Author's note: Look I've said it before if I owned them Jace would have such a better life. Between the books and the tv show he just gets tortured over and over again.
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Chapter 8: Anyway You Want It
Deciding to live together had been much easier than actually finding a place to live together but at least they didn't have to search for a realtor. Luke Galloway had been a part a Clary's life for as long as she could remember. He had known her dad since high school and after college they opened their real estate firm on the upper east side. If anyone could find a home for Clary and Jace it was Luke...at least that's what Clary thought at first.
"Luke I'm so sorry this is taking so long. I really thought we would find a place easily."
"Don't worry Clary. This is what I do. Between Jace and I wanting something perfect for you and Jace's security team wanting the safest place on the plant it's just taking a little bit longer than normal."
"Longer than normal is a nice way to put it."
Clary smiled up at Luke. She knew their house hunt had been a pain for all involved. The worst part was that it wasn't even Jace or Clary's fault...it was Jace's security people! Apartments were out (too many people coming in and out)...mid town was out (too much traffic)...upper east side was no good (old money neighbors didn't look kindly on the type of security precautions a star as big as Jace would need). Clary sometimes felt like they would never find a home. At some point Jace and Clary agreed to have Luke show the security firm all potential homes first and only after they approved would the couple look at the space. Luke had called last night and said a brownstone in the west village had been approved and that he could show them the place the next day.
"I really think you guys will like this place. The rooms are big, there are wood floors throughout, three bedrooms, three and a half baths and tons of natural light so you can paint."
"Who told you I was painting again?"
For a second Luke looked caught...caught in what,Clary wasn't sure...but as quickly as the look had fallen upon his face it disappeared.
"Your Mom mentioned something when she came to the office the other day."
"Mom went to the office? I thought she hadn't been there since Dad passed."
"She still owns half the business. It was hard at first but the last few months she tries to come by every few days or so."
"That's good. She should get out of the house."
"Look at you...it wasn't so long ago that you could have used the same advice."
"I know I was lost there for a while. I'm sorry. It was just after he died it felt like I had no anchor...like I was adrift. My dad died and my world stopped but to everyone else it kept spinning but then..."
"But then you met Jace."
"No...yes...but it was more than that. I think it stated with Simon meeting Izzy. I saw how they were together and it was clear Sebastian and I would never be that so I ended it. That helped a little and then I met Alec and Magnus...that was the first time since he died that I felt lite. And then Jace walked into that kitchen and little by little the dark hole I was in got brighter. No one will ever replace my dad but I have people in my life now that in a lot of ways fill some of the roles he had. Does that make sense?"
Luke put his arm around Clary's shoulder and pulled her close, placing a kiss on the top of he head.
"Yeah that makes perfect sense. I'm really happy for you Clary. You and Jace are really good together."
"Thanks Luke."
Clary tried to take in her surroundings as they walked. She liked this neighborhood. There were women and men with children and dogs. They had passed a gated park and all the buildings seemed to have unique details. Clary could see her and Jace living here.
"You said Jace is meeting us, right?"
"Yeah he had a meeting with his agent this morning and was going to head over after it was over."
"Well the brownstone is right over there."
Luke pointed towards the single brown building in a sea of off white ones and Clary's face immediately lit up. It was beautiful.
"Do you want to wait for Jace before going inside."
"Do I want to wait...no. Should we wait...Yes. He should be here soon."
As if on cue a black Mercedes with tinted windows pulled up to the curb and out stepped Jace.
"Hey were you waiting long?"
Clary walked over and gave Jace a quick peck on the lips.
"Nope we just got here. Isn't it beautiful?"
"I definitely like the neighborhood and the outside looks great. Ready to check out the inside?"
Clary shook her head and Luke let them inside. From the minute they stepped into the fourier Clary knew they had found their new home and from the way Jace was looking at every room Clary knew he felt it too.
Luke finished his tour in the master bedroom. It was huge with its own bathroom and two enormous walk in closets. As they walked around the space Luke's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and Clary could have sworn she saw him smile but he quickly schooled his face,
"I need to take this so I'll head downstairs and leave you two to discuss."
The couple shook their heads.
"What do you think?"
"Same thing I thought outside...it's perfect. I even saw a room that I could make into an art studio. What do you think?"
"I think if you like it I like it."
"Jace I want us both to like it."
"Clary its a great house. I can see us living here and being very happy."
"Funny I can see us living in a box and being very happy."
"We could definitely be happy in a box...my security not so much."
"So this is it. This is the one?"
"Yeah. This is the one."
The couple stood in what would soon be their bedroom for awhile just holding each other.
"We should probably head down. I wouldn't want Luke to think we were christening the place already."
Clary playfully slapped his chest as he wiggled his eyebrows. Jace grabbed her hand and kissed it before locking their fingers together and leading her down the stairs.
As they reached the bottom floor they heard Luke's voice.
"He must still be on the ph..."
But then they heard a second, female, voice.
"Is that my mom?"
"Did you ask her to come today?"
"No."
"Maybe Luke called her."
"We haven't told him we are taking it yet."
"I don't know maybe..."
"Wait they stopped talking, maybe she was on speaker phone?"
Clary and Jace turned the corner to enter the room where the voices had come from and stopped short. Luke was kissing Clary's mom. Jace leaned over to look at a shocked Clary and whispered...
"Definitely not speaker phone."
"Mom?"
The kissing couple jumped apart and turned in horror towards Clary and Jace.
"Luke?"
It seemed Clary was only able to say their names. Other words had simply left her.
"Clary, I...um...your mom and I...this isn't..."
Clary's Mom gently put her hand on Luke's chest and Clary's eyes seemed to go even wider.
"Luke, Clary and I need to talk. Can you take Jace to that coffee house down the block?"
Luke placed his hand over hers and gave it a little squeeze.
"Jocelyn."
"It's ok Luke. She is my daughter she deserves to hear this from me."
Jace looked at Clary.
"You ok with this?
Clary turned her head towards Jace and said yes.
Jace looked over at Luke. I'll go outside but I'm not walking away from this building. Luke simply shook his heads. Once the men had left Jocelyn motioned to the window seat.
Clary silently walked over and sat down as far from her mom as the seat would allow.
"Clary I'm sorry you had to see that...that you had to find out this way."
"Find out what? That you were having an affair behind dads back with his best friend! God Mom how cliché!"
Clary was screaming, her face beat red with tears threatening to fall.
"Oh Clary that's not what this is. I loved your father very much, you know that. And I have grieved for him...I will always miss him. But Luke and I...we were never more than friends while your father was alive. What we have now, it's new, it only started a few weeks ago."
"Why should I believe you?!"
"Because I'm your mother. I raised you. You saw how in love I was with your father. You saw how destroyed I was when he died. I know you know in your heart that I would never betray him. But you also know your father, he would want me to be happy again. Luke makes me happy."
"But he's dad's best friend!"
"Was Clary...he was your dad's best friend but your dad is gone. He's not coming back."
"You don't think I know that?! That I don't feel that lose everyday?! Does Johnathan know?"
"No. I didn't want you kids to find out so soon. I swear Clary this is all very new."
"That's part of the problem Mom! Johnathan and I are not kids anymore! You can't always keep stuff from us! You did the same thing when Dad got sick. You never told us until it was too late and we were saying goodbye in the hospital. Why do you think Johnathan went all the way across the country? You lied to us. So not only did we have to deal with our fathers death but also your betrayal. Johnathan couldn't look at you everyday so he left. And me...well I crawled inside myself and shut out most of the world."
"Clary I'm so sorry baby. I never meant...your father and I thought it would be best...we thought he would beat it. We never dreamed he would die."
Jocelyn went to hug her daughter and Clary jumped up.
"Don't touch me! I don't know what to believe right now. I just need to go. Don't follow me. Don't call. When I'm ready to talk I'll call you."
With that Clary walked out. She ran down the porch steps, head down trying not to cry, and slammed right into Jace. His scent filled her nose and she threw her arms around him. Her tears finally began to fall.
"Hey. Hey. I'm here. I'm here."
"Can you take me home? I want to go home."
"Yeah. Um Jem is one block over...can you walk or should I tell him to come here?"
"I can't be here right now. I can't see her. I can walk."
"Ok."
Jace wrapped his arm around Clary. She seemed tiny and frail and he thought about just picking her up but she said she could walk. And so they walked to the car in near silence. The only sound was Clary's occasional sniffles.
—
Later that night as Jace held Clary in bed she told him about what happened with her mom.
"We can't buy that house now. It's tainted. I'll always see them kissing. I'll always remember how I felt. I'm sorry I know you loved it but I just can't live there."
Clary's tears started falling again and Jace hugged her tighter.
"Shhhhh. It's ok. We won't buy the house. How about we stop looking for awhile? We are fine here in your apartment...and if my security gets antsy we can go to a hotel for awhile...they have said that could be an option. It's better that we don't buy something just to buy. We will find the perfect house for us eventually. A break would be good."
Clary lifted her tear stained face to look at him.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
