Chapter 26

Luke was working the final five minutes of the day, the shop empty, when a young man walked in. He was shocked when he recognized him as Jonathan Morgenstern. Jonathan smiled, waved hello, and walked over.

"We did not get the chance to really meet! I see you recognize me. I wondered if we could talk. I know your shop is going to close soon. And I know I am the only one here. To answer your unspoken question: No, my father is not here, nor is he aware I am here."

"Is everything alright? Are you in trouble?"

Jonathan laughed. "I am fine. That is kind of you to ask. I had not considered that my visit could come across that way."

Luke let his shoulders drop. "Let me close up here, then we can sit down in the back." Soon they sat in his kitchen, where he took a quick moment to marvel at how many guests he'd entertained here lately.

"Let me get a good look at you." Jonathan was an interesting blend of his parents. Valentine's eyes and hair, but he had a slighter build and was not as tall. He looked a lot like Jocelyn's father, actually. His manner at first seemed like his father's, but there was a jocular quality that Valentine did possess. His sense was that Jonathan didn't take much seriously, though his tone was formal, polite.

"I hope you were not offended by my offering to kill you." said Jonathan, a mischievous smile on his face. "I truly meant it to be a kindness. I respected your decision to end your life under the circumstances, and believed they robbed you of your free will. Though, I am happy to see my services were not necessary."

"So am I."

"Also, I wanted to thank you for helping me. Father gave me an earful about my recklessness. That was why he needed to leave New York in the first place. I had been injured by those demons."

"You are welcome." His memories of that night were hazy. He did not remember leaving his cell at Magnus', but he did remember being high up at the construction sight, seeing the demon's arm coming toward Jonathan, and his gut instinct to save him.

"I actually believe you, amazingly. There is another reason I am here. I wanted to ask you about my mother. Father told me about her, but he realized I did not hold Mother's decisions in high regard, and I believe he altered what he said to me, highlighting the good.

"Clarissa is also biased. She thinks little of Father – Yes, I am aware, though I think she warmed up to him after out last visit, did she tell you about that? - and while she has expressed some anger with her mother, I find myself wanting more view points.

"I find Mother's choices difficult to understand. Even in regards to yourself; Why did she risk going to the wolf pack out in Brocelind Forest to see you, then leave you after it was all over? Clary and Father portrayed that as noble, but to me it seems selfish. She asked for your help in dealing with Father, and when it did not go well, she left you. Basically, I am wondering what it is about Mother that made you do what you did. And please, do not say 'love.'"

He had not been expecting to talk with Jonathan like this, just the two of them, but he could see from the moment he walked in Jonathan was on a mission. It was surreal to see him again. He had clear memories of the day Jonathan was born. He sat with Valentine while Jocelyn was in labor; She only wanted her mother with her in the delivery room.

Jonathan had a strange fate, but, just as Valentine had said, even with the demon blood, he could see the light in Jonathan. His was a keen mind, and Luke appreciated his ability to talk about subjects that most people wouldn't want to go anywhere near, with detachment, even amusement.

Luke could see how some might consider him hard to handle, but Luke felt he understood him somewhat, and if he could, he wanted to give Jonathan insight about his mother. That was why he answered as truthfully as he could.

"Your mother showed me the world was beautiful when I couldn't see it anymore. Your father can confirm this, but when Jocelyn and I were young, we spent a lot of time in the woods; I more so than her.

"I felt calm there, but mostly I just wandered around. When Jocelyn came with me, she would bring her pencils and draw, then she would show me what she'd done that day. I got to see the world through her eyes, however briefly, and she saw so much beauty. The play of shadows, the movement of the leaves against the wind. Insects, animals.

"When she came to see me, when I was the pack leader, I remembered those times, that feeling that life is beautiful. Wait here, there's something I want to give you."

Luke got up and went to his bedroom. Jocelyn had given him one of her sketchbooks from that time as a birthday present when they were young. Amatis had recently returned it to him. He retrieved that sketchbook, returned to the kitchen, and gave it to Jonathan.

"Your mother drew in this when she was ten. I'd like you to have it. I know your relationship with your mother is complex, but maybe you can find a glimpse of who she is by looking at that; something she made before things got so complicated."

Jonathan regarded him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Thank you, I will take this."

Clary contacted him about the meeting with Valentine. She arranged it through Jonathan. Luke told Magnus, and he let them meet at his warehouse. Luke had not been in contact with Valentine since Renwick's.

He had agreed to meet with Valentine and Clary before Jocelyn and Amatis had confronted him about Valentine. Those meetings had gone well, better than he ever envisioned them going. He had not been able to say much more than to confirm that yes, he and Valentine had been seeing each other.

In some ways, there wasn't much more to say. At the rate they were going, they would see each other a few times a year, for a couple of days at a time. Luke was locked in New York with the wolf pack, and he really didn't know much about Valentine's daily business.

Luke got held up arriving at the meeting because of pack business, a dispute about the living quarters that he needed to oversee and resolve. When he arrived, Valentine, Clary, Simon, and Magnus were all sitting down at the round table.

"Sorry, I'm late. That took longer than expected." He could tell walking in, the mood was tense. Simon was a live wire of nervous energy, and Clary was sending him worried glances. Magnus looked to Luke with relief when he sat down at the table.

"No worries. We were just discussing Alexander and Jace."

Amatis kept him up to date about that. Clary had introduced the two of them, and they hit it off right away. They were considering becoming parabatai.

"Have they come to any decisions yet?"

"No, you know Alexander. They haven't known each other long, and Alexander is extremely cautious about rushing into it, but he will reach the age limit this upcoming fall." said Magnus.

"Jace is all for it." Clary said. "He says he feels like he's known Alec for years. They've been spending a lot of time together, trying to figure it out. I haven't gotten to see him much. Could you at least try to look sympathetic, Simon!"

This was explaining some of the tension. Magnus already shared with him his distrust of the parabatai rune. Also, just as Clary was not seeing as much of Jace, Magnus was not seeing as much of Alexander. And Simon was still stuck in the rough of being in love with Clary and knowing she loved another, yet he couldn't hide his glee that Jace's focus was somewhere other than Clary.

"I wish Alec would just hurry up and say yes. Then we can all go back to normal. Luke, how long did you and – Ugh, sometimes I don't know what to call you. I was going to keep calling you Valentine, but Jonathan calls Mom, 'Mother.' But when I call you 'Father,' I feel like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Do you know Star Wars, Father?"

"I understand the reference, yes."

Clary seemed to be trying to interact with Valentine like they were peers. Luke didn't know if that was because she didn't know how else to interact with him, or if she was trying to cover her discomfort with casualness. Clary had a more casual relationship with her mother, but Luke knew she would never have that with Valentine, even if things had gone differently and he had been part of her upbringing. Valentine was being remarkably accommodating of her. But for all her bluster, Clary was wearing the earring set Valentine gave her.

"Yeah, so you can get back to your 'courting.'" Simon said dismissively.

Luke had thought Clary would be calmer with her father with Simon present, but unfortunately, tensions were high today, and Simon was having the opposite effect. Luke knew Simon's heart was in the right place. He had told him how intimidating he found Valentine. The fact that he was sitting here showed how much he cared for Clary, despite this small spat they were having.

"Speaking of 'courting,' Father, how did you court Mom?" asked Clary, changing the subject.

"We were young, as I am sure Jocelyn already told you. I was seventeen, she was sixteen, your age now. We married two years later."

"So, what did you do? What was a date in Idris?"

"We went on walks at first, then started dining together. Exchanged gifts, attended dances together."

"Were you nervous, when you asked her to marry you?"

"I'd be so nervous!" added Simon, regaining some of he usual cheer.

"You're always nervous, Simon." said Clary, tempering her words with a smile in his direction.

"I was confident she would say yes. We had been courting exclusively for a year at that point."

Clary looked puzzled. "You were two timing Mom for a year?"

"People often dated with multiple partners. Jocelyn went on dates with others as well. There was no implied commitment, until a pair decided to court exclusively."

"Wow! I'm totally asking her about that next time I see her." said Clary. "How did you ask Mom to marry you?"

"I asked her one evening, after I had taken her out to dinner."

"Did you ask her dad?"

"No. That is not a common practice in Idris."

"Did you get down on one knee."

"No."

Clary looked unimpressed. "Did you have a ring?"

"Yes, my grandmother's engagement ring. I also brought flowers."

"Was Mom impressed?"

"She agreed to marry me that night. Sometimes people would propose, but then give their partner a few days to decide."

"That's kind of like what Jace did with Alec, right?" Simon piped in.

"What?" Clary looked dumbfounded.

"Well, the way you explained parabatai to me, it's like getting married, just platonically, right? A pair of bonded warriors. Jace and Alec have been spending all this time together – courting – trying to figure out if this is what they want. Jace pretty much said 'Yes, I want to,' and now he's giving Alec time to figure it out. So, do people call it that? Parabatai courting, proposing?"

"People don't talk about it like that, Simon." said Clary, amused.

"But it makes sense, right?"

"Yeah, it does." she said with a smile.

"What about you, Luke?" asked Simon.

"What about me?"

"Well, you and Mr. Morgenstern were parabatai. How did you figure it out? Did you read the book, "How to Court Your Parabatai?"

"Or the classic, "Are You Considering Entering Into The Sacred Institution of Parabatai?" said Clary, excitedly, as she and Simon started giggling.

"It's not a common practice, so each pair figures it out for themselves."

"So, you didn't go grandly declaring to anyone within earshot that you wanted Father to be your parabatai? Because that's what Jace is doing to Alec, and now that I think about it, it's pretty hysterical." said Clary.

"Yeah, it's like the equivalent of Jace outside Alec's window with a boombox. I don't like him, but I gotta give him props for style."

In Idris, the practice of becoming parabatai was taken very seriously. Seeing the two of them, who had not grown up in that culture, Luke realized that even living as an exile did not give him total detachment from what he had been raised with, because he found even after all these years away he still placed great gravity on 'The Institution of Parabatai.' He couldn't at this moment make fun of it the way Clary and Simon were, but he was glad Clary and Simon had found a way to lighten their moods. Magnus looked lighter as well.

"We talked it over privately, then told everyone our decision." said Luke.

"That sounds significantly less amusing than Jace and Alec." said Clary.

"I think one of you should have at least brought some chocolates." added Simon.

"Yeah, chocolates are a nice all purpose gift." Clary concurred.

They continued talking for an hour. Magnus got up first, after they had finished talking about Jace and Alexander, saying he needed to attend to something, but told them to stay as long as they wanted. Clary and Simon left next, they were going out to dinner and a movie. Clary hugged Luke and thanked him for agreeing to this, while Simon shook hands with Valentine. Clary had a somewhat flustered goodbye with her father, while Luke gave Simon a hug, then sent them on their way, leaving him and Valentine alone together for the first time.

Valentine looked to him, after they heard the outer door open and shut. "Jonathan sends his regards. That is high praise from him. He showed me the sketchbook you gave him."

"I enjoyed his visit. I'd like to see him again, sometime. Clary seems to like the earrings you gave her. She was wearing them the last time I saw her."

"I am glad. I thought the emerald set would go well with her coloring."

There was a pause. Even though they were alone together, this place didn't feel private.

"I arrived here before Clarissa and her friend Simon, and Magnus told me of your talks with Jocelyn and Amatis about ourselves. He said they went well, but I wanted to ask you directly."

"They did. Jocelyn said she… had had this thought about us before."

"Really? Did she say when?"

"The night I was bit. She said she came in to the bedroom to check on us, and saw us in the bed talking with each other."

He had wanted to discuss with Valentine that he might be infected, but Valentine repeatedly told him not to speak. When he kept trying, Valentine started talking about other things to distract him, eventually putting his arm around him.

"I do not recall her coming in until the morning."

"She said we didn't notice her. I remember talking together, but I don't remember her coming in either."

"Lucian, could you get away from the city for awhile?"

Luke was surprised. "With you?" He had wanted that to sound casual, but it came out hopeful. Valentine noticed, and smiled.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Upstate, in the mountains. For full disclosure, it is a private property Rita owns, but I assure you she will not be joining us, nor will anyone else. She offered it to me, saying to bring you and enjoy the peace and quiet."

"That's not how she phrased it, was it?"

Valentine chuckled. "No, it is not. But, she did truly believe you would like the place. I have never been there myself."

Life always had been an adventure, when he was with Valentine.

"I'd like that."