Hi my darlings, please forgive me for the very so late update. I hope you will like this chapter though as I enjoyd writing it for you and for me!

xoxo


CHAPTER SEVEN - THE BIRTHDAY

Mid November

Clary's POV

It's been a few days now since that night when they left me alone in the club. I haven't really seen them since then, only a glimpse each day but they haven´t said one word to me. Jon has been very nice to keep me company since Simon's been very sick lately. I really want to talk to them…demand some explanation, but then on the other hand they didn't even come to apologize to me the day after...they have really just disappeared into thin air. It's Wednesday today so I sigh with the thought of having to go through another gym class, exercise isn't really my thing. Isabelle hasn´t been in school all day so I decide to just skip it -since I'm not going to survive it without her- and maybe take a little walk outside instead. "At least that's some exercise" I think to myself as I head downstairs towards the front door.

"Going out?" I hear Jon say behind me as I reach for the doorknob.

I turn around and smile, "yeah, kind of skipping gym. I just want to take a little walk I guess" I tell him honestly as I put my black beanie on.

"Skipping class are we now? I guess I can´t let you go alone" he tells me and puts his jacket on that he was holding in his arms.

Out of the corner of my eye I can spot Luke watching us walk outside from the end of the hall. He's been watching me lately, but he hasn't really talked to me except maybe in geometry when he asks me to tell him what the answer to some equation is.

"You know about that book…"

We haven't been walking for about one minute when Jon starts talking about some book he's reading. I guess I wasn't looking for that kind of companion right now. I really just want to be alone with my thoughts. But it's nice to know that at least SOMEONE wants to talk to you, beside Simon. Although I'm mad at Isabelle and Jace (I don't really care about Alec, he always pisses me off so what he did didn´t really surprise me) I miss talking to them. It would not surprise me if they three would fail attendance this semester since they are always somewhere else then in school. Suddenly my mind drifts to that night at Pandemonium, specifically when I and Jace were slow-dancing on the dance floor. I´ve never slow-danced before so I may have been terrible at it but he didn't' seem to care. The way his hands rested on my hips and how close we were…nothing in the world can top that feeling, the feeling of being loved (by someone else then my mother).

"…and the way it describes…you aren't listening to me are you?" I get out of my head and focus on Jon.

"No I'm sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind" I tell him honestly. Then the cold hits me, I guess it's getting too cold to be outside. "It's getting really cold, maybe we should head back home" I say and stop. I can tell by the way he answers me that he is not so happy about returning home, maybe he likes the cold.

A few days later Isabelle walks through the door and into our room. It's very late but I pretend to be asleep, I will just talk to her tomorrow morning. Few minutes later someone else walks into the room.

"I hope she´s not too mad at us" Isabelle says to the mystical person, indicating me as the 'she' person.

The mystic person sighs. "Well she is most certainly not happy with us…she is asleep right?". Jace. I feel their eyes on me so I let out a little snore to proof to them that I'm asleep. They both let out a silent sigh. I can hear Isabelle unzipping her coat and taking off her boot, probably getting ready for bed.

"The secret must be kept safe she cannot know, not yet" Isabelle says with hushed voice.

"What secret? What are hey hiding from me?" I think to myself. Jace probably nods his head since he does not answer her.

"She is so beautiful when she's asleep, she is so calm and peaceful" I hear Jace say from behind me

Then I can feel his hand on my face, stroking down my jawline. My body tickles all over and I can feel the hairs on my body rise with his touch. "How can he say that? After all we've been through I thought that he probably had lost his interest in me since he hasn't even tried talking to me even though he knows how mad I am" I think to myself in anger. I get so stuck in my anger in my mind that I don't notice it when Jace draws his hand back and I suddenly feel coldness on my cheek. "I can't be mad at him forever" I then think to myself and let out a sigh.

"Goodnight Isabelle, see ya tomorrow" I hear Jace say and then he shuts the door as he walks out.

The next morning when I wake up I see that Isabelle had woken before me because she isn't in her bed. I check the clock above my bed and when I see that I had overslept I jump up from my bed and take the first two things in my closet and get dressed. "It is too late to change now" I tell myself after I've figured out why everyone is staring at me in the hallway on my way to class. I had accidentally taken my 'my little pony' pink sweater from my pyjama drawer. My hair is a mess, I have no make-up on and I have red, puffy eyes. That teaches me not to oversleep. When I walk into history, 15 minutes late I see everyone turn their head towards me and I can see that they are trying not to laugh, even Luke. The first thing I notice when I sit down is that Jace isn't here, maybe he's gone outta town again. After the awkward history class I decide to run back to my room to change before any more people can see me. But then I hear the schoolbell ring again (it's English history time). I take a few seconds pondering whether to run all the way back to my room and change and be late or go to class and be on time. I decide to just change after English history class. Two classes later the bell rings for lunch break. I walk to the cafeteria not minding all the eyes staring at my pyjama sweater. I forgot to change after English history so I've decided that it is too late and that I should just go with it. Then all out of sudden I hear my cellphone ring and I pick it up, "mothership" it says on the screen.

"Hey mum" I say to my mother on the other end of the line.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGEL" my mother screams through the phone.

"Oh god, I had forgotten about my birthday in all the madness this morning" I think to myself. "It's my birthday and my best friends haven´t even talked to me for days, not even today"

"Hello?" I hear my mother say.

"Sorry, I was just thinking. Thanks mum, I guess you are the only one in my life that remembers it" I say thinking about Isabelle, Jace and Simon.

"Well I hope you'll have a nice day my angel, hear you tonight?" mum says and I can detect some concern in her voice.

"Yeah alright, goodbye mum" and then I hang up. I check my phone for birthday messages from Simon who´s been sick for days, but there is nothing. "I can't believe that not even Simon has said anything to me on my birthday, he knows how excited I WAS for my birthday" I think to myself as I get sadder and sadder. I decide to skip the rest of today's classes and head towards my bedroom and my beautifully comfy bed. When I walk past the mirror in my bed I can see how bad I look, "how could one person even look that bad?" I say out loud to myself as the tears start crawling down from my eyes like little raindrops falling down from the skies. I throw myself on my bed and let myself cry the sadness out from my head. Then like a baby, I fall into a deep sleep letting the sleep carry me away from my thoughts.


Paris, France

"How are things going?" he asks through the phone.

"Not so great, she is very hard to talk to and she doesn't let me in enough" the boy says on the other end of the line.

"Well you've been there long enough is it so hard to get her alone?" he ask with hardness in his voice.

"I was alone with her the other day, but we were out walking so we were not really alone. I will get her alone soon, I promise" the boy promises.

"Well you better, otherwise I will have to come and do this myself. I mean I would do it but I have other things to attend to. The ceremony has to be perfect, I need them both at my side for support and blood" he says and smiles at the thought.

"Yes, and you will have them. But in time" the boy says firm but hesitant and the same time.

"I do not have the time. They have to be here before the 20th of December when the ceremony will begin" he says with bitter voice.

"So you have the cup then?" the boy asks curiously.

"Not yet, but in a few days I will" he says and hangs up the phone. He reaches for his locket that hangs on his neck and opens it, revealing the pictures inside. In a short time I will have you both by my side. And my darling daughter, who will help me create my army of Shadowhunters, happy birthday.


Clary's POV

I wake up to someone sitting down on my bed, stroking the hair away from my face. I open my eyes a little bit, un-abled to open them completely since they are swollen from all the crying. I focus on the person sitting right beside me looking worriedly in my eyes.

"Are you alright Clarissa?" Jace says with deep and concerned voice.

"Yes, I'm fine" I say with irritation rubbing my eyes with my fists.

"What happened? Please tell me" Jace asks with his soft voice.

I decide not to answer him so I just sit up quietly and stare into my palms. "I know you may not like me anymore, but I still do and I do care for you so would you just please let me know what´s wrong?" Jace says with concern. I let out a sigh releasing my body of all the tension that it had built up.

"It has just not been a very good day…" oh god no, the tears are starting to crawl out again, "…It started when I overslept and was late to class when I figured out that I had accidentally taken my 'my little pony' pyjama sweater instead of a normal sweater and I looked like a complete mess -worse than I do now- and I noticed that everyone noticed it and were secretly laughing at me, but I didn´t have time to change so I just wore it the entire day and then my mum called and…" I was starting to sob so I had to take a break in the story-time-telling and laid my face in the palm of my face. I felt Jace´s hand on my back stroke up and down trying to soothe me while he looked at me, still with his concerned stare at me. "…and then you and Isabel and Simon and even Alec haven´t spoken a word to me and I haven´t even seen you at all the past days. And oh to crown it all, it´s my birthday and nobody has said anything to me except my mum" I say with irritation and sadness as I wipe my tears away. Then Jace takes my hands and kisses them lightly. I suddenly stop crying and look him in the eyes.

"I´m really sorry we haven't been here with you for the last couple of days, and that your day has been a complete disaster…" he says and wipes my tears away with one hand while the other still holds my hands in its grip. "…But could you do one thing for me? Could you come with me?"

"Come where? I am a complete disaster" I say and point out my puffy eyes, my hair and my pyjama sweater.

"You look adorable, but if you want you can change into something more comfortable, something that screams "It's my birthday and I look hot as hel". I'll be waiting outside" he then says, lets out a smirk and stands up. As he reaches for the doorknob I call after him, "Jace?"

"Yes Clarissa" he answers and turns around.

"I don´t understand you… I mean, sometimes you talk to me as I am your best friend or just a friend, and sometimes you act like we're something more than that, like in the club and right now. I can´t stay in this confusion anymore, could you please help me understand?" I ask him with determination. He lets out a little smile but nothing more, then he walks out the door and shuts it from behind him. Sometimes –like right now- I could hit him in the head with my chemistry book and not regret it one bid. But since I am very curious I open my closet and take out my red dress that I had only wore once, at a New Year's party last year, and a black cardigan over it. Then I put my hair up in a big bun and put some mascara on my lashes –that is really the only thing I know how to do when it comes to make-up-. I take a quick look at myself in the mirror before I leave the room. The red dress falls very well down my hips and illustrates my hips that I usually hide. When I open the door Jace has a bouquet of flowers in his hand and only now I notice that he had been wearing a brown suit. The suit really goes well with his deep green eyes. His eyes light up when he sees me and roll down my body and back up to my eyes.

"You are so beautiful" he says and hands me the flowers. I take them hesitantly, still not sure of where we are going and what is going on. Then Jace takes up a blindfolder from his pocket and asks my permission before putting it on. About fifteen minutes later after walking up endless stairs and hallways we stop and he takes of the blindfold. We are standing in front of an old antique wood door, not like the ones in the dorms. "We are in the old building of the school, it used to be a beautiful building once, a some kind of sanctuary. This room is the one thing that has been kept the way it was when the annex was build and the whole building renovated" he explains to me as he takes the doorknob. He smiles as he opens the door revealing what´s inside.

A beautiful garden with various types of plants and trees is what faces me first when I walk in and then as I walk inner I suddenly spot Simon hanging up a balloon next to a hundred of balloons. And then I see Isabelle lighting candles and Alec hanging up some lights. Jace coughs a little from behind me and as he does so they all stop what they're doing as they figure out I'm here.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Simon yells and runs towards me. As he starts to hug me Isabelle joins in and the both wish me happy birthday again.

"I am so sorry I haven´t talked to you much the past days, I really was sick but then the past couple of days we've been here decorating and making sure everything is in check for your birthday" Simon explains as he points out the balloons and the candles and the food on the big wooden table under the lights that Alec had hung up.

"And we were out of town the first few days after the club and then when we got back we were also here planning and making decorating. We were not trying not to talk to you, I guess we just forgot about it in all the preparations. I am so sorry Clary" Isabelle says with little sobs.

"Please don´t be. Let's not be sad" I say and give her a hug. Then Isabelle and Simon lead me towards the big table and show me to my seat where awaits for me a big pink present –probably packed in by Mrs. Isabelle' and then they all take a seat, Jace sitting next to me of course.

"We cooked you dinner, or Alec did since NO ONE trusts me to cook. We did not really know your favorite food so Alec went on your Instagram and found out that you have posted a lot of pictures of spaghetti Bolognese so that is what we cooked for you" Isabelle explains while she serves me the spaghetti.

"Oh you guys, I really thought that you didn't anymore want to talk to me or hang out with me but now that I know all this… It melts my heart. You are the best friends anyone can have, even you Alec" I say and smile towards Alec, and he returns it with a little smile –which is very rare, considering that his is Alec we´re talking about-. After the meal they insist I open the present and so I do. It reveals a new set of pyjamas, colouring set and a new sketch book –which is very convenient considering the other one is almost finished-.

"This is the best gift I have ever gotten you guys! I love you all so much!" I say clouded with happiness and stand up to hug them all.

"We bought the pyjama set today after we heard the rumours, now you can wear this tomorrow if you feel like it" Simon says with sarcasm as I hug him for the presents.

"Ha ha ha very funny" I say and punch him lightly in the shoulder.

"Clary, could you come with me for one second?" Jace says all out of sudden and smiles.

"Uh, yeah of course no problem" I answer and walk towards him. He takes my hand and starts leading me towards the balcony doors of the big garden-room.

"We're going downstairs with the dishes to clean up, see ya later!" I hear Isabelle say from behind us.

Jace opens the doors and leads me outside. "I hope you don´t mind but I led you here so we could have some alone time" he says as he lets go of me and turns on some music on the stereo that is placed on the outdoor table. Then he bows and reaches out his hand, asking me to dance.

"Jace, I am not going to dance with you unless you tell me the answer to my question that I asked you earlier. Could you just please help me understand what is going on?" I say with a bit of frustration. Jace then just smiles again and draws me in his arms, takes out my left hand and starts slow-dancing with me. Suddenly I feel a sigh in my ear, "Clarissa, I do not want to be only friends with you, I want to be with you…" he whispers into my ear. Moments later he stops and steps a little away from me.

"I love you Clarissa, since the moment I saw you, you touched something in my heart where it has not been touched before" he pauses and draws me back into his grip. "I want to kiss you and hold you and never let you go".

I can't believe my ears, I now have finally the answer in my hands. What do I say? What do I feel?

"Why do I sense a but in your words?" I ask him and step a little away from him.

"It is just that it is not good for you to be with me, it is dangerous" he says the last part in low voice and it sparks my interest.

"Dangerous?" I ask in curiosity.

"I just think that maybe it is not a good idea that we'd be together" he explains and turns his gaze to the ground.

"Jace Herondale. You can't just says stuff like that and then say that you do not want to be with me. What about what I feel?" I say a little bit angered by his comments.

"What do you feel Clarissa?" he asks and turns his gaze back on my eyes.

"I...I think I might love you too. But I am not going to give in to my emotions if you are just going to leave me thinking that we should not be together" I pause taking a deep breath, Jace watching me with a big question mark on his face.

"No, I don't think I love you. I know I love you and I want to be with your Jace, I really do and…" and then before I can finish my sentence Jace suddenly cups my face with his hands, draws my face towards him and kisses me. Let it be stated that this is my first kiss so it would not surprise anyone that this could be a very bad kiss. When our lips separate I still keep my eyes closes, not wanting to wake up from this dream that I am in. "I love you too Clary Farichild" he then says and strokes the back of his hands down my cheek. I open my eyes and as I do so he leans in for another kiss and so I close my eyes again. Jace moves his hands from my face down to my hips and holds them with a firm grip.

So now I know. I am his and he is mine and there is nothing that can come in between us.


SO, that's it for today's update. I really do hope you all liked it since it took a long time to write and edit.

If you feel like it, please review it so I can fix things that need to be fixed. Also if you just want to talk to me you can just send me PM and I will answer :)

Have a nice day/night (it's actually 02:38 am so I am going to sleep right now).

XOXO,