For the first time in Jace's life, he was bringing a girl home to meet his mother. He was rather excited about it, though he was also possibly having an out of body experience. Was Clary really there next to him making him glow with pride? Surely it was someone else more worthy of her standing here holding her hand.

Jace walked up to Celine's house, Clary's hand held in his acting as his anchor Jace ran the doorbell. Why was he so nervous? He knew his mother would love Clary just as much as he did. He knew it, so why did Jace feel like a coiled spring of anxious energy?

"Jace!" his mother exclaimed as the door swung open. Jace suddenly found himself pulled into his mother's arms. "And this must be Clary!" Jace didn't get a chance to warn his girlfriend, before she too was pulled into the group hug.

Thankfully Celine soon realized they were all standing in a open doorway, and pulled out of the hug to let them in. The house was as Jace remembered it, with a dark carpet, yellowing wallpaper, and that old wooden cabinet in the corner with the peeling finish. If his mother had moved any of the wall hangings around, Jace couldn't recall what had been there before.

"It's so great to have you here!" Celine said smiling and clapping her hands together in that way she always did when she knew there was work to do. "Are you hungry? I have a casserole in the oven, or we could go out? Whatever you like."

"I could go out anytime," Jace replied. "I've missed your cooking."

"Not as much as I've missed you!" Celine cried, pulling him into a hug again.

"Mom, stop," Jace whined, very aware that now his girlfriend had watched as he was being hugged to the extreme by his mother twice in the space of about two minutes.

"Oh hush," Celine said as she finally let him go. "I haven't seen you since Christmas. Cut your poor mother some slack." Clary giggled while Jace rolled his eyes. He was at least glad Clary didn't seem at all phased by his mother's overly affectionate welcome.

"When I arrived home for Christmas," Clary added. "My mom did much the same thing."

"Yes I'd she they would. I was surprised when Jace told me to expect you," Celine said. "Surely your parents wanted you home for the summer."

"They did," Clary replied. "But I managed to convince them."

"Clary is very persuasive," Jace said grinning as he remember their first time together, and Clary's determination to ruin his perfect intentions. Celine smiled at them both, and Jace knew he'd been nervous for nothing, though really he'd already known. It was just nice not to have the knot in his stomach anymore.

"Jace has never brought a girl home to meet me before," Celine gushed. "I am so glad your parents let you come."

"I am an adult you know," Clary smiled. "They technically couldn't stop me." She winked, and Jace couldn't help but laugh a little. His girlfriend was so sassy sometimes.

"Oh pfft," Celine dismissed this argument. "Being a parent doesn't stop just because your kid turns eighteen. It's just that the government won't get upset if you kick them out after that." Jace's humor died long before his mother finished speaking. He wanted to hide his face in his hands, but Clary's easy laughter told him it wasn't as bad as he thought.

"I like your mom," Clary whispered as Celine went to check on dinner. "She's funny."

"Best mom ever," Jace agreed, smiling as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist. Celine returned then and announced Dinner wasn't quite ready.

"Would you like a tour of the house?" she asked. Clary agreed, and Jace followed them both down the familiar halls.

"And that's Jace's room," Celine said pointing to the room with his name spelt out in block letters on the door. "I should probably take those down, I just can't bring myself to do it. Oh, and you'll like the view from the patio." Jace followed Clary and Celine back down the hall and out through the door off the kitchen. He watched the look on Clary's face, rather than the view of the mountains covered in snow that he'd seen almost daily his own life.

"Do you remember the swing we used to have set up for you down there?" his mother asked, pointing to the back yard clearly visible from where they stood on the patio.

"Heh," Jace started. He could recall swinging as a child, but the exact swing in question was beyond his recollection. His mother laughed cheerfully before replying.

"It seems my efforts to enrich his childhood went unappreciated," she sighed, though Jace could tell she was joking.

"I bet you haven't even noticed that I painted the kitchen since Christmas?" Celine accused him. Jace wanted to confess that he had never once noticed it when she did things like that, so why did she think it was all gonna change now.

"I didn't want to interrupt you just to point it out," Jace improvised. "It's a beautiful colour, much better than the old one."

"Nice save," his mother laughed. "You shall have to keep an eye on this one Clary. He's a smooth talker." Jace missed the anxious look in Clary's eyes, though it was only there for a second.

"Ha ha," Jace said rolling his eyes "very funny." Then he racked his brain for what colour the kitchen had been before. Yellow? Pastel something? Urg, what did it matter, and why did his mother have to keep changing it? Maybe he could find a spot where the old colour could still be found, like under a light switch cover?

"Oh that's the oven!" Celine cried as they all heard a ding. She turned and headed back into the house, both Jace and Clary following her. Jace helped set the table, and then his mother placed the hot glass casserole dish down on and told them to dig in.

It was wonderful sitting there watching as the only two woman Jace had ever loved bonded before his eyes. Jace had never felt like this before. There was a warmth in his chest that he couldn't explain, that he didn't have the words to express.

"I should call my mom," Clary said after they finished eating. "I texted her when we landed, but I'm sure she'll call me soon if I don't call her."

"Excellent idea," Celine agreed. "Mother's do love a phone call every now and then." Clary excused herself, and the second she was out of earshot Celine turned to Jace with a very serious expression on her face.

"Don't let this one go," Celine said. "She's a keeper."

"I know, mom," Jace smiled, that same warm feeling in his chest again. "I know."

"Good," his mother replied clearly pleased. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why?" Jace asked, unsure what the context of the statement was.

"For finally sticking with one woman, and a smart one too," she smiled. "I didn't want you to be alone forever."

"Thanks mom," Jace smiled. Celine had told him this before, but never for something that meant so much to him. Jace knew he'd remember this for years to come, then his mother spoke again, and ruined the moment.

"Now I wanted to talk to you about Sebastian you never said what happened and-"

"Drop it mom," Jace sighed. "It's not my story to tell."

"But he's here,' Celine added. "In town. Maybe if you just go see him."

"No," Jace snapped.

"I don't understand," Celine sighed. "You were inseparable your whole lives, and now you just don't care all of a sudden?" Jace was starting to get mad, though not at his mother. He could also feel the beginning of tears in his eyes.

"Something happened that, as I said, isn't my secret to share," Jace whispered. Despite his promise to never allow Sebastin near Clary ever again, somehow they were in the same town. Oh, how Jace had hoped Sebastian hadn't come back here. Maybe bringing Clary home with him was a mistake. But if he hadn't, he wouldn't have seen her for four months!

"If you bring Sebastian up with Clary in the room we are leaving," Jace threatened as firmly as he could. "I mean it, mom. We will spend the summer with her parents, job or no job." Jace knew while he was working Clary would be spending alone time with his mother, and he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Celine was obviously shocked, but didn't say a word, and they sat in silence until Clary returned. Once Clary was back in the room again, the tension faded and they slipped back into pleasant conversation. Before bed they watched a movie. When Clary expressed a desire for sleep, Celine offered up Jace's old room.

"I am under no illusions as to what adult college students get up to," Celine said as she clearly indicated they could share the room. "Just don't give me any details."

"Deal," Jace laughed. He kissed her on the cheek then stood up, Clary's hand in his and went down the hall to bed.

"Your mom is lovely," Clary told him once they were alone. "For some reason I was expecting a less warm welcome."

"Why?" Jace asked.

"Well you know," Clary started but she didn't seem to know, or at least she had no idea how to express it.

"You can tell me anything Clary," Jace whispered to her.

"You know most- I mean they- have issues with their parents which is why they end up as-" Clary mumbled.

"As?" Jace inquired, pulling her into his arms.

"Players?" Clary said sheepishly. Jace had to laugh a little at the way she said it. Then he leaned in and kissed her briefly. He wanted to distract her from having to answer the question. Jace knew exactly how he'd ended up the way he had, and he didn't think Sebastian was a topic they needed at the moment.

Clary wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss like he knew she would. He loved that he had this effect on her. Turning off her brain as she'd once said to him. They kissed lazily until they both fell asleep in each other's arms, surrounded by the nicknacks and trophies of Jace's childhood.

Over the next few days a pattern emerged. Jace got up and went to work, kissing Clary goodbye before he left. On his lunch break, Jace either called his girlfriend or texted her, learning about what his mother and Clary had gotten up to that morning. When work ended, Jace went home and pulled the woman he loved into his arms before enjoying a quiet evening of conversation or light television. Aside from his having to go to work, it was the perfect way to spend the summer.

"I heard you were back," came a voice that made Jace's blood ran cold. "Didn't quite believe it though." Jace was at work, which meant he was on his back under a car and covered in engine grease.

Slowly Jace pushed out from under the car and stood up to face the one person in the world he didn't want to see or hear from ever again.

"Your mom isn't saying much," Sebastian remarked. "So I wanted to know if you have finally come back to your senses." Jace didn't speak. His hand curled into a fist, without conscious thought he had to resist the urge to punch his old best friend out right there.

"Pity," Sebastian smirked. "There's a new bar just opened and I need a wingman, but it seems he's permanently broken for some redhead wench. Such a shame."

"If you so much as look at her I'll-" Jace started.

"Oh is she here with you!" Sebastian said enthusiastically. "This is rather marvelous." Jace now wanted to punch himself in the head. He shouldn't have said anything. "Maybe I'll swing by and say hi." Sebastian laughed, then turned and with an absent wave of his hand, he left.

Jace wanted to skip the second half of his shift and run home. He wanted to call both his mother and Clary to warn them. Jace's heart was racing, every muscle in his body wanted him to move, to act! Jace wanted to run after Sebastian and beat on his face until it no longer resembled his own. The only thing that stopped him was Clary. His being in jail for assault, even well justified assault, wouldn't help Clary.

Taking a deep breath, Jace ran to the staff room, pulled out his phone, and quickly texted his mother.

'If Sebastian shows up you are NOT to let him in,' Jace messaged Celine. 'Don't let him near Clary no matter what!'

Breathing hard Jace waited for a reply, but didn't receive one. Should he ditch work and go home? Would that help? Maybe it had been an empty threat, and surely Sebastian wouldn't try anything in front of his mother? But Jace didn't know if just seeing Sebastian again would do to Clary emotionally.

"Hey, Jace you alright?" Jace jumped as his co-worker Larry put a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Fine," Jace said sharply.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Larry observed.

"I have," Jace whispered. Then he made a snap decision. Turning to Larry he said, "I have to run home for a bit. Can you cover for me?"

"Sure," Larry replied, and Jace bolted. He was already running down the street because he'd formed another thought. His mind could only think of Clary scared with Sebastian standing over her. Jace's walk to work usually took over half the time his sprint home did, and he soon found himself bursting through his mother's front door.

"Clary?" Jace called.

"Jace?" Clary called back with nothing but confused surprise in her voice. Jace breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt instantly foolish for panicking like he had.

"What are you doing home so early?" Clary asked, as she walked towards him. "You mother is teaching me to knit."

"That's great," Jace gasped. He was very out of breath from running the whole way home.

"Are you okay?" Clary asked. Jace looked into those green eyes he loved, and knew the safest option was honestly. So he told her that Sebastian had visited him, and threatened to visit her as well.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Jace finished his story. Clary looked a little pale and she didn't speak.

"Please tell me if you want to go back home," Jace said. "I would totally understand."

Something flickered in Clary's eyes for a moment that Jace couldn't identify, then she snapped out of whatever trance she'd been in.

"You should get back to work," Clary said leaning up to kiss him. "And I have knitting to learn. I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah," Jace smiled at her. "As long as you're okay." Clary nodded with a determination that helped settle Jace's anxiety.

"Now go," Clary repeated, kissing him once more before shooing him out the door.

Jace didn't bolt quite as fast to work, but he still ran. When he arrived, Jace got right back under the car he'd been working on, and tried not to think about anything other than engines and spark plugs. Everything was fine.

And it was for about a week. Then one day Jace arrived home from work to find his mother and his girlfriend sitting on the couch crying, their arms wrapped around each other.


So my beta reader's reaction to this cliffhanger was: Really! You better send me the next chapter soon! You can't leave me hanging like that!

*insert evil laugh here* And you guys thought Sebastian was gone. hehe

Anyway... I'm back! Were you worried I died? It sure feels like I haven't updated this in ages. Or maybe that's just me. Either way I had an epic binge writing session yesterday and wrote close to 6,000 words in one day like a spaz who was just so glad to be over her writer's block of almost a week! Urg! So annoying! That is like the longest I have ever gone without writing in a year! Totally lame. I blame life.

Most of the next four chapters are written. Some are only half there while others are done and just need editing. Because of the nature of this story and its many plot lines I tend to plot between 2-7 chapters in advance to make sure everything fits.

I got an interesting review about points of view and how using dialogue to anchor a scene and often repeating dialogue in this story, instead of making it less confusing, it's just repetitive and boring. It was an interesting perspective and I wanted to know if any of you share this opinion? I mean technically if you found it repetitive you could just skim over it. I guess I have always been someone who craves every little detail about what is going on so I tend to overlap before I cut especially with so many points of view. Though I have done what she suggested in other stories and merely summarized the other characters feelings rather than show the events again.


Sneak Peek Chapter 52

"Sit," Tessa ordered both her boys one day. She'd asked them both to come meet her at Jem's to straighten this whole thing out. They both sat looking up at her.

"You," she pointed at Jem. "Stop saying we should get married. We aren't without you. And you-" she pointed at Will. "Stop well... just stop. Both of you stop being so freaking selfless you are killing me here! I want you both to honestly tell me what your best case scenario is and then I will pick! Got it!"

They both nodded then each proceeded to tell her they just wanted her to be happy and she almost hit them.