Author's note: here it is their first date...hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As it has been since the beginning I do not own these people but playing with them makes me so happy. Getting sued would make me so sad so please don't. Also please read and review...it means so much to know people are enjoying this.

Part 14

"Clary. Stop pacing...you look perfect."

"I'm sorry I'm just nervous Izzy."

"It's Jace. You have been out with Jace a million times."

"I know that but this is different...this feels different...more important."

"I know but wearing a whole in the carpet isn't going to help."

Clary stopped to look at Izzy and then plopped herself on the living room sofa.

"What time is it?"

"It's one minute later than the last time you asked me."

"You know you're not being a very supportive friend?"

"Because you are being ridiculous. You and Jace are you and Jace. You don't need me to tell you it's going to be great. You know that already."

Clary puffed out a breath.

"I just wish I knew what we were doing. He told me nothing except how to dress...comfortable...that's a big help!"

"He didn't tell me or Alec either...I think he only told Imogen and my dad. Whatever it is I'm sure you guys will have fun. Just relax."

It was then that the doorbell rang. Izzy got up to answer...all the while assuming it wasn't Jace because none of them even knocked before walking into each others houses. She was more than surprised to find him at the door.

"Jace since when do you use the doorbell?"

"Since I'm taking my girlfriend out on our first date."

"Oh my God the two of you are annoyingly perfect for each other! Come with me she is in the living room."

Izzy turned on her heels and headed towards Clary.

"Clary your date is here. He seems to want to make this as perfect as you do."

Clary got up and walked towards Jace.

"You look beautiful."

Clary blushed.

"You look great too."

Jace dropped his chin and the two of them rocked nervously on their feet.

"Ugh I can't with you two. Get out of my house. I can't watch my two oldest friends...who have been in love forever...act like strangers. It annoying and really lame."

Jace glared at Izzy before turning to Clary.

"You ready to go?"

Clary wrapped her fingers around Jace's hand and nodded her head. They walked out of the house hand and hand with Izzy playfully rolling her eyes at them. As Clary buckled her seat belt she looked at Jace.

"So are you going to tell me where we are going?"

"Nope. Like I said the other day it's a surprise."

Jace reached over the center console and retook Clary's hand. After a few moments of strained silence Jace laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Us. Look at us...we are both so nervous. Why? I could literally sit around all day with you and never be bored."

It was Clary's turn to laugh.

"I don't know. This just feels so important."

Jace thought for a moment.

"It is important but if for some reason this goes bad tonight will you stop loving me?"

"Never."

"Me too."

And with that the slight tension in the car was broken and for the rest of the hour drive Jace and Clary were just that Jace and Clary.

When Jace turned off the main road Clary was surprised to see signs for her moms rehab center. She hadn't been there yet but the entire family was supposed to go the next day.

"Jace are we going to the rehab?"

Jace nodded.

"Why? I mean we are all going tomorrow."

"I thought you might like to spend some time with your mom alone."

"But our date?"

"Oh no worries we have plans for after. I just thought this would be good for you."

Clary looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"How did you know?"

"That you were upset that the first time you visited your mom you wouldn't get to be alone with her?...Because I know you Clary."

Jace squeezed their intwined hands as Clary looked down at them. When she looked up she was smiling.

"I am so blessed that you do."

It was about five minutes later that they were pulling into the facility.

"Will you come in with me at first."

Jace could tell Clary was nervous...not about their date, not anymore...but about seeing her mom in a strange place.

"Of course."

And so hand in hand they walked in. The young girl at the front desk ask them to sign in and then gave them directions to Jocelyn's room. Jace could feel Clary shaking so he just held her hand tighter as they walked into her mom's room.

The room was just as Imogen had described. Private with a view of a pond. The walls were painted a light grey and the pictures Clary had given Imogen were set up on the side table.

As Clary walked towards the bed her grip on Jace's hand tightened and he walked forward with her.

"Hi Mom. Surprise! We are here a day early. Jace knew I wanted to see you so he took me here as part of our first date. Can you believe it? How lucky am I?"

Smiling, Clary looked up at Jace.

"Hi aunt Jocelyn. I have to admit I had ulterior motives for taking Clary here...Um...with everything that has happened I didn't know who to ask about taking Clary out...so I asked uncle Robert and he gave me permission but...but I still wanted to ask you. I love your daughter very much and it would be my honor to date her...if you will let me."

Clary's face turned astonished.

"You asked uncle Robert?"

Lovingly, Jace looked at Clary.

"Of course I did and WHEN your mom wakes up I'm going to ask her again."

"Just when I think you can't surprise me anymore...thank you...for all of this."

"Your welcome. But there is still more. So I'm going to give you some time with your mom. Take however long you want and then meet me in the lobby."

Jace then turned back to his aunt.

"Aunt Jocelyn I love you. Please wake up soon. We all miss you so much."

After kissing his aunt's forehead he lifted Clary's hand and kissed it before heading back to the lobby.

At first Clary silently stared at her mom but after pulling the chair closer to the bed and grabbing her mom's hand Clary found herself talking to her mom like she always had. She told her about Jace and school. She talked about an art project she had due and math homework she was struggling with. It felt good. It felt good to talk to her...it almost felt like she had her mom back...almost.

About an hour later Clary found Jace scrolling thru his phone in the lobby.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I'm sorry I was in there so long."

"We can stay longer if you want."

"No. I'm good. I just hope I didn't ruin whatever others plans you had for tonight."

"Nope. We are right on time."

With that they headed back to the car hand in hand. Fifteen minutes later Jace turned his car into a hotel parking lot. Clary remembered the hotel from her childhood. It was right on the lake and every summer all their families would spend a week here. It had a nice restaurant too so Clary assumed that's where they were going. She was surprised when they started heading towards the main lobby of the hotel. She stopped walking.

"Jace the restaurant is the other way..."

"I know it's closed for the season."

"Then why are we here...did you get us a room? Jace I'm not ready...I don't think we should rush into..."

Jace turned to Clary taking her face in his hands.

"That's not why we are here. I would never assume...I would never force you Clary..."

"I know that but why are we here then?"

"I always knew I would take you here for our first date. I always pictured the restaurant but I had to make due..."

Clary went to question him again but Jace shook his head.

"Do you remember the first time you knew you were in love with me?"

"Yeah...when you got hit by the baseball in eighth grade. I was terrified. You weren't moving."

Jace smiled at the memory of Clary screaming over him to wake up. Her re hair flying into his face as she leaned over him.

"Well for me it was here at this hotel. We were nine and some older kid had bumped into you. You were holding an ice cream cone and the ice cream fell down. You started crying. I wanted to go and hit the kid but I knew my grandma would be mad at me...so instead I gave you my ice cream and you smiled at me...that's when I knew. I was going to spend every day of the rest of my life trying to make you smile."

Clary was looking at Jace with tears in her eyes.

"You never told me that."

Jace just shrugged.

"Well now I did. Anyway ever since then this was where our first date was going to be."

"But you said the restaurant is closed."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Good. Let's go."

After checking in at the front desk they took the elevator up to their room. Clary gasped when Jace opened the door.

"Jace!"

At the foot of the bed Clary saw a table filled with her favorite food...chicken fingers with french fries and in the middle (in what Clary assumed was some kind of ice bucket) were two ice cream cones.

"Do you like it?"

Clary turned to him grinning ear to ear and kissed him.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Most definitely a yes."

Clary walked towards the the table and grabbed the two cones.

"We should probably start with these."

"My girlfriend is a very smart girl."

Jace grabbed his cone and led them over to the window. Clary again smiled. The room overlooked the lake. It was a clear, cold night and the scene from the window looked like a painting.

"It really is beautiful here. How did you afford all of this?"

"It was definitely more affordable because it's the middle of the winter but I would've paid anything to see that smile on your face."

Jace leaned down to kiss her and the two made themselves comfortable on the window bench. After finishing their ice cream and then the rest of the food Clary looked around the room nervously.

"What's the matter? You ok?"

"Um I don't have pajamas"

"Do you think you have a dumb boyfriend?"

Clary shook her head no as Jace went into the closet. When he turned to face her he was holding a duffle bag.

"Where did that come from?"

"Grandma dropped it off here yesterday when she came to check on your mom. There are pjs, a change of cloths for tomorrow and some toiletries...aunt Maryse helped her pack it."

Clary nearly ran over to Jace and hugged him.

"You really thought of everything. How did I get so lucky?"

Jace kissed the top of her head.

"You were you."

Clary looked up at him beaming.

"Are your pjs in here to?"

Jace nodded and Clary walked over to the bed. After pulling out his pajamas she took the bag and headed into the bathroom to change. When she came out, fresh faced and hair pulled back, she found Jace setting up a makeshift bed on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"You take the bed. I'm good on the floor."

"Jace we have slept in the same bed how many times?"

"Yeah but now we are together."

"So...are you going to try something even after I said I wasn't ready?"

"No, of course not."

"So get into the bed...we waited all these years to kiss. I think we can control ourselves for one night."

Jace looked torn as Clary pulled back the comforter and slid under the covers. But then she smiled at him and that warmth that she always brought to his heart burned too hot to ignore. After he got under the covers Clary shimmied over to rest her head on his chest. Instinctively, Jace wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

"This was a perfect first date."

"The first of many."

"I love you Jace."

"I love you to Clary."

The last thing Clary remembered was how right it felt falling asleep in Jace's arm with the sound of his heart beating in her ear.