't have to do this…" she began but Maryse cut her off.

"Nonsense, Clary. You're family. You deserve it," the dark haired woman said warmly.

"Sit down and eat," Simon said, taking an empty seat and sitting back. "You gotta be hungry. Isabelle told me everything that happened," he said, watching her. "Are you okay?"

Clary's smile faded a little as she sat down and picked up her fork. "I - "

"I don't think Clary needs to focus on that today," Jace said, giving Simon a sharp look. "Let her enjoy her birthday."

Simon looked away from them and over at Isabelle. Clary was sure he made a face because of Jace.

"I'm fine, really," Clary said as everyone else except for Maryse sat down. The older woman disappeared upstairs, Clary assumed to her office.

She noticed Magnus watching her closely out of the corner of her eye but she just looked down at her plate and started digging in. She was starving.

"So, what do you want to do today? It's your day," Jace said, watching her.

Clary chewed thoughtfully, head tilted to the side as she thought. "I don't know...I think I would like to go to Idris for the day," she said finally, glancing over at Magnus. "Can we?"

Magnus gave her a smile. "Yes. When everyone is ready to go, I'll make the portal," he said.

Clary beamed. She had been wanting to go back for a while now. She missed its beauty and serenity.

She pushed her plate away when she was finished.

"Want to open your presents?" Isabelle asked her.

Clary nodded. "Sure," she said and took one of the presents that Isabelle passed her. It had been on the top of the pile and was wrapped in green paper with a gold bow. "This is from Simon," she said.

"Let me guess, Magnus, you wrapped all these?" Clary asked, looking at the rest of the pile as she took the gift from Isabelle. Each gift was wrapped in a different color with alternating bows.

"I did. I love wrapping presents," Magnus smiled.

Clary opened the present from Simon and smiled. "Manga. Thank you Simon. This one is my favorite," she said, having lost her old copy a while back.

"You're welcome," Simon said, nodding.

"Next is mine," Isabelle said, grinning, as she passed the present to Clary. This one was wrapped gold with a green bow.

Clary opened the gift and smiled. "Wow, Izzy. These are so you," she laughed. Inside the box was a pair of thigh-high black boots with a four inch heel.

"I knew you'd love them," Isabelle laughed. "You don't have a pair and I'm tired of mine always missing when we go to clubs, so I figured you needed your own."

"Thank you," Clary said and hugged the girl sitting next to her.

"Alec's," Isabelle said, passing one over to her.

Clary opened the present which was wrapped in blue with a silver bow and opened the box. "Wow," she said, pulling out a hair barrette which was silver with emeralds encrusted in it. "It's beautiful," she looked up at him.

Alec was smiling. "Magnus helped me pick it because I wasn't sure what you'd like…" he trailed off.

"I love it. Thank you," she told him patted his hand since she couldn't reach across the table to hug him.

"This one is from Magnus," Isabelle said, handing her another one. It was definitely the most eccentrically wrapped gift. The wrapping paper was purple with glitter everywhere and giant black and white bows wrapped around it. It was actually so pretty, she hated to unwrap it. She did though, and her eyes lit up when she saw what was inside. "Oh…" she whispered, reaching out and running her fingers over the leather-bound sketchbook that lay inside the colorfully decorated box. She picked it up. "Wow...this is beautiful," she said, looking up at Magnus. She looked down in the box and saw a large tin of new drawing utensils. Colored pencils - with at least 20 black ones) and some oil pastels.

Magnus smiled at her. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Wow, Magnus. Thank you so much!" Clary said, getting up and walking over and hugging the warlock.

Magnus returned her hug. "The best tools for the best artist I know," he said.

Clary beamed and sat down in her chair once again as Isabelle handed her the last one on the table. "This is from my mom," the dark haired girl told her.

Clary was surprised it wasn't from Jace, but was sure he was saving it for later or something. She didn't let her disappointment show. "She didn't have to get me anything…" Clary said, opening the gift. Inside was a new leather seraph blade sheath. It was very top of the line. "Wow...this is great. I needed a new one. Mine was cracking…" she said, running her fingers over the leather.

She looked up and saw Alec staring at Jace. She glanced over at Jace and saw him give the slightest shake of his head. Isabelle was looking between the two boys with a confused look on her face.

"Well," Magnus said, standing up from the table. "I'm going to go speak with Maryse. The rest of you, get ready to go to Idris," he said, walking from the room.

Isabelle jumped up. She was in fuzzy pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt. "I have to get dressed!" she said, running upstairs.

Jace, Alec, and Simon continued sitting where they were, obviously already ready to go whenever Isabelle and Magnus were.

Magnus came back downstairs fifteen minutes later, followed by Isabelle who was clad in white leggings and a black sweater dress. She, of course, had on her black boots with it.

"Ready?" Magnus asked. Everyone nodded and stood up, following Magnus to the training room where he had made the portal. "Hurry through," he said.

Everyone went through in pairs; Simon and Isabelle, Jace and Clary, and then Magnus and Alec. Magnus closed the portal behind them.

As soon as Clary stepped through with Jace, she found herself on the other side in the middle of Alicante. She smiled, looking around slowly. She had missed it so much. She suddenly felt as if she wanted to cry. Snow was falling softly around them, a light dusting already on the ground. It looked like a magical winter wonderland.

Clary looked around and noticed that no one was outside walking down the streets of Alicante like they did before. It looked...deserted. "Where is everyone?" she asked.

Magnus gave her a long, knowing look. "We need to find out," he said simply and began walking. Everyone took off after him, matching his brisk pace. "Something is going on. I don't like it."

"Like what?" Simon chirped, holding Isabelle's hand as they followed the warlock.

"Something bad," was all Magnus said as he turned a corner and found one person walking out of a apparel shop. "Excuse me, ma'am!" he said loudly and jogged over to the elderly woman with her long cloak on over her dress.

"Yes?" she asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Can you tell us what's going on?" Alec asked her from beside Magnus.

"There's no one around," Clary added in as if it weren't obvious.

The older woman sighed, looking as tired and wary as her gray hair. "Alicante is in lockdown. No one is supposed to leave their homes. The wards are down. Demons have been attacking. I just had to come and secure my shop," she said, looking sad. "The streets aren't safe. The Clave is saying that the demons are trying to take over the shadowhunters' world. Even those who were in the Uprising are afraid and running for the hills."

Clary and Magnus looked at one another. She then looked up at Jace who looked worried. "Why don't they have shadowhunters out here patrolling?" he asked her.

The woman shrugged. "I don't know. What I told you is all I know. Now, I must be going. It's not safe," she said and walked past them and disappeared down the street and turned to walk into a house.

"What now?" Clary asked Magnus.

Magnus sighed. "I'm sorry Clary, but we really need to go back," he said.

Clary's face fell as she sighed. "Alright...let's go," she said.

Magnus waved his hand to make a portal. Clary noticed Jace go rigid and looked up at him. His eyes were locked on a building's window, unmoving. "Jace?" Clary asked. "Jace, what is it?"

"Get through the portal. Now," Jace said, unmoving. "I see two demons in that storefront."

Magnus waved them through as quick as possible. Before Clary stepped through, she saw a demon's head snap around and it looked her straight in the eye. It burst out of the shop window and let out an ear splitting screech before it began running toward them. "Go!" Jace said urgently, pulling his seraph blade out and slashing the demon's head. He followed her through as it fell, and soon everyone was back inside the Institute, safe.

Magnus closed the portal and looked around at everyone. "You guys okay?" he asked.

Everyone nodded, looking startled. Clary was nearly shaking.

Magnus sighed, "I need to go. I have someone I need to get in touch with to try and find out some things," he said. He turned to Alec and kissed him. "I'll call you later," he told his boyfriend. He patted Clary's shoulder. "Happy birthday, Clary," he told her and then disappeared out the door.

Jace pulled Clary into his arms and she wrapped her arms around his middle in turn. She had tears in her eyes and prayed that Jace wouldn't notice. Luckily, he didn't. "How about we go to the greenhouse?" he asked her quietly. Simon and Isabelle had gone off somewhere, both looking shaky, and Alec had gone to the kitchen.

Clary looked up at him and nodded, taking her arms away. Jace held onto her hand as they walked upstairs and up into the greenhouse. Clary, like Jace, preferred to come here when she had something on her mind or just needed to think. It was nothing short of pure beauty and she felt almost as if she were in Idris.

Jace walked through all the rows of flowers and plants over to a bench and sat down with her, holding her hand between his as she sat with him.

Clary noticed him fidgeting nervously. "Are you okay?" she asked him, calm once again from what had happened.

Jace nodded. "Yeah, I just…" He stood up suddenly and took a sharp breath in and out before he turned to her and got down on one knee.

Clary's eyes were wide as she stared at him, her hand still between his own.

"Clarissa Fray," he said, looking up at her, eyes locked on her own. "I love you more than I'm able to express. I have been in love with you since the first day I met you. I count myself the luckiest man in the world to have you. Will you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?" His voice never wavered as he pulled out a ring box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a silver ring with a solitaire cut diamond in the middle with two smaller diamonds, one on each side of it. It wasn't usually customary to give someone an engagement ring, but he thought that since she had been a 'mundane' for so much of her life, she might like it.

Clary stared. "I...I…" she turned pale and she turned away from him and threw up right in the flower pot beside her.

Jace grimaced. It wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for. "Uh...are you okay?" he asked her.

Clary nodded, keeping her head turned. "Could you please go get me a napkin and some water?" she asked shakily.

"Sure," Jace said, closing the ring box and setting it on the bench before he ran downstairs to the kitchen.

"So...how'd it go?" Alec asked, sitting at the table, looking up from the book he was reading.

"She threw up," Jace said as he opened the fridge and got a bottle of water and a paper towel. "What the hell does that mean?"

Alec burst out laughing and Jace glared. Alec cleared his throat. "Sorry, uh...I don't know what that means. Maybe, the thought of marrying you makes her sick."

"Not helping!" Jace snapped as he rushed back upstairs.

He found Clary sitting on the bench still. She held out her hand for the paper towel, head still turned. She didn't want to disgust him, which she was pretty sure she already had. She wiped her mouth and took the bottle of water, trying to get the disgusting taste of vomit out of her mouth. She looked at him again and blushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, feeling horrible and still in shock at the same time.

Jace shook his head. "It's fine. Are you sure you're okay? Do you feel alright?"

Clary nodded. "Must have just been nerves," she said, hoping she was right.

There was silence between them for a moment and Clary glanced at the ring box sitting next to her. "Can we try that very last part again?" she asked quietly, cheeks still red.

Jace smiled and got back down on his knee, taking the ring box. "Will you marry me?" he asked again.

Clary smiled and nodded her head. "Of course," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes," she said, and Jace slipped the ring on her finger. Jace stood and kissed her. Clary kissed him back, feeling absolutely elated, her fingers in his blonde hair.

I'm getting married, she thought. We're getting married.

Okay everyone, there it is! Was it okay? What did you think? I'm so self-conscious about my writing! Ahh! Haha, anyway, please review! Let's see if we can get our review total to 15 before I post another chapter! If you have any questions you can either put it in with your review or PM me!

-MagicalMemory