Fallen Angels Rise
A/N: Sorry that last chapter took me so long! I keep coming up with more and more things to write and this story is just growing longer and longer! I had originally planned this to be fifteen chapters, but obviously it will be much longer than that!
Chapter 13: Wedded Bliss
After reporting to Maryse what they had discovered about Clary's rune, Jace, Jonathan, and Clary set to work experimenting with its power. Maryse was not satisfied with knowing how to make the rune last for twelve hours. She knew that the Clave would forbid the use of this rune if it allowed their prisoner to escape for twelve hours. They would believe that he could accomplish too much trouble in that amount of time. So the three set to work, experimenting with Clary drawing different intensities – as they deemed them – of the rune, while running errands for Jocelyn as they prepared for the wedding.
They were so busy juggling the two assignments that they almost forgot about Christmas. The holiday crept up on them, but they still managed to celebrate. A week before Christmas, Clary was beginning to get the hang of making the rune last for varying amounts of time. They had decided to make a quick trip to go shopping, so Clary gave Jonathan a rune that she thought would last them long enough. It became quite a close call though, because Jonathan began to feel the beginnings of the rune fading while they were on the subway ride home. They barely made it through the front door before the rune faded completely. After that, and Jocelyn's subsequent freak out, it was decided that, until Clary was in complete control of the rune intensity, Jonathan's trips out would be limited to those with specific destinations or goals.
On Christmas day, they awoke to a beautiful covering of snow. The morning sun was gleaming off of the bright, white powder, shining into the Institute and making the whole place feel bright and warm. Clary awoke with a start; something touched her in her sleep. It turned out to be Jace, nudging her awake. "Merry Christmas, Clary," he said softly as she opened her eyes. She rubbed them sleepily, looking at her boyfriend and what was in his hand. Clary bolted into a sitting position upon realizing that he was proffering her a small, square box.
Her face expressed a mixture of confusion and exhilaration, earning her a curious look from the blonde haired boy. "Jace, are you –" Clary paused, her eyes darting between her boyfriend and the box.
"Clary, shadowhunters don't exchange rings like mundanes do. It's not what you're thinking. Besides, we already know that I'm going to marry you," Jace teased. Clary blushed in embarrassment. Of course Jace wasn't going to propose. Especially not like that. He was far too dramatic for such a subtle gesture.
She reached out and took the small box from his hand. Inside was a small angel pendant, a thin chain running into the depths of the box. Clary gasped, astonished by its simple beauty and then again in recognition. "Jace! Did you steal this from the library?" Jace looked taken aback at the accusation. "No, Maryse gave it to me. She said it was a Herondale family heirloom. How did you know it was in the library though?"
"It was there when I was stealing the faerie rings," Clary muttered, realizing the irony in their conversation. "If this was a family heirloom, what was it doing in the library here? I thought all of the Herondales lived in Idris."
"No idea, Maryse just said your mom recognized it and thought I should have it. I figured that women's jewelry didn't look all that great on me, so it had to be given to the only female Herondale," Jace replied coyly. Clary blushed before leaping on top of him, throwing one leg over him so that she was straddling her boyfriend.
"You are too sly for your own goo, Jace Herndale," she said before leaning down and giving him a long, passionate kiss to express her gratitude.
The moment did not last long though, as they both quickly jumped apart upon hearing a great crashing sound coming from somewhere within the Institute. They hurried to search for the source of the sound, only to discover that a Christmas tree was standing in the middle of the library. Next to it stood Magnus, who was busy brushing soot off of his Santa Claus suit, a sack full of what was hopefully presents sitting on the ground next to him.
"Magnus, what are you doing here?" Jace asked, running a hand through his blond hair.
"I do hope that's just bed head you're trying to hide Mr. Herondale," Magnus giggled in greeting.
"It's quite a surprise seeing you so – awake – this early," Clary commented as the warlock busied himself arranging presents under the tree.
"Christmas just happens to be my favorite day of the year," Magnus replied.
"Haven't you been alive longer than Christmas was made widely popular?" Jace asked.
"What does that have to do with Pagan festivals and tree worship?" Magnus asked in response.
Jace didn't have a chance to answer, as the rest of the residents of the Institute came bursting into the room. "Is everything alright?" Maryse asked, panting slightly.
"Everything is fine, Magnus has just decided to ick off his favorite day of the year with a bang," Jace replied with a small smile.
"You couldn't let us sleep for just a little bit longer?" Isabelle complained. She looked more tired than the rest of the group, leading Clary to believe that Izzy had been out with Simon again the night before.
"If you keep complaining like that, I'll take back your present!" Magnus threated. Isabelle grinned back at him through her bleary eyes before running off. She returned with her arms full of presents, causing the others to do the same. They were soon exchanging gifts around the newly erected tree, everyone's sirits running high. Clary received some books and a pair of earrings from Luke and Jocelyn and clothes from Isabelle. Magnus had given her a curious, yet beautiful, pair of sapphire earrings that he claimed came from France during the revolution. She was even surprised to find that Jonathan had managed to get her a present. He had bought her a new sketch book, as he had noticed that hers was filling up, and a very nice set of charcoal pencils that she was itching to open up and use. Her favorite gift however came from Jace.
Clary couldn't believe that he had another gift for her, and what she found upon opening the second gift made the sweater she had gotten Jace seem wildly inadequate. She opened another small box to reveal a delicate gold cuff that reminded her of the faerie rings she had stolen before running off to join Jace and Sebastian.
"Do you like it?" Jace whispered. Everyone else was bus opening their presents still and shouting their thank yous to one another.
"Jace, I love it!" Clary replied with a smile as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.
"Good, it's just like those rings you stole, except obviously it's a bracelet," Jace explained.
"Do you have the other one?" Clary asked.
"Well, that's the thing," Jace grimaced. "The other one has been missing for a long time."
"Oh, I see. It's still absolutely beautiful," Clary exclaimed. Magnus was looking over at the two of them curiously, his gaze sliding over to the pendant now hanging around her neck.
"I suppose you'll want a ring made by vampires next?" Magnus murmured to Clary.
"What are you talking about?" Clary asked, utterly confused. Magnus only grinned at her before turning his attention back to Alec.
The rest of the day was spent peacefully together, though the kitchen became quite hectic as Magnus started to cook Christmas dinner. He ended up having to use magic to lock Alec and Isabelle out in order to prevent them from trying to help with the cooking. Jace and Maryse helped him cook a delicious roast with numerous side dishes and a variety of desserts. At dinner, Jocelyn dropped a bombshell that surprised everyone.
She taped her knife on her wine glass to get the table's attention before she began speaking. "I just want to take a moment while we are all gathered together to thank you all for the hard work you've all put in to help Luke and I prepare for our wedding. We are both very blessed and grateful for your efforts. And to really say thank you, we thought it would be fun for all of you to have a night out on New Years Eve, for which we would be wiling to foot the bill."
The five young shadowhunters at the table all looked at each other excitedly. They had still been on "lockdown" at night while the Conclave investigated the disappearances. A night out was exactly the kind of freedom they desperately wanted.
"You can rest easy about spending any money, Jocelyn. I'm planning on hosting a New Year's Eve party at my place. But if you want to spend money on something, Clarissa is in desperate need of some appropriate party attire. T-shirts are not allowed," Magnus exclaimed. Clary sent the warlock a playful glare, but hse knew that he was right. She couldn't borrow Izzy's clothes forever.
"Well that's sure a relief!" Luke replied jokingly. It was quickly decided that Magnus's party would be an excellent place for tem to go, and even made Jocelyn more relaxed about her decision.
With a newfound source of entertainment, the Institute was buzzing with excitement over the next week. The preparations for the wedding continued, but Clary managed to squeeze in a shopping trip for herself in order to buy some clothes that met Magnus's standards. Clary, Jace, and Jonathan also pressed forward with their experiments with Clary's rune so that they could ensure that Jonathan would be able to go with them to the party. Magnus helped them out too by offering to temporarily alter Jonathan's appearance. It wouldn't do for him to e recognized and then word to get out that he was able to leave the Institute. The Clave would be furious to learn of Clary's rune this way.
The party went off without a hitch. All of the young shadowhunters had a fantastic time, and no one was kidnapped at the end of the night. Simon did go missing around the middle of the party, but no one raised any concern, because Isabelle had also vanished at the same time. Maya and Jordan had also been invited to the party, and Clary was more than thrilled to catch up with her friends. She realized that the wedding and her training was consuming her life, leaving her no time to stay in contact with her friends not at the Institute. She decided against telling them about the new rune though, and thus had to quickly come up with a back story for Jonathan. Luckily she had Jace present to help her. He was far more adept at creating tales out of nowhere and making them convincing. Clary was an awful liar and an even worse story teller.
All in all, the night was a success, and no one got hurt. The shadowhunters all ended up staying at Magnus's apartment for the night with plans to return to the Institute the next day. Before going to bed, Clary retraced the rune on Jonathan's arm incase they overslept the next morning. She kissed him on the cheek before they went into their separate bedrooms. Jace and Clary shared the one next to Jonathan, Isabelle and Simon in the last bedroom down the hall.
The morning brought its own set of delightful scandals as they assembled around the breakfast table. Isabelle and Simon both came in with wild hair that made Clary blush and Magnus giggle. Jace and Clary had had their own bit of fun, but nothing to the level that was so obviously reached by Isabelle and Simon. Alec, who had allegedly slept on the couch, delivered the biggest shock. Jace had asked him to pass the butter for his toast, and as the dark haired boy turned to reach for it, the light caught his face just right.
"Is that glitter on your face?" Isabelle exclaimed incredulously, both out of shock in seeing the sparkle on her brother's ace and for the chance to get some o the attention off of her.
Alec froze, midreach, and quickly looked back at his sister. This was a mistake though, as his cheek flashed again in the light. "I think we've been found out," Magnus said warmly with a smile.
The dark haired boy flushed a deep red and looked down at his plate. Magnus would have been hurt by what seemed like an expression of shame, had Alec not begun speaking right away. "Magnus has given me a second chance. We didn't want to tell you all right away because we are still working through some things."
"That's great news!" Clary exclaimed as Jace clapped his parabatai on the back, grinning broadly. Magnus could only smile, it was true that they were still working things out, but this was definitely a step in the right direction.
After breakfast was eaten and the dishes clear, the five shadowhunters took the subway back to the Institute, They were all hoping to go back to bed, as today was a day off for them, but they were not so lucky. When the elevator doors opened, Church was sitting at attention, waiting for the.
"This can mean nothing good, we have an escort," Alec muttered, glaring at the cat. He knew Church was only following orders, but Alec still felt the need to place his anger on something.
"Let's just follow him and see what is needed of us," Jonathan said, now the continual pacifist. He could not have doomed himself and his new friends more than he did with those words.
Church lead them to the library where Maryse was waiting, writing a letter to someone at her desk. She greeted them cheerfully enough, seeming genuinely interested in how their nights had one. She politely ignored the glitter still on her son's face, and didn't ask Isabelle too many questions about Simon. Mothers somehow had a way of knowing what their children had been up to, but Maryse was the kind of mother who didn't insist upon that knowledge also coming rom her children's mouths.
The small talk soon ended tough, and Maryse's true prerogative came to light. She had more work for them to do for the wedding. With Luke now serving on the Council, he had renewed many of his friendships with shadowhunters and formed many more new relationships. These people were all now invited to his wedding, and they would need a place to stay. As such, Maryse now had a responsibility to ensure that the Institute was ready for the small army of expected shadowhunters. With the wedding now only two weeks away, guests could start showing up any day. They were each assigned a list of rooms to clean as well as extra duties like grocery shopping and cooking. None of the young shadowhunters were pleased about this news – especially considering their exhaustion from the night before – but their discontent was somewhat lessened by the fact that Maryse, Luke, and Jocelyn were taking their fair share of rooms too.
They all took an hour shower and change their clothes before setting to work. Deciding that the work would go faster if they worked together, the five started in on the first room. A thin layer of dust covered every horizontal surface in the room, causing a communal grown to work its way around the group. While Alec and Jace began dusting, Isabelle changed out the sheets and Clary and Jonathan scrubbed down the bathroom. They continued this way for several hours, rotating who performed what job. By lunch time, they were exhausted and not even halfway done. Apparently Maryse was expecting the Institute to be full, or was using the wedding guests as a reason to finally conquer this task.
When Clary and Jace finally made it to bed, they collapsed into each other's arms, too tired to do anything else than kiss for the second night in a row. As Clary drifted off to sleep, she heard her boyfriend's breathing even out. She wondered if it would ever happen in her near future, and why she wanted it so badly. She couldn't help but wonder how many girls Jace had been with before she came into his life.
He had told her time and time again that he didn't care about the pace of their physical relationships and that she shouldn't care about this past. He didn't care about his past, it felt like a completely different life for him. Clary knew how truthful all of what Jace said was, but she still couldn't give up the desire to show Jace how she felt about him in the most special way she could imagine.
Eventually, Clary managed to settle her uneasy mind and let her exhaustion pull her into sleep. Meanwhile, in another part of the Institute, Isabelle was still wide-awake and wandering around. Having given up on falling asleep on her own and the walk not proving any us, Isabelle made her way to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. She was surprised to find the lights were already on, and more surprised to find Jonathan milling around.
"Oh! I didn't think anyone else was still awake," Isabelle exclaimed with a small gasp.
"I thought I was the only one up too. I'm just waiting for the kettle to boil, would you like a cup of tea?" Jonathan asked.
"Actually, that's what I was coming here to do. I'll show you where I hide the good stuff," Isabelle offered. She really didn't know why she was being so friendly with him, though it would make her feel like less of a jerk to share her good tea.
The kettle was soon whistling, and two steaming cups of jasmine tea sat before the two teenagers as they stared at each other from across the table. "So, we haven't really had a chance to get to know each other," Jonathan started, unsure of how Isabelle felt about him.
"No, we haven't," was all she said in reply. She didn't want to be rude, but she did have trust issues with her own boyfriend after all.
"What's keeping you awake after such an exhausting day?" Jonathan asked, determined to try and push his friendship with the girl passed its superficial level.
"I could ask you the same thing," Isabelle replied.
"I don't have a problem sharing first. My mind has been really cluttered lately. I Feel exhausted, but my mind hasn't gotten that message yet," Jonathan explained.
"What's been on your mind?" Isabelle asked out of curiosity.
"I'll make you a deal, I'll answer your questions if you answer mine," Jonathan proposed.
"Alright, but I can choose not to answer and make you ask something else instead," Isabelle countered. Jonathan nodded in agreement. She signed slightly before answering his first question. "I'm up because I was lonely. Spending the night with Simon was so nice that now I don't want to spend the night alone."
Jonathan nodded again, accepting her answer without comment. "I can't stop thinking about the night Clary was attacked. I know it's still being investigated, but I'm beginning to feel really helpless. Have you tried to calling Simon just to talk to him?"
"I don't want to wake him up," Isabelle replied meekly.
"Really? You're worried about waking up your vampire boyfriend in the middle of the night?" Jonathan asked, lightly teasing her.
"Okay, so that sounds kinds stupid when you phrase it that way," Isabelle conceded. "He does try to keep a regular, day time sleep schedule."
"Fair enough, I guess you'll have to rely on the tea for now," Jonathan replied
"You know, this is a really great cup of tea. It's better than I've ever made it," Isabelle complimented the fair-haired boy.
"That comes from years of growing up in Idris. I could drink water of I could drink tea. It wasn't until I got older than I was given the third choice of wine," Jonathan said.
"Do you miss your father?" Isabelle blurted out. Seeing the change in Jonathan's face, she quickly scrambled to form an apology. "I'm so sorry, that was rude, of course you miss him. I know Jace does."
"Isabelle, stop apologizing. It's okay that you asked. Truthfully, I don't know if I miss him. I suppose I miss his company, but there's not much else about Valentine that I would want back in my life," Jonathan explained.
"But Jace always talks about –" Isabelle started.
"Jace and I may have been raised by a man named Valentine Morgenstern, but the man who raised each of us could not have been more different," Jonathan interrupted.
"I see," was all Isabelle could manage. She had a hundred different questions burning her up inside, but she felt the need to hold of on them. "I think it's your turn to ask me a question."
"Okay, last one before I insist that we both try to fall asleep again," Jonathan began. Isabelle gave him a small nod. The tea was having a calming effect on her, as she had hoped. "Would you consider me to be your friend?"
Isabelle was shocked by the question itself and the way Jonathan had asked it. He sounded hopeful, and just a little bit scared. She considered his question for a moment before answering. "After tonight, yes, I think I do consider you a friend." She smiled at him before getting up to put her mug in the sink, vowing to wash it the next morning. The two parted ways in the hallway, leaving Isabelle to walk back to her room by herself, a contemplative smile on her face.
The next two weeks flew by as wedding preparations skyrocketed to everyone's first priority. As Maryse had expected, shadowhunter guests began showing up about a week before the wedding. Some were so heavily laden with luggage that Maryse had the sneaking suspicion that they planned to stay far passed the wedding day.
Jonathan was having the hardest time of anyone dealing with the guests. It was unanimously decided that once guests started arriving, experimenting with Clary's rune would have to wait until after the wedding, at which time Maryse would make an official report to the Clave about their findings. So for the remainder of the time before then, he was once again a prisoner of the Institute.
Fortunately, Luke and Jocelyn had decided to move their wedding and reception to the Institute's sanctuary. Some shadowhunters might consider it a macabre choice, given the past purposes the room had served, but it allowed the couple to invite all of their guests to their wedding.
The morning of the big day began in chaos. The florists – meaning the more creative of Luke's pack – showed up shortly after the sun came up. Their arrival forced out of bed the regular inhabitants of the Institute, who then had to move quietly so as not to wake up their guests.
Clary was already in a bad mood, and the early wake up call did nothing to improve her temperament. Jocelyn has insisted on sticking to whatever traditions she could, and as such, she had also insisted that Luke not see her before the ceremony on their wedding day. This resulted in Clary and Jocelyn spending the night in Clary's room, the window and other damages long repaired, which leave to the conversation – or more like, the demands delivered – that Clary move back into her own room. She was not pleased about much that had happened in the last twelve hours, but it was her mother's wedding day after all, so she tried her best to put on a happy face.
By noon, Jocelyn was finally satisfied by the way the tables were set up. She hurried back to Clary's room to shower while Clary went to the kitchen to get them some lunch.
"How's your mother doing?" Luke asked upon seeing Clary come through the door. Supervising the caterers had ben Luke's duty, designating the kitchen as an area Jocelyn would avoid.
"Micromanaging everything, so I suppose that means she's her normal self," Clary replied, reaching to grab some h'or derves , but having her hand smacked away by the werewolf who was arranging them on the tray.
"Try to cut her some slack today," Luke chided lightly. "Here, I'll make you guys some sandwiches. These guys have officially served. You don't stand a chance."
Clary silently accepted that challenge before her mind began to wander as she waited for her lunch. "Luke," Clary started after a long silence. "Do you think you could say something to Mom about letting me stay in Jace's room?"
Luke paused in the middle of slicing a tomato and turned to look at Clary. "You know how your mother feels about that. There's nothing I can do to change her mind."
"It's just that I have really bad feeling about going back in there on my own," Clary admitted.
"Have you tried telling Jocelyn that?" Luke asked.
"Well how about this – and you definitely didn't hear this from me – but tonight Jocelyn and I are leaving for a couple of days for our honeymoon. Why don't you guys spend a few nights in your room. If you still feel uneasy after that, we can all talk about it together. I'm sure your mother is expecting you to sleep in ace's room while we're going anyways," Luke suggested as he handed the lunch tray over to Clary.
"That sounds like a good plan actually," Clary decided.
"There's no need to sound so surprised about it!" Luke replied in mock hurt.
"Thanks Luke, I'll see you in a few hours!" Clary said, kissing him on the cheek before heading back to her room.
When Clary got back to her room, she found that he mother was still in the shower. She put the tray down on her desk, leaving the tray but taking her plate. Sitting on her bed, Clary leaned back against the bed frame. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes as she chewed a bite of her sandwich. Clary hadn't realized just how tired she was until now. The earl morning plus all the long days of hard work preparing for the wedding had really taken their toll on her.
The next thing she knew, her mother was nudging her awake, her plate tipped over onto the bed. "Clary, your turn to shower. You'd better hurry though, Isabelle will be here to do our hair soon."
"Did you leave me any hot water?" Clary joked, cleaning up the mess that she'd made when she fell asleep.
"Nope, you do better shower fast," Jocelyn replied. Clary stuck her tongue out at her mother playfully before getting in the shower. When she got out, Isabelle was already working on her mother's hair, curling it and pinning it up. Clary took the opportunity to sneak in another nap, both to pass the time and feel more refreshed for the wedding.
An hour later, it was her turn, and Isabelle set to work on her curling red tresses. When Isabelle was almost done, Jocelyn surprised her daughter with a gift of a sparkling rhinestone headband that Isabelle expertly fit into the hairstyle. Clary and Jocelyn helped Isabelle with her hair as much as they could, but the dark haired girl was managing quite well on her own. The younger girls then helped Jocelyn into her wedding dress before dressing themselves as well. Make up was the last step before the women were completely prepped and ready for the wedding. As 6:30 approached, they had nothing else to do but wait, so Clary, Isabelle, and Jocelyn watched the sun set from the wide windows in Clary's room, and then observed the few vampires they had invited come in. Jocelyn wasn't thrilled about all of the strangers attending her wedding, but Luke's involvement with the Council made it a requirement.
At 6:15, a knock came at the door. It was Alec coming to let them know that everyone was ready and waiting. They walked down to the doorway that lead into the sanctuary. Jonathan was there to meet them, beaming at his mother and sister. "You both look great," he said as Alec and Isabelle slipped inside the sanctuary to take their seats. Clary smiled and thanked her brother, and he gave her a kiss on the cheek before she followed Alec and Isabelle into the sanctuary. On the other side of the door stood Simon. Luke had asked him to be his best man, as he was not particularly close to anyone in his pack.
Simon looped his arm through Clary's as they look their place at the top of the aisle. "You look gorgeous, Clary. Has Jace seen you yet?" Upon seeing her friends ready to go, Maya ran over to the CD player and started the music. With everyone standing up to turn around and look at them, Clary could only shake her head in response to Simon's question before they were headed down the aisle. Clary hoped she looked as pretty as Simon has said, because Jace was about to see her for the first time today.
She could not have been more pleased with the response that she got. Jace's face revealed nothing about his thoughts, but one look into his eyes was all Clary needed. She could see the love and warmth eh was feeling shining in his eyes. She could also sense the spark of desire hidden behind the first layer of emotion. Clary and Simon reached the end of the aisle and both took their places in front of the gathered crowd. The doors to the sanctuary opened up wide and Jocelyn stepped through them, with Jonathan walking next to her. Clary snuck a look at Luke's face and was pleased to see him gaping slightly at the sight of his fiancé. Jonathan unhooked his arm from his mother's when they reached the front of the aisle and took his seat in the front row next to Jace.
The rest of the ceremony was a blur for Clary. She tried to pay attention, but she kept looking over at Jace. He didn't take his eyes off of her once. Before she knew it, Luke and Jocelyn were kissing and everyone was on their feet again. Maya hit play on the CD player again and the newly weds walked up the aisle together, arm in arm.
For the next half hour, the guests milled around enjoying cocktails and h'or derves while the wedding party took pictures. By the time they came back into the sanctuary, the aisles were gone, the chairs having been moved around to all of the tables. Luke and Jocelyn had a table for the two of them set up at the front of the room, with their guests seated at the tables around them.
As they were heading towards their seats, Jace pulled Clary behind a pillar. "You. Look absolutely stunning," Jace said before drawing Clary in close to him and kissing her tenderly, he head cradled in his hands. She gasped a little when he broke the kiss off.
"Well thank you," Clary said, blushing a deep scarlet.
"Come on, they'll be looking for you soon," Jace replied, leading Clary by the hand over to their seats.
"Since when do you care if anyone sees us?" Clary giggled, letting him lead her away.
"Since I have plans for you tonight that don't involve that dress," Jace whispered before his face broke into a grin.
Clary turned to look at him, a devious look in her eyes. "You don't like my dress?" Clary asked in mock offense.
"No, I like it a lot. It would just look better if you took it off," Jace replied.
"If you wanted me t rip my clothes off, you should have just asked," Clary teased, echoing one of the first lines he'd ever dropped on her. Jace chuckled in response, but their flirting was cut short be the arrival of their friends. Maya, Jordan, Izzy, Simon, Alec, Magnus, and Jonathan all showed up within a few minutes of each other. Clary felt bad for her brother, as he was the only person at the table not seeing someone. A fact made clearer by the empty chair next to him.
"Hopefully this goes better than the last time we were all together for Luke and Jocelyn," Alec joked. His joke was not well received though, earning him only a table full of wide eyes. "What, I – oh…" Alec trailed off, the poor taste of his joke finally dawning on him.
Jonathan burst out laughing just then, surprising everyone at the table. When he calmed himself down, everyone was staring at him expectantly, wanting an explanation. "Guys, it's okay. As long as you're willing to accept that that person is different from who I am now, I don't care what you say about my past." Alec, Maya, and Jordan all replied with nervous laughter, not really knowing Jonathan well enough to feel comfortable sharing in the emotional morning. Everyone else smiled warmly at the pale haired boy who was becoming a new friend to many at the table. "Besides, I'm hoping not to end up in the same room with Clary and Jace tonight either." He said with a wink.
Dinner was served soon afterwards, and the young crowd at the table carried on an amusing conversation throughout the evening. Toasts and speeches were made, and when the cake was brought out, it wowed all of the guests. The shadowhunters at the wedding were pleasantly baffled by the cake cutting tradition, but Luke and Jocelyn seemed to enjoy themselves throughout the reception. They skipped over the garter and bouquet toss though, as the majority of the shadowhunters would not understand the lore about the future. Instead, they skipped right to the dancing.
Clary had been dreading that part of the evening, being as clumsy as she was. However, Jace proved to be an excellent dance partner. She wasn't sure why she was expecting any differently. Jace was always excellent at everything he did. They both danced with numerous people throughout the night. Jace even made a point of asking Jocelyn to dance with him, a move that earned him a lot of respect from her.
As the party began to wind down, sometime around midnight, the party made its way outside to see Luke and Jocelyn off on their way to their honeymoon. After the newlyweds left, their guests began to filter out or head back up to their rooms. Clary and Jace deliberately waited for all of the guests to leave, seeing all of them off, before running off to Clary's room together.
A/N: Hooray! Another chapter is done, and it didn't take as long as the last one! I also have some spectacular news! The next chapter is only a few pages away from being finished, so it should be up soon. I would post it immediately, but I feel the need to poll you guys, my readers. The next chapter starts off with a fairly detailed encounter between Jace and Clary, which I intend to keep in the story. However, I would like feedback from you guys on how you feel about that kind of content. I can either upload it as a single chapter and leave it as is, have a single chapter and use some kind of marking to indicate where the explicit content is for those who would like to skip over it, or upload the explicit content as a separate chapter at the same time as the other part so it could be skipped over that way. I'll be posting the chapter hopefully by this weekend, so whatever the biggest request is will be what I do.