Hey guys, thank you so much for all the reviews, glad you enjoyed.
Guest: You'll find out the twins' eye colour this chapter :)
*Disclaimer: I own nothing but the kids and Alli. All other rights to Cassandra Clare.
Chapter 25.
*CLARY'S P.O.V.*
"Two babies? But mommy you said only Maxie was in your tummy!"Jack says, as he and Lucy clamber up on either side of my bed and gaze at the twins.
"That's what we thought Jackie, but it turns out he had a twin sister." I softly tell him, afraid he'll get jealous of the fact Charlotte survived her birth and Annabelle didn't.
"I wish Annabelle gotst borned." He quietly says, as he looks from Max to Charlotte. The poor boy, it's going to be hard on him until he gets older and understands it all, better.
"Oh I know baby but she's watching over you with Michael and she loves you very much." I tell him. Jack smiles slightly when I tell him this; clearly glad to know his sister loves him.
"Mommy what our sista's name?" Lucy asks, her tone curious, as usual.
"Charlotte, Charlotte Maryse Isabelle Herondale." I tell her.
"Charlotte a big person's name, I call her Charlie." Lucy says. That's the perfect nickname for Charlotte!
"I love that idea Lucy, smart girl."I say, kissing her gold curls. She giggles and pulls back.
"Do you want to hold them?" Jace asks Jack and Lucy. They both nod enthusiastically and Jace hands Max to Lucy and Charlie to Jack.
"Hi Maxie... mommy he weally small! And Charlie too." Lucy says.
"All babies are sweetheart, you were and Jackie was too." I say.
"They pretty, I wove them. Hi Maxie and Charlie, I'm your big brother Jack, I be the best big brother eva! Pwomise." Jack quietly says. He is so sweet; I hope he and Lucy are as close to the twins as they are each other.
"Mommy Maxie gotst eyes like you and me! And kinda wike daddy and Jackie." Lucy says. I peer into Max's bundle of blankets to see him staring back at me with emerald green eyes, slightly flecked with gold, just like I thought he would have. They make him even more beautiful.
"Charlie gotst the same eyes as Maxie!" Jack says. I look at Charlie and smile as I see Jack is right. There's hardly any difference in the twins, except of course their sex.
"They're both beautiful, aren't they?" I say. Jack nods and says
"Mommy, is Annabelle happy Charlie got to be borned?" he almost breaks my heart. My poor boy, he's going to grow up feeling like there's a piece of him missing because he lost his twin, that's what Dr. Campbell told me at my last session, but I won't let Jack go through it alone.
"Yes baby, she is so happy and she loves her and Maxie, and you and Lucy, very, very much." I tell Jack, my tone soft as can be.
"Good." He quietly says.
A while after Jack and Lucy leave, I hear the door creak open again and I see mom, followed by Abbey. Mom smiles warmly at me and says
"Somebody wants to meet the twins." Abbey was so excited to meet Max, I can't imagine how excited she became when she found out about Charlie.
"Of course, come'er Abs." I say, patting the bed. She clambers up beside me and peers down at Charlie in my arms, and then at Max, in Jace's.
"Wow... they so pretty!" She says.
"They sure are. Their names are Max and Charlotte, but Charlotte's nickname is Charlie." I tell Abbey.
"Hi Maxie and Charlie, you gotst the bestest mommy, after my mommy, I wove you." She says. I can't help the small laugh that escapes my lips. Abbey idolises not just mom, but dad too.
"Abbey why don't you go play with daddy, I want to talk to Clary for a minute." Mom says.
"Okay. Bye Clary! Bye Maxie and Charlie. Bye Jace!" Abbey says. She use to be really shy around Jace but now she loves him like she does Simon, which is a lot.
"See yah latter Abs." Jace says, as Abbey jumps off the bed and runs out.
"How are you feeling?" Mom asks, sitting beside me.
"Sore, very sore, but I'm delighted. I am a little bit afraid for Charlie, but nowhere near as bad as I would be if I didn't have counselling and the amazing support I do." I tell her. Mom smiles and says
"Good, I'm so glad, I just want you and your kids to be healthy, that's all any mother wants." She says. It's true, all I care about is the well being of my babies.
Suddenly Max starts wailing, which sets Charlie off too. Oh god I almost forgot, two babies means twice the crying, how will I cope?
"I think they're hungry, I'll get them their bottles. Jocelyn do you wanna hold Max?" Jace asks.
"Of course I do, it's about time I met my sweet grandson properly." She says. Jace hands Max to her and walks out.
"Oh sweetheart, they're absolutely perfect, I am so proud of you." Mom says. I smile proudly and say
"Thanks mom, I'm so glad you were here to deliver them, it made me feel a lot more comfortable, too." I hated Magnus checking me down there, I'm obviously still not recovered from the rape, and I only just managed to comfortably sleep in Jace's arms again.
"Even if Magnus hadn't disappeared, I would've delivered them if you wanted me to." Mom says. I wonder where Magnus got off to.
"Where did he go anyway?" I ask.
"I was just talking to Isabelle and she told me Alli had a complication, a tear in the placenta which the silent brothers are unsure if they can fix, which either means she'll loose the pregnancy or Sophie will be born 2 months early." Mom says. That's awful! Out of all the people it could happen to, it happens to the least deserving.
"Oh god that's awful, I hope everything turns out okay." I say.
"So do I sweetheart." Mom says.
Jace comes in a few minutes later and mom leaves.
"Maxie... come on baby boy, there's not much left..." Jace coos to our son, as he tries to get Max to drink the rest of his milk. Charlie scoffed her milk down, but the minute Max took a sip, he began fussing. I wonder why on earth that is.
Just then there's a soft knock on the door and I'm delighted to see Tessa and Jem.
"Oh Clary, they're beautiful!" Tessa exclaims, coming over and sitting beside the bed. Jem sits beside her.
"Thanks." I quietly say.
"What's your little girl's name?" Tessa questions. I take her free hand with mine and say
"Charlotte. Charlotte Maryse Theresa Isabelle Herondale." deciding to add Theresa in at the last moment, to honour Tessa and thank her for all she's done.
"Oh Clary... I am honoured. Oh James, aren't they perfect?" She says, as light tears trickle down her face.
"Indeed they are my love." He quietly says, placing a gentle kiss to her cheek.
"Jem, Max won't finish his bottle for me, he's been fussy since he got his milk but Charlie scoffed hers. Do you know why that may be?" Jace asks.
"Hmm... No I can't think of any reason Jace, but brother Enoch could tell you, if you let him check him over." Jem says. Anything for Max's health. Jace nods and says
"We'll do that."
*That night*
"Clare I think it was little Charlie here who was causing you such trouble during your pregnancy, kicking your back." Jace says, as we gaze at the twins in their bassinet.
"I think you're right." I quietly say.
"Do you think Alli and Sophie will be okay?" Jace quietly asks me.
"I really hope so." I say, leaning my head against his chest.
Just then there's a gentle knock on the door and I open it to see Maryse.
"Sorry to disturb you Clary, but I found this in Robert's study, it is addressed to you and Jace, I don't know why he had it." She says, handing me a folded up piece of paper. What would Robert be doing with my post?
"Okay, thank you." I say.
"Whose it from?" Jace asks, peering at the letter from over my shoulder.
"The consul." I say, after scanning the letter.
"Jace, the consul is coming here tomorrow to interview us and inspect the institute, because he wants to give it to us, when Maryse steps down out of choice, in a few weeks." I say.
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