When they reached the kitchen Clary was sitting in a chair with her arms crossed and a mutinous expression on her face. Salene rushed up to her, "Look Mommy! It's just like yours."
Clary smiled at her daughter and rolled up her sleeve putting her mark beside Salene's for inspection. Salene traced Clary's mark with her finger. "I'm a big girl now."
"Yes you are." Clary agreed kissing her head.
"And it didn't hurt much." Salene said proudly. "I was really brave."
"Yes she was." Jace agreed. "She didn't even yell like you did."
Salene's eyes widened. "Mommy, you yelled?"
Clary glared at Jace. "Don't forget Mommy was much older when she got runes."
"Yep she yelled like someone was killing her." Jace said with a grin. "I remember it like it was yesterday."
"It wasn't yesterday and I'd been stung by a demon." Clary reminded him. "And this crazy looking guy smeared in ichor storms in…"
"Who'd like to go to Taki's for dinner?" Isabelle said spinning around from the pot of goop she was stirring on the stove.
Simon sighed leaning forward on the counter. "Another dinner disaster from Isabelle Lightwood."
"Soon to be Mrs. Lewis." Clary said with a smile.
Jocelyn and Luke walked into the kitchen followed by Tessa. "Sorry we're late." Jocelyn apologized.
"Pack business." Luke finished gruffly.
Tessa looked at Isabelle. "What did you do to the pudding?" She asked rushing up to the stove grabbing the spoon from her.
"Pudding?" Salene asked her eyes widening.
"Yes…" Tessa said sounding disappointed. "I was making it for you, but…"
Isabelle looked at her angrily. "It was so BORING I only tried to enhance it."
Jace walked over to the pot and peered in. "With Bacon?"
"Everything is better with bacon!" Isabelle declared.
"Are you sure you're not pregnant?" Salene said standing up.
Isabelle pointed at her. "Sit down!"
Jace looked over at Clary. "What did I miss?"
"Clary put her head in her hands. "Nothing it was nothing."
"She nearly fainted in the pudding." Isabelle said.
"Was she trying to eat it?" Simon asked.
"No!" Isabelle said.
"I was trying to fix it." Clary said.
"And she keeled over." Isabelle said slapping her hands together. "She's lucky I caught her before she hit the floor."
Jace walked over to Clary and knelt down in front of her. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Clary sighed in frustration. "I'm just pregnant."
"Well we know that," Alec said coming in from the pantry with a disheveled looking Magnus behind him.
"By the Angel." Jace growled. "We're going to have to disinfect that room again. What have I told the two of you about making out in the pantry?"
"That Alec has a perfectly good room upstairs with a door that shuts away from the food." Magnus said grinning.
"It's closer to my office." Alec said shrugging.
Jace's face flushed. "Okwell you two lovebirds are on pickup duty. I will make the order to Taki's and you will pick it up. By the way Alec, you can shut the door to your office too."
"Izzy and I will get a cake at the bakery down the street." Simon offered.
"What happened to the one…" Jace began, but Simon shook his head while Isabelle looked at the floor. "I don't want to know."
"What happened to the cook?" Tessa asked.
"I gave her the day off," Isabelle explained. "I wanted to make dinner for my niece."
"Aunt Iz was going to cook?" Salene said. "She never cooks."
"And now you know why." Jace said pointedly.
