Twenty Sixth Story:
Illness
Clary POV:
"Clare? Are you awake?" I hear Jon ask and I open my eyes.
"Yea." I manage to squeak out.
"You need to take your pills." He says as he as he hands me some water.
"They make me sick Jon." I say and he sits on the edge of my bed.
"I know they do Clare, but they will also help with your sickness. You need to take them." I nod and take the pills and lay back down. "I have a friend coming over today. We're both captains for the basketball team and we're going to go over plays. Are you okay with that?"
"Sure. I'll be confined to my bed anyway."
"I know, but he'll be walking by to get to my room. I mean, not that I don't love giving up the living room, but I know you don't like people seeing you like this." He says and I smile.
"It's okay. I'm dying, no need to try and make a good impression on anyone anyway."
"Clary."
"Jon, I've come to terms with it, you should too." I say and he pats my leg and stands.
"I'll be home around 3." He leans down and kissed my forehead. He walks out the door and I close my eyes and drift off into darkness.
Jon POV:
I go throughout my day like I do every other day. Waiting for it to be over so I can go back and take care of Clary. I know she hates that I treat her like a patient but I'm not giving up on her. I don't care what she says, I won't let her go down without a fight. I get to the lunch table that I share with the new kids. I don't really know how we became friends, but somehow we did and they were pretty cool.
"Yo Jon, what time should I be at your house today?" Jace asks.
"Probably like 3:30, but I should warn you, my sisters sick so be prepared." I said and he nodded. I didn't want to tell him that she was sick sick. I don't want him to have a preconceived notion of who Clary was.
School ended and I made my way home. I walked in to the house and saw Clary sleeping. She was hooked up to a majority of machines. A heart monitor, blood pressure, her chemo machine, and she had a breathing machine with her in case it became too much. The home care nurse was just leaving when I got there. Clary was all unhooked from her round of chemo and I knew today was going to be a long day.
Jace POV:
I got to Jon's house and started walking up the stairs. I knocked on the door and Jon opened it.
"Hey man." I said and he nodded.
"Hey. Mind if you keep quiet until we get to my room. My sister is sleeping." He said and I nod. He invites me in and I'm stunned. There is a hospital bed set up in their living room with a bunch of machines surrounding a tiny girl. She doesn't look old, but I didn't know if that was the disease or if she was just young. Jon leads me up to his room. I want to ask but I don't want to seem intrusive.
"Alright, we need to think of some new plays because these are starting to fail us miserably." Jon says and I laugh. We work on the plays for about two hours when I get thirsty.
"I'm going to go get a drink. You want anything?"
"Naw. I'm good." He says and I make my way to the kitchen. I open the fridge to get a drink when I hear her speak.
"Jon?" She calls out and I decide to go out an see what she needs. I walk out and she looks embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I thought you were my brother."
"It's okay. Do you need anything?" I ask and she smiles. She's really quite beautiful.
"I can't find the remote, and I'd rather not watch Telemundo." She says and I laugh. I look around and find it on the floor. I pick it up and hand it to her. "Thanks."
"Why was the TV on Telemundo in the first place?" I ask and she looks like she doesn't want to talk but does anyway.
"My home care nurse watches her soap operas while I get treatment. Normally she changes it back for me before she leaves but I guess she forgot." She says and I nod.
"Need anything else before I go?" I ask and she takes a moment to think about it.
"What time is it?"
"Almost 6. Why?"
"Can you get Jon for me?" She asks and I nod. I walk to the stairs and call for Jon. He comes down immediately and makes his way over to Clary. I stand in the doorway trying not to intrude on their conversation but I hear it anyway.
"What do you need Clare?"
"I think I want to try and eat something." She says.
"Really? You had chemo today, do you think that's the best decision?"
"I feel really hungry, and if I throw it all up, that's what I get, but I'd like to try." She says and he nods. He walks over to me and before he passes he stops.
"Do you mind staying with her while I make food?" I shake my head and he walks to the kitchen while I walk over and sit down in the chair next to her bed. I sit down and watch TV with her until she talks.
"You don't have to babysit me. I know Jon treats me like I'm 4 but I'm okay with being alone." She says and I smile.
"I'm not babysitting." I say and she laughs. "How about we get to know each other?" I say and she shrugs. "Well, my name is Jace. I just moved here with my adoptive family a couple months ago."
"I'm Clary." I nod and continue.
"I'm a senior. I have no idea what I want to do after high school. I'm 18. I play basketball and baseball."
"I'm a junior, or I would be if I could still attend school. I recently turned 17. I used to play soccer, which is how I found out I had cancer. I'm dying, but Jon refuses to believe it. I used to have red hair but now I'm bald." She said and I laugh. She looks at me before she cracks a smile. I liked making her smile. "You said you were adopted?" She asks and I nod.
"When I was 14. My father had been killed in the line of duty when I was young so it was just my mom and I for a while, but when I was 12 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She fought a hard fight for two years before she died. The Lightwoods were close friends and decided to take me in."
"That was really kind of them. My parents kinda bailed after I got sick. They pay for my medical bills, but that's it. Jon takes care of me."
"You're lucky to have him. I know how hard it is to watch the one you love go through this." I say and she smiles.
"Clary?" I heard Jon call from the kitchen. "Do you want soup or spaghetti?" She looks at me and smiles.
"Can you tell him I want spaghetti?" She asks and I nod.
"She wants spaghetti Jon." I say.
"Thanks man." He says back and I look at Clary.
"Thank you."
"No problem. So what are you going to watch?"
"Ridiculousness." She says and I smile. "It's one of the rare things that still makes me laugh."
"I love that show! Although I can't stand Chanel's laugh. It drives me crazy!" She laughs.
"Me either. But the videos are hilarious so I suffer through it." She puts it on and we sit there and talk and laugh until Jon brings out her food. I look at the clock and figure I should be getting home.
"Hey man, I gotta get home. We'll work some more on those plays another time. It was great meeting you Clary, and maybe we could do this again?" I say as I gesture to the TV.
"I'd like that. You know where to find me." She says and Jon gets up and walks me to the door.
"What are you playing at Jace?" He asks and I'm shocked.
"What do you mean?"
"You just asked if you could come back to hang out with my sister."
"So?"
"So? She has cancer."
"I know. What's the problem?" I ask. I really don't get the big deal.
"She is sick."
"I know that. She seems like a cool girl. I just thought she'd like some company every now and then." I say and his face softens.
"I guess company wouldn't be too bad. I'm trying everything in my power to keep her fighting." He says and I know this is hard for him.
"Look, I know it's tough, but keeping her isolated isn't going to keep her spirits up. I'll only make her lonely. I'll see you at school man."
"See you." He says and I make it to my car. I enjoy being with Clary. She's funny, and beautiful. I wanted to get to know her.
Time Jump - A Month Later
Jace POV:
I have been going over to hang out with Jon and Clary a couple times a week since I met her, and her attitude has improved drastically. She still has her bad days, but Jon says that my visits have been making her a little more optimistic. We were siting at lunch and Jon sat down.
"Jace, I was wondering if Izzy and Alec wouldn't mind coming over to meet Clary. I think you were right about the isolating. Ever since you've been coming over she seems like more of a fighter." Jon said and I smiled.
"Sure." I turned around and cleared my throat and Izzy and Alec stopped their conversation and looked at me. "How would you guys like to meet Jon's little sister today?"
"You have a sister?" Izzy asks and Jon nods. "Sure. We can come over right after school right?"
"Absolutely. Just follow me home." Jon says and they nod.
The rest of the day goes by quickly and I'm excited to see Clary. She got chemo yesterday so today should be a better day. The final bell rang and we all went out to our cars and followed Jon home. We got there and all started walking to the door. We walked in and Clary was sitting in bed eating some applesauce.
"What up baldy? How ya feeling?" I greeted her and she laughed. Izzy and Alec looked mortified but Clary and I had that kind of friendship now.
"Been better. They changed my chemo, so yesterday was my first round with it. Man did it knock me on my ass." She said and I laughed. "Well, it would have if I could walk by myself." She said. Izzy and Alec were standing there looking awkward to I decided to introduce them.
"Clary, this is my brother and sister, Alec and Izzy. You and Izzy are the same age."
"It's nice to meet you guys. Don't be afraid to stare. I understand it can be very unfamiliar." She said. Izzy and Alec nodded. They took a seat on the couch, Jon took the chair and I sat on the bed with Clary. She's been having a hard time keeping her body temperature and I'm apparently like a human heater so when I come over I keep her warm.
The phone rings and Jon goes to the kitchen to answer it. 10 minutes later he's back and he looks stunned.
"What happened Jon?"
"That was the hospital. You remember how you got tested last week Clare?" He asks and she nods. "Apparently the chemo is working." He said and she looked stunned.
"So I might not die?" She asks and Jon shakes his head. "I could beat this?"
"You can beat this Clare." Jon said and he came over and gave her a kiss on the forehead and a hug. "I told you to keep fighting sis."
I gave Clary a hug and the atmosphere completely changed. Izzy and Clary got to talking and they actually got along really well. Alec stayed rather quiet but he's always like that so I didn't expect much. We sat there for another hour when the doorbell rang. Jon smiled and got up and opened the door and two guys walked in. Clary sucked in a sharp breath.
"Simon? Magnus? What are you doing here?" She asked and both guys smiled.
"Jon called us. He told us that you were finally ready for visitors." The geeky looking one said.
"We've missed you biscuit." The sparkly one said and Clary laughed.
"I missed you guys too. Oh, these are Jon's new friends. That's Izzy, and Alec and this one" she pointed to me and smiled "is Jace."
"Nice to meet you all. We can only stay for a bit. Simon agreed to meet Eric at Java Jones for his poetry slam, and I can't leave Chairman Meow home alone for long periods of time."
"Chairman Meow?" Alec said from behind and everyone looked. "That's a strange name."
"He's a strange cat. It suits him." Magnus said and I could sense the chemistry between them. "We just wanted to come by and say hi. It's been a while."
"That it has. Don't be strangers. I'm up for visitors these days." Clary says and they both smile. The both come over and give Clary a kiss on the forehead before heading out. They both left and the atmosphere was a positive one for the first time since I've meet Clary, and I was hoping that things only got better from here.
Time Jump - Three Months Later
Jace POV:
Jon and I had just finished basketball practice and we're heading back to his house for some dinner. Clary had been getting better since the new dosage of chemo and she looked healthier despite looking sick. I got out of my car and headed towards the house and when I opened the door Clary wasn't in her bed. I panicked, and I walked over and saw her laying on the ground next to her bed.
"Hey." She said with a smile on her face and the panic instantly faded. "What's up?"
"I feel like I should be asking that question. Why are you on the floor?"
"I was feeling ambitious. I thought I could walk on my own. I was wrong. Very wrong." She laughed and I couldn't help the smile. I walked over and picked her up as put her back in bed.
"How long were you down there?" I asked and she looked at the clock.
"Maybe an hour."
"Jesus Clare. You should have called me."
"Why?"
"I would have come to help."
"You had practice."
"You're more important than practice." I said and I didn't mean to say it, even though it's true. I looked up at Clary and smiled. "You need me Clare, I'll be here." She smiled. Our faces were inches from each other and I was about to take a leap of faith until the door opened and we broke apart. Jon walked in and told us he was making pizza for dinner and went into the kitchen. I looked back at Clary and she was blushing. I smiled and sat down on the bed next to her and tilted her chin up and I made her look into my eyes. I leaned down and presses my lips to her. The chemistry was insane, and I never wanted to stop. We pulled apart for a moment and I smiled at her and she smiled back.
"What was that for?" She asked and I smiled.
"That was me, kissing the girl I like." I said and she looked shocked.
"You like me?" She asked and I nod. "Why? You could have any girl you want, why choose the sick girl? You want the sympathy from others?"
"Not at all. I like you. You're fun to be around, and I like talking to you. It has nothing to do with you being sick. And I know you felt that chemistry when we kissed."
"But why me? I'm ugly, pale, too thin, and a bunch of other things."
"You are beautiful Clary. You have a beautiful smile, a beautiful laugh, a beautiful personality, and a beautiful drive that keeps you going. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. No one can compare to you." I said and she's speechless. "One shot. Let me take you on one date, and after that after you can decide."
"Jace, I can't leave my bed, how are you going to take me on a date?"
"Who said we have to leave to go on a date? I have it all figured out. Just give me a shot." I said and I could see her thinking about it.
"Okay. I'll give you a shot, but you should know, I've never been on a date before, and I've never had a boyfriend."
"Well, I've never had a girlfriend before, so it looks like we're both exploring new territory." I said and she smiled. I climbed into bed with her to warm her up and we watched TV until dinner was ready. She looked at me and seemed like she wanted to say something. "What are you thinking about?" I asked and she smiled.
"I want to eat in the kitchen with you and Jon. I want to have a normal dinner."
"Are you sure?"
"Yea, but could you carry me? Walking clearly isn't my thing." She said and I laughed. I hoisted her up and walked into the kitchen and Jon looked shocked.
"What's this?"
"This is Clary wanting to eat dinner like a normal person." I say and Jon smiles.
"Well, you go sit and Jace and I will get dinner ready." Jon said and I placed Clary at the table while I grabbed dinner with Jon. Before we went back to the table Jon stopped me. "Is there something going on with you and my sister?"
"Why would you think that?"
"The way you were holding her. It seemed pretty intimate."
"I'm not going to lie to you, I like her. And I asked her to give me a shot."
"Are you sure? I don't want her to get hurt. She's going through a lot."
"I asked for one date. That's all. If she doesn't want to continue after that, I won't push her. I like her. A lot. And I want to see how things go." I say and he nods.
"I trust you with her Jace. Don't hurt her." I nodded and we went back to the table as set dinner out. Clary didn't eat much but she looked happy to be enjoying her one out of her bed. When she was done I picked her back up and placed her back in her bed. We sat there watching TV and laughing until I noticed that she was asleep. I tucked her in and made the bed flat and turned off the TV. I kissed her forehead, said by to Jon and made my way home. I had to start planning this date because I wanted it to be perfect for Clary.
Time Jump – A Week Later
Jace POV:
I had everything set up for this date and I was nervous. I had asked Jon to make himself scarce for this evening. I knew Clary was too sick to be out of her house so I'm bringing the date to her. Izzy was going over to help Clary get ready, and I was running around getting food and preparing to surprise Clary. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. I wanted Clary to like me back, and I wanted her to know that I had genuine feelings for her. I didn't want her thinking I wanted to pity vote or the good Samaritan award. We go along, and I loved her company. The fact that she's sick does nothing except make me want to give her the world. I got their house and knocked and Jon answered.
"Hey man."
"Hey. Is Clary in her room?"
"Yea. I took her up about two hours ago and Izzy took her hostage. I told Izzy that once she's done to let you know so you can go up and bring her down."
"Thanks man. I really appreciate this. I know you aren't thrilled but I'm glad you agreed."
"She's my little sister. I've been taking care of her for 2 years while she's been dealing with this. I've been trying to make her happy this whole time, and for some reason you make her happy. And if she's happy, I'm happy." He leaves and I start setting up the room. I changed the sheets on her bed to a ruby red, and projected a movie up on the wall. I draped curtain to hide all her machines. I got a small table ready next to each side of the bed and put a single red rose on hers. I got out the food, and since I know she's feeling better but food isn't her strong suit yet I decided to go with a light soup for her. I hung some Christmas lights above the bed to give the room a soft glow. When I was finished I was admiring my work when I heard footsteps. I turn around to see Izzy.
"Wow. This is beautiful." She said and I smiled.
"Thank you. I tried really hard."
"I see. This might be the most romantic thing I've ever seen. I wish any of my boyfriends would try this hard for me."
"This is serious to me. I want her to know that I'm serious. Did you put her in the outfit I gave you?"
"She looks cute as a button. She was really confused when I pulled out the pajamas, and I told her she would just have to wait and see. I'm guessing you chose red for a reason?"
"It looks the best with her green eyes." I said and Izzy walked over to me and gave me a hug.
"Have a great night Jace. She's waiting for you up there." Izzy walked out of the house and I made my way upstairs. I walked into her room and she was sitting on her bed.
"Hey." I said and she smiled.
"Hey, so what's the plan for tonight?" She asked and I walked over and cooped her up.
"You'll have to wait and see." I said and she laughed and I made our way downstairs. When we entered the living room she gasped.
"This is beautiful." She said and I placed her on the bed. "You did all of this for me?"
"I told you I cared about you. I wanted you to know that I was serious about liking you. I know you've never been on a date, and what I really wanted you to do for you is clearly out of the question, but this was the best way I could show you I was serious."
"This is absolutely perfect." She said. "And now I understand the pajamas. I was really confused when Izzy took them out."
"There was no need to get you dressed up to sit in bed." I said and she laughed. I put on the movie and we sat there and ate dinner and then cuddled on the bed while the movie played. It was 11 at night and Clary had fallen asleep. I wanted to get up but I was just as tired as she was and I closed my eyes for a split second and I was out.
Jon POV:
It had been hours since Jace went to my house to have a date with Clary, and he was suppose to text me when he was done but I never got a text. I had nothing else to do so I decided to make my way back to our house and see what was happening. I got there and Jace's car was still in the driveway, and I was confused. I walked in the house and saw Clary and Jace asleep on her bed while a movie was projected on the screen. I decided to let them sleep while I cleaned up. I noticed that Clary had eaten everything Jace brought for her and I was really proud of her. When I was finished cleaning up I went back out to the living room and Jace was waking up. I walked over and stood at the foot of the bed until he was completely awake.
"What time is it?" He asked and I laughed.
"Almost midnight."
"Shit. I'm sorry man. I didn't realize how tired I was."
"Don't worry about it. How did it go?"
"I think it went great. She ate everything, which I wasn't expecting. We watched two movies before she fell asleep."
"The living room looks different."
"I wanted it to look as much like a movie theater than a hospital room as I could."
"I appreciate you doing this for her man."
"I told you I cared about her Jon. I wouldn't lie about that." I nodded and he slowly got off the bed and gave Clary a quick kiss on the forehead. "I really need to get home. If she wakes up before you go to sleep please tell her that I had a good time and I'll talk to her soon."
"Of course. Have a good night man." I said and he nodded before leaving. I turned off the TV and hooked the heart monitor up to her finger and she stirred awake. "Good morning sleeping beauty."
"What time is it?" She asked in a groggy voice.
"A little after midnight."
"Where is Jace?"
"He left about 15 minutes ago. He told me to tell you he had a great time and he'll talk to you soon." I said and she smiled. "Did you have a great time?"
"I did. He was totally accommodating to me. I mean, he brought me pajamas to wear, he hid all my machines, got me food that I could actually eat, and we watched my favorite movies. It was perfect."
"I'm glad he's treating you right. I'd totally kick his ass if he wasn't."
"He's a sweet guy Jon, maybe not to you, but he is to me." She said and I leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Get some sleep Clare. I'll see you in the morning." She smiled and laid back down and I made my way upstairs. I was happy that Jace was treating her like a normal girl, and if he makes her this happy, I can't complain.
Time Jump – Two Days Later
Jace POV:
I have been on cloud nine since my date with Clary. We had been talking for the rest of the weekend and I had told her that I was going to be visiting her after school today. I don't know what it was but she made me feel something I've never felt before. She made me feel genuinely happy. I smiled more around her and I was just in a better mood all the time. I had been in my own bubble the first half of school, but when I got to lunch everything went south. I got to our table but Jon was missing.
"Have you guys seen Jon today?" I asked.
"I haven't seen him since after third period. He was running out of the building." Izzy said and I knew something had happened. I ran out and got in my car and made a beeline for her house. I was speeding and running stop signs and red lights but I just didn't care. I need to see her. When I got to her house there was an ambulance and Jon was standing on the porch looking frantic. Next thing I know is they are wheeling Clary out in a stretcher and there is so much screaming. I make my way up to the porch to talk to Jon.
"What's going on?" I ask and Jon looks at me with blood shot eyes.
"Her home care nurse texted me saying her heart rate was extremely low, and a minute later she flat lined. I got her as fast as I could and when I walked into the house they were trying to resuscitate her. They used the defibrillator Jace. She didn't have a heart beat."
"Is she okay?"
"They got her heart started but it's faint. Jace I can't lose her. She's everything to me. I don't know what I'd do without her." He said and I looked back to see the ambulance pulling out of the driveway.
"Come on, I'll drive you to the hospital." I said and Jon nodded and we got into my car and made our way to the hospital.
We waited in the waiting room for over and hour before someone came to let us know what was going on. The chemo she's been getting weakened her heart and there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it from happening. They are switching her chemo so that it won't happen again, but for now she is sedated heavily with a tube down her throat and she most likely won't wake up for at least a week. I felt my whole body start to crumble. This shouldn't be happening to Clary. She was too good for this. She didn't deserve it. And there was a part of me that was worried she wouldn't make it through.
Time Jump – A Week Later
Jace POV:
I had been in this room for a week. I haven't left. My mom wrote a letter to the school explaining why I wasn't going to be there. I couldn't do anything but sit in that room and hold her hand. For the first two days I cried, and I never cry but I just couldn't handle seeing Clary looking so lifeless. I was pulled out of my thoughts by a knock on the door. When I turned around my family was standing in the doorway.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked as they filed in.
"After we heard I talked to Jon." Izzy said. I got up to let everyone have a seat. I sat on the foot of Clary's bed, never breaking contact. "He told us to wait a few days before visiting. He wanted some time with her, and than he told us to give you some time with her, and I called him again today and he said we were more than welcomed to come down and visit." I nod. "How is she?"
"Her heart rate is back to normal, but she's not getting enough oxygen which is why she has the tube down her throat. She's still heavily sedated. The doctors are optimistic but it still sucks." I say and they all nod.
"You really care about her don't you?" Robert said and I looked at Clary.
"Yea. She means more to me than anyone ever has. Seeing her like this is killing me." I said and the room went silent. Jon showed up half an hour later and everyone started to have their own conversations. I just sat on the bed rubbing Clary's leg. I needed her to at least know she wasn't alone. After about 2 hours one of her monitors started going crazy and Clary's eyes shot opened. Nurses rushed into the room and started removing the tube and checking everything out. After about 10 minutes they all started to leave the room. I looked back at Clary and saw that she was still awake. I walked over to the side of the bed and grabbed her hand it took her several minutes to gather her thoughts but after a minute she smiled at me.
"Hey." She said and I couldn't help but lean down and give her a quick peck on the lips.
"How are you feeling?" I asked as I sat down on the bed.
"Cold." She said and I laughed. She scooted over and got under the blankets with her and she was freezing. She curled into my side and sighed contently. "How long have I been out?"
"A week." I said and she groaned. "You scared us Clare."
"I'm sorry. I felt fine that morning. It wasn't until my homecare nurse noticed the decrease in my heart that it was nearly too late. It happened so fast." She said and I pulled her closer.
"I don't know what I'd do without you." I said and she looked up at me.
"You know, you might have to live without me one day Jace."
"Clary." I started but she cut me off.
"Jace, I have cancer." She said and I flinched. "Sure, the chemo is doing something but it might stop working. Hell, it stopped my heart. I could die any day. I don't want you to have false hope like Jon. It'll destroy you."
"I'm not giving up on you Clary. I believe you can beat this. I believe that you will come out stronger after this. I want you to believe you can conquer anything. Cancer sucks. It really does. But I'm not giving up. I don't think the cancer is going to win. I think you are going to beat this. And I'll be here every step of the way."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"It gets messy. Chemo days suck. I look like a shell of a human. It gets bad. Even Jon doesn't look at me for days until I resemble the Clary he knew."
"I don't care. I'll be there cleaning up the puke and holding you to keep you warm."
"You have school."
"Whatever day you have chemo, I'll take off. I'll have Maryse tell the school I won't be there due to family emergencies. I don't care what I have to do, I'll be there for you Clary."
"Why would you do that?"
"Honestly, I think I may be in love with you." I say and she sucks in a breath. "When we aren't together I'm constantly thinking about being with you, when we have to leave each other I get sad, and every time something bad happens I have this need to protect you. I've never felt that towards someone before. It scares me, but I am willing to do anything I need to to be there for you." We sit there in silence for a moment before she speaks.
"I think I might be in love with you too." She says and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. "I feel this strong connection between us, and I never want to be apart. The fact that I could die is scary as hell because I know it would mean leaving you. I had accepted it before, but every since we met I'm becoming less and less content with leaving this earth. Leaving you behind." I hear her sniffle and when I look down she is crying.
"Hey, you're a fighter. I know you can do this. I'll be here no matter what. I promise, you won't be doing this alone." She nodded and rested her head on my chest. I pull her closer and soon she falls asleep. I can't help but think that she could potentially lose this battle, and I don't know how I'll be able to cope if that day ever happens.
Time Jump – Six Months Later
Clary POV:
About 2 months ago I had received the best news in the whole world. I had been put in remission and was now undergoing radiation to kill whatever else was in my body. My hair was starting to grow back, and I felt like I looked like a girl who let her brother take a pair of scissors to my head but Jace told me every single day how beautiful I was, and despite how I felt about myself, I couldn't help but believe him.
I was still confined to my bed, but I didn't need any of the machines, and I was actually allowed in my own bed instead of a hospital bed. I haven't sleep in a normal bed in years, and the first night in my own bed was like heaven. I had just closed my eyes when my door flew opened, and when I looked up there stood Jace.
"What are you doing here?" I asked and he smiled and walked towards me.
"I was expecting you to be in the bed downstairs, but when I walked in, everything was gone." He took his seat on the bed and I smiled.
"The doctor told me I didn't need it anymore. Since I've been in remission he said I could sleep in my own bed." I said and Jace nodded and scooted me over and took his place next to me. He wrapped his arm around me, and I laid my head on his chest. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?" I asked and I could feel him laugh.
"I wanted to ask you something."
"What?" I asked and he picked me up and put me on his lap and I rested my hands on his shoulders.
"Prom is in a couple weeks, and I was wondering, would you like to go with me?" He asked and my eyes widened.
"Prom?" I ask and he nods. "Like dresses, and heels, and other kids?" I ask and he laughs.
"You can say no. I won't be offended. We can have a night in."
"Wait, you wouldn't go if I said no?" I ask and he shakes his head.
"You're the only one I want to go with, and if you don't want to, than neither do I." He said and I leaned down and kissed him.
"I'd love too." I said and he got the biggest smile on his face.
"I'll let Izzy know. Every since I told her I was going to ask you she's been talking none stop about dresses, and hair, and make up." He said and my hands instantly flew to my hair.
"I'm going to look like a boy." I said and he grabbed my hands and pulled them away from my head.
"You'll be the most beautiful girl there." He said and he kissed the palm of my hand.
"Not standing next to Izzy." I mumbled and he laughed.
"Izzy is a beautiful girl, but she doesn't hold a candle to you." He said and I looked at him about to protest when he cut me off. "You honestly don't know how amazing you are Clary. You are absolutely stunning. You have the most infectious laugh, and you brighten the darkest room with you smile. Everything about you is beautiful."
"I love you." I said and his eyes widened. I knew we had talked about it before but we had never actually said it. He pulled me close and pressed his lips to mine.
"I love you too." He said and I couldn't help but smile. I cuddled into his side as he pulled the covers over us. Despite my insecurities, I was excited to go to prom with Jace, and I wouldn't let anything ruin that.
Time Jump – Prom
Clary POV:
Izzy had gotten here a couple hours ago, and she had been relentless. My hair had grown to the middle of my neck and it wasn't long enough for Izzy to do anything, so she bought extensions, and curled away at it. We had found my dress only last week, according to Izzy, no dress was good enough until she pulled a gold dress off the rack and wouldn't let me walk out of the store without it.
"Alright, you are now ready to look." Izzy said and I took a deep breath and turned around. I was floored. My hair was curled to perfection, my make up was a smoky eye with a bright red lip. The gold dress reached the floor, and I was wearing 4 inch heels. It took me a couple days to learn how to walk in them, but I felt confident in them.
"Iz." I said and I turned around. "You are a miracle worker." I said and she laughed and gave me a hug.
"No, I just doll up what I already have." She said and I smiled. "Now let's go, our dates are here." I nodded and we walked downstairs. Three guys were standing there, and I knew Jace and Jon, but Simon was standing with them and I looked at Izzy and she blushed, like actually blushed and kept walking. All three of them turned around when they heard the heels, and Jace had the biggest smile on his face. I smiled and looked down as I made my way over to him.
"You look stunning." He said and he gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"You look very handsome." I said and he grabbed my hand and led me to the car. We all got in and Jon drove us to prom. When we got there we got out of the car and I suddenly felt out of place.
"Are you okay Clare?"
"I haven't been in a school in almost 3 years, and I haven't been around this many people in a while, and according to Izzy, you're pretty much the eye candy around here." I said and I turned to him. "I don't want to cause any problems."
"Listen to me Clary, I don't care what happens, I won't let those girls in that gym do anything to you. I'll protect you from anything. You know that." He said and I nodded. He kissed my forehead and we headed towards the gym.
Everything was set up beautifully, and not going to lie, I was in a bit of a shock. I hadn't been in a school in a while and seeing it transformed into this was really cool. Izzy, Simon, Alec, Magnus, and Jon were all standing around a table. Jace and I walked over and Jon pulled me into a hug. We were all standing around talking when a slow song started. Izzy grabbed Simon and pulled him onto the floor, Alec, and Magnus followed, Jon went and found some girl and Jace grabbed my hand and led me to the floor.
"I don't know how to dance." I said and Jace laughed.
"Luckily for you, I can." He said and he pulled me close to him. We danced until the song was almost over and we were about to walk away someone tapped on his shoulder. We broke apart and there was this girl standing there twirling her hair around her fingers.
"Hey Jacey. Want to dance?" She said and I couldn't help but feel self conscious.
"No thank you. I'm here with someone." He said and he pulled me closer.
"Right, the cancer patient. Getting your charity in now. You can just put her in a chair and join me." She said and I rolled my eyes.
"She isn't a charity case. She's my girlfriend and I would appreciate if you apologized." He said and his gripped tightened on my hip.
"Come on Jacey, you don't do relationships. And you can have a lot more fun with me than you can with the cancer patient." She said and I knew Jace was about to speak I stepped in.
"First, I am insulted at the fact that you think I'm not fun. We have a lot of fun, right Jace?" I smiled and he laughed and nodded. "Second, I don't have cancer at this moment. So your description of me is inaccurate. Third, you should back off my boyfriend soon or I'll shove my heel up you spray tanned ass." I said and she scoffed and walked away. I turned around and looked at Jace and he was smiling and I was about to say something when his lips were on mine.
"I'm proud of you Clare."
"I could tell how mad she was making you, and she doesn't have the right to judge me without knowing me, and she doesn't have the right to judge our relationship. It's ours, and we have ever right to do with it as we please." I say and he smiles.
"You're right. But that doesn't mean we can't steal her idea." He said and he got a smirk on his face. "Follow me." He grabbed my hand and he led me down a hallway. We passed a lot of doors until we reached one door, he opened it and led me in. I looked around and realized that we were in a music room. I turned around and Jace locked the door and had a mischievous smirk on his face.
"What are we doing here?"
"I thought I could serenade you into fooling around." He said and my jaw dropped before I started laughing. He led me over to the bench, he opened the piano cover, and started playing. I sat down next to him and listened to him playing. He was absolutely amazing. When he finished I was stunned. I looked up at him and smiled.
"You're amazing." I said and he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. "And I think you won a little fooling around after that performance." I said and he smirked and kissed me again.
"I love you." He said and I couldn't help but smile.
"I love you too." I said and he was kissing me again. I was happy, and I never wanted this feeling to end. Everything was perfect right now, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Authors Note:
I have been trying to come up with ideas regarding all the stories that you have suggested, but I've hit a mental block. I've had this one in the works for a couple weeks, and finally decided to finish it! I hope you all like it, and I promise I'll do one of your suggestions soon! Also, please don't be impatient with your ideas! I write the ones that I have a really solid story line for. If I don't have a solid idea I wait until I do because I want to do everyone's story justice! Let me know what you think! :)
