Forty Fifth Story:

Marrying A Stranger

Jace POV:

Finding love was never really easy for me. Sure getting a girlfriend was easy, but I've never had that connection with someone. I never really had a relationship last more than a few months, and than I would cut them loose. It's not that I didn't like them, they just liked my money so much more than they liked me. You see, being the founder of a pretty large company does come with some perks. I'm my own boss, I make a lot of money to support myself, and I get the satisfaction of knowing that I build something from the ground up and I get to watch it thrive. Now at 33 I want something more. I want to come home to a woman who I love, and who loves me and I want to start a family. Ever since I knew what happened to my parents having kids was something that meant a lot to me, and I don't want to do that with just anyone.

When this experiment presented itself to me I was a little skeptical. I mean, being matched with someone based on 4 people who don't really know me, but are trying to find me love was scary, but what did I have to lose? I wasn't getting any younger, and clearly I wasn't doing anything right, so I signed up and I had my first meeting with the experts today and I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty nervous. I got to the building and was seated in a room immediately and I was just waiting for them to come in. my palms started to sweat and I was getting pretty hot and once the door opened my heart started racing.

"Jonathan Herondale?" The older woman said and I stood up.

"Please, call me Jace." I said and I shook all their hands.

"So Jace, today is just simply us getting to know what you want in a partner." The man said and I nodded. "First, I want you to know that this is going to end in a marriage." My eyes widened. They had failed to mention that part.

"I have to get married?" I asked and they all nodded.

"We know it seems insane, and hell it probably is, but it's a chance, and if you're willing to take that chance we promise to match you with the best possible candidate to be your wife." The one woman said and I couldn't believe it. I was going to get married. I was going to have a wife by the end of the month.

"You know, I agreed to this because dating my way isn't working, and if you are so confident in picking my future wife, than I trust you to make that decision."

"Wonderful." The woman said and than looked at me. "So Jace, what do you want in a future wife?"

"I want someone who is independent, who can make me laugh, and forget about the stress of my job when we're together." I said and they started taking notes. "Someone smart, I want to be able to hold a decent conversation with her, and not feeling like my brain cells are dying every time she opens her mouth. I'm not going to lie, I can pretty full of myself sometimes, and I can be really sarcastic in some of the most inappropriate times, but I want someone who will love that part about me but also know when to put me in my place. I am who I am, and I don't want to fully give up who I am for someone, but I know that a relationship is going to take some compromise."

"How do you feel about having a family one day?" The man asked.

"I can't be with someone who doesn't want a family. I have dreamed about having a family of my own since I was 24 years old. It's very important to me. I was a foster kid, and I didn't get placed with a good family until I was almost 16, and up until that day I didn't really know what it meant to have a good support system, and I will forever be indebted to the family that took me in, and for that reason I want to have children and raise them, and make sure they feel loved and wanted."

"What happened to your parents?" The older woman asked.

"My father bailed when he found out my mom was pregnant, and when I was 2 my mom couldn't support both of us and decided to give me up. She left me in front of a fire station."

"I am so sorry." The man said.

"Family means everything to me because I know what it feels like to not be wanted. I was almost adopted multiple times but I didn't have the best attitude and it turned a lot of families off from adopting me."

"Thank you so much for coming in today Jace, we will call you when we have everything set up, in the mean time, go to this website and fill out a few more questions about what you want in a spouse." I nodded, shook all their hands and headed out of the building. I was meeting up with Alec, and Izzy for lunch to tell them about what I was getting ready to do. I didn't know how they would react, but I was hoping they would be supportive.

When I got to the restaurant I saw Alec and Izzy already sitting and waiting. They had already gotten me a drink and when I walked in I gave them both hugs and we sat down. After a few moments Izzy finally spoke.

"So, what did you want to meet us about Jace?" She asked and my palms started sweating again.

"So, a few weeks ago I heard about this experiment when a group of experts match you with a person."

"So, a dating experiment?" Alec asked.

"Kinda. I just found out today that it's a little more than just a date." I said and Alec and Izzy both looked confused. "I'm getting married."

"Married?!" They both yelled at the same time.

"Yea. I am getting married to a total stranger."

"You don't know anything about this girl?" Izzy asked.

"Nothing. I will meet her at the alter." I said.

"Jace, that's insane." Alec said.

"I know, but dating hasn't exactly worked out for me lately, they all want me for my money, and I just can't keep dating these money hungry woman. I want someone who wants me for me, and someone who I'm compatible with and these experts are really going to find someone who is a match for me." I explained and they still looked skeptical. "I need you guys to support me. You are the only family I have and it would mean the world to me if you supported my decision."

"I support you fully Jace, but she needs my stamp of approval." Izzy said and I laughed.

"Thank you Iz. Means a lot to me." I said and I looked at Alec. "Alec?" I asked.

"I'll support you Jace, and I really hope this works out." He said and I smiled. Having both of their support honestly meant to the world to me, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. By the end of the month I would be married, and it was the strangest thing I have ever imagined.

Clary POV:

Living on a farm was never very appealing to me. It was the only life I knew and I was determined from a very young age to get out of this farm world and into the real one. Especially after my father remarried to the worst woman I've ever met. My mom died when I was 17, and two years later my father met a woman and decided that it was time to move on, and they got hitched. She absolutely hates me, and the feelings were mutual.

When I went to college I absolutely fell in love with the city, and found every way to stay there longer than I probably should have. I always loved learning, so being in school up until I was 28 wasn't really that much of a problem for me. After I graduated I had to come back to the farm because my father was getting older and it was too much for him to run both sides of the farm. I took over the administrative part and I've been doing that ever since.

When I heard about this experiment I was really excited. Dating wasn't a priority for me in the past but I'm 32, and I want to have my own family, and my own life, and I want to experience everything with someone. I haven't had a real relationship in about a year and a half and I was ready to just take the plunge and try a new method. I was meeting with the experts today and I was pretty nervous. They were based out of New York City so we were meeting in the middle at a cute little restaurant. The back room was reserved so that we could talk privately and I was eagerly waiting to talk to them. When four people walked in my heart immediately started to race.

"Clarissa Morgenstern?" The man asked and I smiled.

"Please, call me Clary." I said and they all nodded. I shook all their hands before sitting back down.

"So Clary, today is going to be all about getting to know what you want in a partner, but there is a part of this experiment that we left out." The older woman said.

"Which is?" I asked.

"This experiment will end in marriage." She said and my jaw dropped.

"Marriage?" I asked and they nodded.

"This may sound insane to you, but it also might be just insane enough to work. We will do everything in our power to find the perfect match for you and if you are crazy enough to take this journey with us, we promise to do everything to make your marriage work." The woman said and I started thinking about it, what more could I lose?

"You know what, dating is getting me nowhere, so maybe a marriage is what I need to get over all the trials and tribulations and to finally make me happy." I said and they all smiled.

"So Clary, what do you want in a future husband?" The man asked.

"I want someone who is confident. Someone who knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to go out and get it. I want someone who is a gentleman but also isn't completely and totally wrapped around my finger." I said and laughed. "I know that's what most girls want in a guy, but I want someone who will completely sweep me off my feet but also know when I'm being unreasonable. I'm a farm girl. I grew up on the farm, and that's the only life I've ever known, but I know when to put my foot down when someone is completely out of line and I want someone to do that for me too." I said and they all nodded and started taking notes. "I don't want someone who is willing to completely change for me, I know that relationships require compromise but I want my husband to be comfortable being exactly who he is around me because I want someone genuine and true to ones self."

"How do you feel about having a family?" The older woman asked.

"Having a family is very important to me. I don't think I could be with a man who didn't want to have kids." I said and they nodded once more. "My mom died when I was 17, and a couple years later my father remarried to an awful woman, and it completely changed him. I went off to school and stayed there as long as I could."

"You just didn't want to graduate or…?" The man asked.

"Oh no. I got my Ph.D. in Art History, and once I graduated I had to go back to the farm because my father needed help and his wife was pretty useless. I've been running the administrative side of the farm for about 4 years now."

"Wow. A Ph.D. That's pretty impressive." The older woman said.

"I love learning. Education is really important to me. I couldn't imagine being an uneducated woman in this society, and I got a lot of shit for being a nerd in high school, but there is nothing more attractive to me than having a deep, meaningful, and intellectual conversation."

"That's really good to know. Thank you for meeting us today Clary, here is a website that you need to go to just to answer some more questions and we'll be in touch." The man said and I nodded, shook all their hands and left the restaurant. I got into my car and immediately called Simon. He moved to Rhode Island after college for some fancy job but I needed his support because I know my father and stepmother won't approve. The phone rang for a couple times before he answered.

"What's up Clare?" He said and I smiled.

"I have to tell you something." I said.

"Okay, what's going on?" He asked.

"So, a couple weeks ago I heard about this experiment to find love, I figured I haven't been so lucky in the past and I might as well try it out."

"Why not just try online dating?" He asked and I laughed.

"Tried, and failed. I just needed something different, and this was different. You meet with a group of experts and they match you with the best candidate." I said.

"So after that it's all on the two of you to date and see where it goes?" He asked.

"No exactly. The experiment starts off with marriage."

"Marriage?!" He shouted. "You can't be serious Clary."

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"You get divorced." He said.

"I trust these experts with finding me a perfect match. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but it's worth a try. I need to get away Simon. My life has hit a standstill and if I have to hear one more time from my oh so wonderful stepmother that I'm useless and never going to find love, I might stab her with a pitchfork."

"Clary."

"Simon, I need you to be by my side. I need you there, and I need your support."

"You know I will always support you Clare." He said and I smiled.

"Thank you Simon. It means a lot to me." We hung up and I continued on my way home. Explaining this to my father wasn't going to be fun, but this is what I wanted to do, and I don't need his permission anymore, I am a grown woman and I'll do what I want.

Experts POV:

It as been about a week since we met with all the possible candidates and today we were all meeting to pair them together. We had all the necessary information and were confident in the people that we had to choose from. We had all their pictures up on a board and were just staring.

"Alright, I'm going to start off." Dr. Green said. "I personally think that Camille and Raphael would work. The both aren't really into having a family, and they are focused on their careers, and they answered the questions relatively the same, but also differently. I think they would compliment each other nicely."

"I think you're right. When comparing their answers and looking at how they would interact, and just being in a room with them they both have the same energy. I mean, they both put in their answers that they get their best work done at night. Seems like they could be a match made in heaven." We put them together and finally had one couple out of the way, only two more to go.

"I like the pairing of Emma and Julian. I don't think they are really that compatible but I think they would really bring out the best in each other." Dr. Haring said.

"They have pretty different interests." Dr. Poole said.

"Yes, but they also answered the questions pretty similarly. They both want a family but aren't in any rush to have one. They both love the out doors. Both dog lovers. Having a close relationship with their families is important. Their differences aren't too different to make the marriage fail, but give them enough to make the relationship interesting." The experts all nodded and put their files together. They were all staring at the boards trying to figure out the next right pairing. It was harder than it looked. They were arranging marriages, and they didn't want them to fail. They wanted these to work, and as much thought and optimism they put into the picking, it was ultimately up to the couples to make it through the storm and they weren't taking their part lightly.

"Alright, I think Jonathan and Clarissa would really fit well together." Dr. Fitzgerald said. "Clarissa is independent, just like Jonathan said, she's smart, she's sweet. Having a family is important to her, and she's everything he described in a woman."

"And Jonathan has everything Clarissa asked for. He's confident, he's successful, he wants a family, he's a gentleman, and Clarissa isn't asking for him to change. I think that they would get along. It might be a rough and interesting road, but I think that they both could be what each other needs."

"I agree." Dr. Green said. "I think that they would be a good fit." The put their files aside and all smiled.

"We have found our first three couples. Now, lets go inform them." All the experts nodded and started making phone calls. These couples would be getting married at the end of this month and enduring 8 weeks of marriage before they have to decided if they want to continue the marriage or file for divorce and as the experts we feel rather confident in our pairings, and hopefully they work out.

Time Jump – End Of The Month

Jace POV:

When I got the call about them finding me a match I was in complete shock. I didn't doubt them, but it was still a really strange concept, and the fact that they found someone who they believe will be a good wife for me was pretty insane. When I told Alec and Izzy about it they wee surprised as well. Izzy started to try and picture what kind of girl I was going to marry and her brain was in overdrive. I mean, I could literally be marrying anyone, and I'd have to stick it out for the 8 weeks we had to stay married.

It took some convincing to get the whole Lightwood family to come, and in the end they all decided to be there and support me and that meant a lot to me. A couple of my friends came to support me as well. When I walked out, I saw that the ceremony was pretty small, and that was nice. Her side wasn't that crowded and it got me very curious about where her family was, or if she had any. I took a deep breath and the back doors opened and in walked a freaking angel. Her pale skin was almost as white as her dress, but the vibrancy of her red hair made a striking visual. I heard a couple of my buddies whistle which caused her to laugh. I didn't even realize that I was holding my breath. She was smiling the whole way over to me and when she was right in front of me our eyes locked and they were the most mesmerizing shade of green I have ever seen.

"Jonathan, meet Clarissa." The woman in front of us said.

"Jace." I corrected her at the same time Clarissa said "Clary."

"Sorry, Jace meet Clary." She corrected and we looked at each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jace." She said and I smiled.

"You as well Clary." I said and everyone let out a little laugh.

"I know that this is in no way traditional. Jace and Clary have just met each other, and for the next 8 weeks endure the life of a married couple. This is a legally binding marriage, and the only way out is divorce." The woman said. I kinda blocked out the rest of what she said, I was so captivated by Clary that nothing else seemed to matter. "Now, normally this is where I say you may now kiss the bride, but you can decide if that's what you want to do or not." She said and I looked at Clary and she smiled.

"Why the hell not." She said and I laughed and she got on her tippy toes and I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. The short kiss was something that I've never felt before. When we pulled apart I heard the people in the background clapping and I grabbed Clary's hand and we headed out of the ceremony.

When we got outside we both took a deep breath. We looked at each other and smiled. We took a seat in the chairs that were conveniently placed outside the room.

"That was insane." I said and she laughed.

"I know. We're married. Like you're my husband." She said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"And you're my wife." I said and she smiled.

"I know we were kinda introduced in there, but I'm Clary. It's really nice to meet you." She said and I couldn't get over how incredibly adorable she was.

"I'm Jace. It's nice to meet you too." I said and she smiled. After a few moments of silence she spoke again.

"You would think I told the experts that I wanted the tallest guy in the world in the requirements." She said and I laughed.

"I'm not that tall." I said and she smiled.

"Way taller than me, but I didn't luck out in the height department. I'm just glad I'm not a legal midget." She said.

"I feel like we should get some basics out of the way." I said and she nodded. "What do you do for a living?"

"Currently I work on my fathers farm. I run the business side of things." She said and I nodded.

"How long have you been doing that?" I asked.

"About 4 years. I started after I finished school." She said and I looked at her.

"How old are you exactly?" I asked. I hope I wasn't like a decade older than her.

"I'm 32." She said and now I was confused.

"So you finished school at 28?" I asked and she nodded. "Did you not know what you wanted to do? Or were you just not that great at school?" I asked hoping that the experts didn't match me with another dud.

"I was actually getting my Ph.D." She said and my eyes widened.

"Wow. So you're a doctor?" I asked and she blushed.

"I don't like being thought of as a doctor. That's always been strange to me. I am just a nerd who loves to learn." She said and I smiled.

"So, what's your Ph.D. in?" I asked.

"Art History." She said and I nodded.

"What do you want to do with that?" I asked.

"In the last few years I actually have been considering becoming a professor. I'd love to teach art and show students how impactful that it can be."

"What stopped you from applying?" I asked.

"My father needed my help and my stepmother is completely useless on the farm. Since I grew up on a farm I knew what to do, and I've always been on the business side so he needed my help."

"I noticed that it didn't look like they were in the crowd today." I said and she nodded.

"They didn't approve of my decision to participate in this experiment." She said and I nodded. "But my stepmother doesn't like me so I doubt she would have attended a regular wedding for me."

"And your mom?" I asked.

"She died when I was 17."

"I'm so sorry." I said and she smiled.

"It's okay. It was a long time ago." She said and we were silent. "What about you? Were those who were sitting in the front your parents?"

"They were my adoptive parents." I said and she looked at me.

"If it isn't too soon, what happened to your real parents?" She asked.

"Dad bailed when my mom got pregnant. When I was 2 my mom realized she couldn't afford me and I was put in the system."

"That sounds terrible." She said and I smiled.

"It was a long time ago." I said and she nodded.

"So, what do you do for a living?" She asked and I smiled.

"I am in the business world." I said and she nodded.

"Do you like that world?" She asked.

"I do. I built my company from the ground up, and I'd do it all over again if I had the chance."

"What's your company's name?" She asked and it was now or never.

"Herondale & CO." I said and she nodded.

"Sounds fancy." She said as she smiled.

"You've never heard of me?" I asked and she shook her head.

"I live on a farm, and we don't have TV or anything. I'm pretty sheltered from the business world or anything like that."

"That's a relief." I said and she looked confused. "I decided to do this experiment because it was hard to find a woman who wanted to be with me because of who I am, and not how much money I make."

"That makes sense. That would really suck." She said and I nodded.

"What about you? Why did you do this experiment?"

"I never really took time to focus on relationships before. I mean, I spent the majority of my life in school, and the way I was dating just wasn't working so I thought this was new and different, so why not." She said and I nodded.

"Well, I think we should go meet the rest of our friends and family and start our reception." I said as I stood and reached my hand out. She took it and we made our way to the hall. This was definitely going to be interesting, but I liked what I knew about Clary so far.

Time Jump – A Couple Hours Later

Jace POV:

The reception wasn't that bad. The food was pretty good and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Some boy came up and asked Clary to dance and she happily accepted and I was sitting watching them. Izzy came up and sat down next to me and smiled.

"She's a lot different than I pictured." She said and I laughed.

"Same. I didn't expect her to be so beautiful." I said and Izzy smiled.

"You know, I was skeptical of this before but I think this could actually work out." She said and I laughed.

"Yea, we went over some pretty basic things before the reception and I like what I know so far." I said as I kept my eyes on the boy Clary was dancing with.

"If your wondering who she's dancing with, that's her best friend since they were kids. His name is Simon." Izzy said and I looked at her.

"How do you know that?" I asked and she laughed.

"After you two left he came up to me and asked if I knew you, and we started talking. He was the only one who came who she considers her family. Apparently her parents weren't very supportive."

"Yea, we talked about that. I'm glad she has him." I said and I looked back at Clary. She looked really happy, and I just hope that I can make her as happy as she looks right now. When the song ended her friend gave her a kiss on the cheek and than she made her way back over to me. She sat down and smiled and I smiled back. I knew this was going to be an interesting marriage but I was excited to see where it went.

Time Jump – Honeymoon

Clary POV:

Jace and I were preparing to go on our honeymoon and we had no idea where we were going. The only clue was to pack for warmth and we'd find out when we got to the airport. I was nervous but Jace and I seemed to get along really well, and this honeymoon was only going to help us get to know each other that much better.

I finished packing and was heading towards the door of Jace's apartment. A day after our wedding I packed everything up and moved my stuff into his place because we had to move in with him after the honeymoon was over.

"Jace, we have to leave now, or we'll be late!" I yelled and than laughed because we already sounded like a married couple. I heard footsteps followed my wheels and than Jace appeared.

"I'm ready." He said and we made our way out to the cab waiting for us. The ride to the airport wasn't bad. We were both pretty quiet but neither of us seemed to mind. When we got to the airport we grabbed our suitcase and he grabbed my hand. I wasn't expecting it, but I just figured it was because he didn't want to lose me. We got up to the counter and Jace smiled and I saw the woman behind the desk start to swoon. "Hi, tickets should be under Herondale." He said and she nodded and started getting the tickets.

"Here you go Mr. Herondale." Jace smiled and grabbed the tickets and gave them to me. We started walking while he took my bag and I looked at the tickets.

"No way!" I said and he turned around.

"What?" He asked.

"We're going to Fiji!" I said and he smiled.

"Really?" He asked and I nodded. "That's pretty sweet. I've never been."

"Me either." I said and we made our way to the gate. He put our stuff down and I smiled. "Would you like some coffee? I think I might die without caffeine."

"Sure. Two creams and three sugars." He said and I nodded and made my way to the nearest coffee stand. I grabbed out coffee and headed abck to where Jace was sitting only to see three woman standing in front of him. One was twirling her hair, and the other two were giggling and I rolled my eyes. I mean, I knew he was completely gorgeous, but couldn't they see the ring?

I made my way over to him and handed him the coffee. He smiled and me and took a sip. He completely ignored the fact that the three girls were still standing there and he gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." He said and I smiled back at him.

"No problem." I said and he went to open his mouth to say something when one of the girls started speaking.

"Who is this? Your sister?" She asked in a typical valley girl voice and I laughed.

"No, this is my wife." Jace said and their eyes widened. "We just got married, and we're getting ready to go on our honeymoon."

"Oh…. Uh…." The one girl started speaking but her friend grabbed her arm and pulled her away from us. When they were gone I couldn't stop the laugh that left my mouth.

"I'm sorry about that. They just came over and started talking to me." He said and I smiled.

"It's okay. Having a hot husband is destined to attract the women of the masses." I said and he smirked.

"Clary, did you just admit that I was hot?" He said and immediately my cheeks lit up like a fire truck.

"I mean, you own a mirror, you know how attractive you are." I said and he laughed.

"That I do." He said and I slapped his shoulder. Before I knew it our plane was boarding. We got into our seats and waited for the rest of the plane to load. I was seated by the window, and this was my first time on a plane so I was a little nervous and I guess Jace picked up on that. "Are you okay?"

"This is my first time on a plane." I admitted and he grabbed my hand.

"The worst part of flying is the take off and the landing. The rest of the ride is pretty smooth, unless we hit turbulence, but if that happens, my hand is always available for you to hold." He said and I smiled.

"Thank you." I said and than a busty blonde sat next to Jace on the other side. She smiled a flirtatious smile at him and I rolled my eyes again. "How long is this flight again?" I asked after a minute.

"About 16 hours." He said and my eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" I asked and he smiled and nodded. "Well damn."

"Don't worry, we can get to know each other more and than when we get there it'll be like a normal honeymoon." He said and I smiled and the plane started moving and I involuntarily gripped Jace's hand tighter. "You'll be okay." I nodded and closed the window of the plane.

When the plane took off and we were horizontal again I started to calm down. I loosened my grip on Jace and pulled out my sketchbook. I pulled out my pencils and started sketching the view from out of my window. I was so lost in thought and the view that I hadn't realized that I was completely done my sketch. When I looked back at it I signed and dated it and set it down on the tray in front of me.

"That's amazing Clary." Jace said and I looked at him.

"You think?" I asked and he nodded. I ripped the paper out of my book and handed it to him. "Consider this a late wedding present from your new wife." I said and I saw the woman sitting next to him give me a shocked look but she quickly looked away and I smiled to myself, it was the little victories that counted.

"It's beautiful, and I will treasure it forever." He said and I have never liked giving my artwork to someone else as much as I loved giving that picture to Jace. The flight attendant came around and asked if we wanted something to drink and Jace and I both got coffee again.

"If you couldn't tell, I'm kinda addicted to coffee." I said and he laughed.

"Duly noted. I'll make sure our house is stocked with all kinda of coffee." He said and I swear that statement could have made me fall in love with him.

"You are an angel." I said and he smiled.

"So, how about we talk about our childhoods first, and than go from there." He said and I nodded. "I'll start, I didn't have the best childhood considering it was spent in foster care, but when I was taken in by the Lightwood's I turned everything around because I wanted to be something in the world."

"I understand that. I can't even imagine what foster care was like, but you seem to have made a good life for yourself, and that's amazing." I said and he smiled. "I was your typical book worm. I loved learning. I was the nerd of the school. Didn't have many friends. Simon was all I ever had, and truly all I ever needed. I worked on the farm who whole life, and than when my mom died I was pretty lonely. My dad met this awful woman, and she hated me from the moment she met me. I got a scholarship for art from NYU and the moment I could I left."

"That's horrible."

"She really changed him. I had to pay my own way through school. I worked three jobs, and barely slept the four years I was there because there just wasn't enough hours in the day to get everything done."

"I lucked out when it came to college. I got accepted into Columbia and the Lightwood's offered to pay for everything." He said and I smiled.

"That's fantastic." I said and he smiled.

"Yea, I paid them back in full though once my company started doing really well. They didn't have to pay for my education, and they did without even blinking an eye, and it was the least I could do you know?" He said and I nodded.

"That was very nice of you." I said and he smiled.

"I have my moments." He said and I couldn't help but laugh. The plane that we were on came with TV's fully stocked with movies so Jace and I picked one we both hadn't seen and started watching it. So far Jace and I had been getting along really well, and I was excited to get to know him even more.

Time Jump – Fifteen Hours Later

Jace POV:

We were getting ready to land and Clary was asleep on my shoulder. She had fallen asleep about two hours ago, and I didn't mind one bit when she decided to use me as a human pillow. Getting to know things about Clary was great. She seemed like a really down to earth person, but also very interesting at the same time, and I was excited to get to know her more on this trip.

I didn't want to do it but the flight attendant came around told us we would be landing soon so I had to wake Clary up. I started off my rubbing her arm which only made her smile in her sleep which was really cute. I leaned closer and decided to start whispering into her ear and see if that did the trick.

"Clary, we're about to land. You have to wake up." I said and she groaned.

"Five more minutes." She mumbled and I couldn't help but laugh. She sounded like a high schooler which was pretty cute.

"I'm afraid the pilot can't hold off until you wake up Clare." I said and she groaned again and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and looked down at my shoulder. "I see you drool in your sleep." I said and she blushed.

"I normally don't. It was probably because sleeping in a chair isn't really normal, or comfortable." She said as she whipped the drool off her cheek.

"I guess we'll see when we sleep tonight." I said and she nodded.

"Attention Flight 345, we will be beginning our decent momentarily." The pilot said and Clary grabbed my hand. I held it back to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. She smiled back at me and the plane started to descend.

When the plane finally landed and we got off Clary looked super relieved to be on solid, nonmoving ground. It was pretty cute to see her let out a sigh as we got into the airport. We went to baggage claim and grabbed out stuff and made our way out to the parking lot where we were greeted with a man who was holding a sign that read : Welcome to Paradise Mr. and Mrs. Herondale. Clary and I both laughed and went to him and he smiled.

"My name is Paulo, welcome to the island! I'll be taking you to your bungalow." He said and Clary's eyes widen.

"We get a whole bungalow?" She asked and Paulo smiled.

"Of course. You're staying in our of our honeymoon bungalow's." He said and Clary's shocked expression quickly turned to one of excitement. We got to the car and he started driving. This place was absolutely beautiful, and we get to spend a week here getting to know each other and having a relaxing time on the beaches and I wasn't complaining.

When we finally reached the bungalow I was in awe. It was more beautiful than I ever imagined and I was honestly speechless. I grabbed our bags, tipped Paulo and started walking towards the bungalow. Once we were inside I set our stuff down and Clary and I started wondering. She went one way and I went another. I was looking at the view when I heard Clary calling.

"Jace! Come here!" I heard and I started following the voice. When I got to where she was we were in the master bedroom. There was a heart made out of rose pedals, and a bottle of Champaign waiting for us and Clary was holding a card.

"What's it say?" I asked.

"It says, Dear Jace and Clary, we hope this honeymoon brings you two closer together. Here is a bottle of Champaign to toast to your new life, have fun! This place is all inclusive so don't be afraid to let loose! Love, the experts."

"That was really sweet of them." I said and she nodded.

"So, it's only 4 in the afternoon, what would you like to do?" She asked as she sat on the bed.

"Well, I figured we could settle in and than go out to a local place and get something to eat." I said and she nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. You don't mind that there is only one bed do you?" She asked and I laughed.

"You are my wife now, it would be criminal not to share a bed." I said and she laughed. I grabbed our stuff and brought it into the room and we started settling into our bungalow. I was going to have a good time on the honeymoon and I hope that she does too.

Time Jump – Later That Night

Clary POV:

Jace and I were exploring the island when we came across this local nightclub and decided to check it out. The music was blaring and it looked like fun so Jace and I went in. The place was crowded with locals and tourists alike and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

An hour after arriving I went to the bar to get Jace and I some more drinks and while I was waiting I saw two girls approach Jace and start flirting. I turned around because I didn't want to watch and waited patiently for our drinks. I felt a hand on my back at thought it was Jace and turned around with a smile only to find out it wasn't Jace.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else." I said and he smirked at me.

"I will be whoever you want baby." He purred and his hand started to run up my arm. Disgusted I moved away from him but he just moved with me. "I haven't seen you around before, are you visiting?"

"I am. I'm here on my honeymoon." I said and he looked shocked but only for a minute.

"No way. A young thing like you. You have plenty of time to settle down." He said and I crossed my arms.

"How young do you think I am?" I asked.

"You don't look a day over 24." He said and I laughed.

"Nice try." I held up my left hand. "But I really am married." The bartender placed the drinks down on the bad and I picked them up. "Now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to go back to my husband now." I walked away before he could reply and made my way back over to Jace. I gave him his drink and we both finished them quickly and made our way to the dance floor.

I think it was the alcohol in my system because I normally can't dance but I was just letting the music guide me and Jace seemed to be enjoying it so I kept going. It was weird for the chemistry to be so good between us already, but there was definitely something there, and I was ready to explore that part of this new relationship during this vacation as much as I could. After about 45 minutes of dancing I had to use the bathroom. I told Jace that I would be right back, and he went to go get us more drinks. When I was finished I was washing my hands and I heard these two women talking behind me and I couldn't help but listen.

"Have you seen him though?" The one girl said. "He like a god amongst men. Everything about him is like perfection."

"I know. I can't stop staring at him. I just want to grab him and kiss him until I can't breath anymore." The other girl said.

"He even has a sexy name. I mean come on, someone with the name Jace can't be anything but hot." She said and I stood up a little straighter. I finished washing my hands and I was drying them off and I looked back at them.

"I'm so glad I'm not the only one who finds my husband undeniably sexy." I said and their jaws dropped.

"You're married?" They said in unison, and I nodded proudly before leaving. I met Jace over at the bar and I grabbed him by his shirt and slammed our lips together. We hadn't really kissed since our wedding day, besides the cheek kisses he's given me, but I had the urge to just make out with him tonight and he was all for it because it took him no time to slip his tongue into my mouth. We stood there kissing until we heard someone clear their throat. We broke apart and the bartender was looking at us. Jace grabbed the drinks and we walked away.

"Not that I minded, but what was that kiss for?" He asked and I took a sip of my drink.

"I overheard two girls in the bathroom talking about you." I said and he raised his eyebrow.

"Oh really? What were they saying?" He asked.

"They were talking about how hot you are." I said and he laughed. "You know, being your wife is kinda fun. It's the perfect reason to stop gross men from hitting on me, and I get to brag to random girls who think they have a chance with you."

"I'm glad that it's coming in handy." He said and I laughed.

"Plus, you're a really good kisser."

"I haven't had any complaints yet." He said and I laughed.

We danced and drank for a few more hours until we decided that it was time to head back to the bungalow. I was pretty buzzed, and Jace had to be my human pole at some points during the walk until he picked me up and continued walking. We got back to the bungalow and I threw my heels off and unzipped my dress. I heard an intake of breath and turned behind me to see Jace staring.

"See something you like?" I asked in the most seductive voice I could.

"You have got to be kidding me." He said in a low voice. "You are incredibly sexy, do you know that?" He said as he made his way over to me.

"I've never been told that before." I said and he smirked.

"You Clarissa, are incredibly sexy, and beautiful, and stunning, and all mine." He said and I let out a small whimper. He slammed his lips to mine and we started stumbling. He picked me up and lead me to the room and before I knew it we were falling onto the bed. "Are sure you want to do this?" He asked and I smiled.

"Yes." I said and his lips were back on mine. There wasn't anywhere else I would want to be than right here with Jace.

Time Jump – Next Morning

Jace POV:

I woke up and the events of last night came flooding back. I looked down and saw Clary curled up against me and I couldn't stop smiling at what happened. Last night almost feels like a dream, but when I know for a fact that it was completely real makes me incredibly happy. A moment later Clary started to stir and when she opened her eyes she looked up at me and smiled.

"Good morning." She said and I pressed my lips to the top of her head.

"Good morning." I said back and she sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. A little sore, but we did go at it a couple times last night, so I can't say that I'm surprised." She said and I laughed.

"So you remember last night too?" I asked and she smiled.

"Of course I do. The walk back here sobered me up enough to know what was going on." She said and I was thankful because even thought we were both under the influence of alcohol, I would have felt bad if she didn't remember anything from last night.

"What's on the agenda today?" I asked.

"I was thinking we could go to the beach and just rest because I don't know about you but I am slightly hungover." She said and I laughed.

"I'm with you there. That club was really fun." I said and she nodded. She got out of bed and grabbed my shirt off the ground and put it on and damn did she look great.

"You want some coffee?" She asked and I nodded. She left the room and I took a deep breath. I was really nervous about this whole marriage at first, but Clary and I had such good chemistry and we had fun together so I was really enjoying married life so far, but I know once we get back to New York everything will change. She will realize that I work a ton, and than she said she was going to apply to teach when we get back so that will take up a lot of her time. It'll be hard, but I think it really will be worth it. She walked back in and handed me the mug, I took a sip and it felt incredibly good with the raging headache I had.

When we got to the beach Clary put her towel down and took her cover up off and laid down. It took everything in me not to attack her right there on the beach. She truly didn't know how incredibly beautiful she was, and it was insane. It's like she's never heard it before, but I couldn't even go an hour without wanted to tell her again.

I looked over at Clary and she was reading a book about art that she found in the bungalow and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. She really was a nerd, but I didn't mind that. I actually thought it was great. I knew we could an intelligent conversation and that she could honestly teach me a few new things in life and what more could you want out of a partner?

Time Jump – Two Weeks Later

Clary POV:

Coming home from the honeymoon was a shock. We spent a blissful week not having to worry about work, or anything else and it was amazing. Moving into Jace's was pretty stressful, I figured out he has OCD and likes everything to be in order. I told him I'm really messy and that was something we were going to have to work through. His apartment was absolutely beautiful and he was even kind enough to let me use one of the spare rooms as my art room, but he vowed to never walk into it unless he wanted to have a heart attack, and I was okay with that.

I had applied to a couple colleges in the area to be the art professor and I was nervous because I haven't heard back from any of them yet. I didn't know what I should do around Jace's apartment while he was at work. It was already spotless, so I didn't need to clean. He had informed me that on Wednesday's a bunch of his friends come over and hang out to distress from work, so I was making them something to eat incase they were hungry. He told me a couple days a week he stays late at the office, and I guess Wednesday was one of those days. I don't really understand his world, and I trust that he really does everything in his power to make his company the best, and that takes some serious time and effort. It sucked that we spent so much time apart, and we've only been back for a week, but he was a busy guy, and if I ever got a job maybe I wouldn't be so lonely.

It was nearly 8 when I heard the door open. I was happy that he was home, and I wasn't going to intrude on his night. I just wanted to say hi, tell him what I did, and than I'd disappear for the night. I actually started working on a piece that I planned on giving Jace at the end of the experiment, and hopefully everything worked out and I could actually give it to him. So far I'm really enjoying this marriage, but who knows, we still have 6 weeks left and anything could happen.

"Hey, I'm home." I heard Jace say and I turned around and was greeted by three unfamiliar faces, although I think one of them was at the wedding. "I don't know if you remember Sebastian but he was at our wedding."

"I knew one of you looked familiar." I said and Jace smiled.

"The other two are Jordan and Mark." Jace said and I smiled.

"It's nice to meet you both." I said and they nodded. "I didn't know if you ate dinner, but there are left overs in the fridge. Um, I made some things for you guys to snack on if you get hungry. I don't know how long you normally stay but I figured food was a necessity. There are drinks in the fridge, and I'll be in the art room until it's safe to come out."

"You don't need to hide yourself away Clary." Jace said and I smiled.

"I know, but I'm actually working on a project, and it seems like the perfect time to work on it. You're hanging out with your friends, and you don't need your lame wife hanging around." I said and he laughed. "I did my part. I made sure you four didn't go hungry."

"You're the best." Jace said and I gave him a quick kiss and smiled.

"I'll see you later." I said and I walked away. I didn't want Jace to give up the things he does just because we got married. If he hung out with his friends on Wednesday, than he can still do that without having to worry about me being annoyed. Space is a good thing in a relationship, and having Wednesday nights apart will be good in the long run.

Jace POV:

Once Clary left the room the guys started raiding the fridge for the food and I went and got our show up. They came back out with their hands full of food and they all looked over the moon happy. Once they set everything down Jordan looked at me and smiled.

"Dude, if you two don't work out, send her my way." He said and I punched his shoulder. "What? This woman is a goddess."

"I know, which is exactly why I don't plan on getting rid of her." I said and Sebastian looked at me.

"You've only known this girl for what, two weeks? How can you be so sure it'll work out?" He asked and he had a valid point.

"There is just something different about her. I've never really connected with a girl before, and with her I just feel like we've known each other for so much longer than we actually have. We have great chemistry, she's everything I've ever wanted in a woman, and I really like her."

"Well, she made us food, so she can't be that bad." Mark said and the guys laughed.

"Trust me, once you get to know her, you'll like her too." I said and they nodded and we turned our attention back to the TV.

We sat there eating and talking for about two hours before we heard a scream. I had no idea what was going on because it didn't sound like the person was in distress. A moment later another scream came and Clary ran into the room. I stood up and looked at her and she was jumping around. When she finally calmed down I felt like I could talk.

"Why are you screaming?" I asked and she smiled at me.

"That was NYU. I got the job! They want me to be their Art History professor!" She said and I walked over and scooped her up in a hug.

"I knew you'd get the job. When do you start?"

"Friday. Their old professor has health issues that he needs to attend to, and they were really impressed with my resume."

"Well, who wouldn't be?" I said and she smiled.

"I can't believe I'm actually going to be a college professor." She said and I laughed.

"You're more than qualified for the job, and you know your shit. Those kids are lucky to have you as their professor." I said and she smiled again. I totally forgot the guys were there for a minute until Sebastian spoke up.

"Congratulations Clary. I didn't realize that you went to school to be an educator." He said.

"I didn't. I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my degrees, but the last few years teaching really spoke to me."

"Did you say degrees?" Mark asked and she nodded.

"I have three. Bachelors, masters, and my Ph.D." She said I smiled with how shocked the guys looked.

"That's impressive." Sebastian said, and Clary blushed.

"Yea, it was extremely hard, but totally worth it." She said and te guys nodded. "Anyway, I'm really sorry I just couldn't contain my excitement."

"It's not a problem. I'm proud of you for getting the job." I said and she gave me another hug. When she pulled away she gave me a quick kiss.

"I have to go call Simon!" She said and she ran away. I shook my head and turned around. The guys and I went back to watching TV and I could slightly hear Clary laughing in the other room. I was extremely proud of her for getting that job. I knew she was board around here all day, and now that she has something to do I think she will be much happier.

Time Jump – Two Weeks Later

Clary POV:

I felt like Jace had been pulling away from me recently and I didn't know why. He was spending more and more time at work and when he would come home he would go straight to bed. I didn't really even have time to speak with him most nights, and it was really annoying. I'm his wife, and he should be able to talk to me about anything.

It was Thursday and I was sitting alone at the kitchen table eating dinner alone yet again. I didn't know how to confront Jace without arguing with him. I just wanted to know what happened. We were really happy last week and all of the sudden it's like he can't stand being around me.

I tried to distract myself. I graded some papers, I watched some TV, I was sketching, but no matter what I did, nothing was helping. It was nearing 11 and I was laying in bed when I heard the door open. I listened for his footsteps and I heard the door open and I heard Jace walking around. He went into the bathroom and I heard the shower running. I figured this was my best bet because he would be slightly trapped. I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

"What the hell Clary?" Jace yelled and I crossed my arms. "What are you doing in here? I thought you were asleep."

"Nope. Wide awake, because my husband won't talk to me for some reason and this was the only way I could corner you." I said and I saw him get annoyed.

"I don't want to talk." He said.

"But I do. You've been avoiding me all week. You come home late and go straight to sleep. We were in a really good place last week Jace. What changed?"

"Clary, I don't want to speak to you. I thought I made that clear." He said in an alarmingly calm tone.

"No, you're being unreasonable. I am your wife, we need to figure this out." I said and he laughed.

"You've been my wife for a month Clarissa, you don't know the first thing about me." He said and I was shocked.

"Are you cheating on me?" I asked and it caught him off guard.

"What?" He asked still slightly shocked.

"Are you cheating on me?" I asked again and he stuck his head out of the shower.

"Absolutely not. I would never do that to you." He said and I nodded.

"Good." I said and I walked towards the door. "I may have only been your wife for a month, but that doesn't mean you can shut me out. If you're hurting I want to be there to help. But I get it, you need your space, and I'll let you have that."

"Clary, where are you going?" He asked as I opened the door.

"I'm not sure, but you clearly need time to figure out whatever is going on." I said.

"Don't go." He said and I turned around.

"I can't just sit around this house and wait for you to come home. It's lonely. I've eaten dinner alone every single night this week Jace." I said and I could see the hurt cross his face. "Call me when you want to work this out, but until you do, I'll be somewhere else." I said and I left. He clearly had something going on and I wasn't going to pry it out of him but I can't just sit around this house all alone all the time. I packed a bag and headed out. I didn't really have anywhere to go that was close. I wasn't from the city so my options were limited. I decided that for tonight I was simply go to NYU and sleep in my office. I had a key to the art department, and I had a pretty comfy couch in my office so that would have to make due for now. When I got comfy I thought back to Jace. I wanted him to be able to open up to me about anything, and it hurt that he felt like he couldn't or that he didn't want too. I started to drift off thinking about Jace's and I's first little fight, but the ball was in his court now and I'd just have to wait.

Jace POV:

After Clary left I finished my shower and than got into bed. I felt terrible shutting her out but I just had a lot going on in my life right now. But she was a huge part of my life now too. She was right, she is my wife and I should be able to open up to her about what's bothering me, and instead I completely shut her out. I can't blame her for thinking the worst or leaving for that matter but I didn't like it. I only knew one thing I could do. Call Alec. It was late, but I knew he would always be there for me. After a couple rings he picked up.

"It's late man, can't this wait until morning?" He asked.

"Not really. Can you please come over, I really need you." I said and I heard him sigh.

"I'll be there in 15 minutes." He said and we hung up. True to his word he was there 15 minutes later in his pajamas. "What was so important that you needed me at midnight?"

"Clary left." I said and that grabbed his attention.

"What do you mean she left?" Alec asked.

"I mean, we got into an argument, and she said I needed space and she packed a bag and left." I said.

"What did you do?" Alec asked.

"My mother found me." I said and his eyes widened. "She showed up at the office on Monday and begged me to forgive her and than asked me for money."

"Shit man." Alec said.

"It's been driving me crazy. She won't leave me alone. I keep avoiding her calls, and I have had to have security escort her out of my building four times."

"That's horrible." He said and I nodded. "And you didn't tell Clary?"

"No. I know we've been married for a month, but you know how private I am about that kind of stuff. Like when my dad tried to get in contact when I was 17. I shut everyone out for 2 months."

"Jace, you're married now. You have to remember you have someone to help you through that. I know I wasn't always a fan of hers. This whole marriage took me a while to get used too, but she seems like a really understanding girl, and I think your cheating yourself by not letting her help you."

"She asked me if I was cheating on her." I said and Alec just nodded. "She sounded so sad when she asked and it just broke my heart."

"Can you blame her for thinking that?" He asked and I shook my head. "At least she confronted you about it instead of letting it fester in her head."

"She told me to call her when I wanted to work this out." I said and Alec put his hand on my shoulder.

"I think you should go to NYU tomorrow, and talk to her face to face. You made a mistake. You started shutting her out, and once you explain it to her, I think she'll understand. You just have to give her a chance to help you." Alec said and I nodded.

"Thanks for coming over man. I watched her walk out of the door and everything in me just went numb. She means so much to me." I said.

"Are you falling in love with her?" Alec asked and I took a deep breath.

"I really think I am man." I said and he smiled.

"Than everything will work out. You don't give up on the people you love, and I can guarantee that Clary doesn't either."

"You want to crash here tonight?" I asked and Alec nodded. He made his way to the guest room he used to stay in and I fell back into my bed. I was such an idiot for shutting Clary out and tomorrow I was going to explain everything to her, and apologize until I'm blue in the face.

Clary POV:

I woke up and was confused for a minute until I remembered what happened last night. I looked at my clock and saw that I had about 30 minutes before my first class of the day started. I got changed and went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and brushed my hair and went to my class room and watched all the students file in. Today I was showing them a slideshow of a bunch of different famous paintings and we were going to analyze them.

I had three classes today and they were all pretty much the same. By my last class I was just ready to get back to my office and take a nap. The couch might be comfy but sleeping on it all night wasn't. I was getting the projector ready when a student raised her hand. I looked up and pointed to her.

"There is someone at the door holding flowers." She said and when I looked over there stood Jace holding my favorite flowers, white roses.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and he stepped into the room.

"I was an asshole last night." He said and I didn't really want to have this conversation in front of my whole class.

"Can we talk about this later? My class is about to start."

"As long as you promise to come home. I'm not going into work tonight and I'm cooking." He said and I leaned forward and smelled the roses. I looked back up at him and I could see last night got to him as well.

"Okay, I'll be home by 5." I said and he pressed his lips to mine. When he broke away he smiled at me before leaving the room. I turned back around and the whole class was staring.

"Who was that?" The one girl asked.

"That was my husband." I said.

"He's hot." Another girl said and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, and he's taken." I said and she rolled her eyes at me. "You have an exam next Friday and I will put one of these pictures on it and you'll have to analyze it so pay attention." I said and I started the slideshow. Jace coming here to speak to me meant a lot and I was really hoping he would open up to me tonight.

On my way back home I couldn't help but feel nervous. Jace sounded really sincere today and I just hope that he opens up to me and than we can work out whatever has been bothering him for the past week. When I opened the door I was hit was a wall of whatever he was making and it smelled absolutely amazing. When I walked into the kitchen he was still cooking and I couldn't help but smile. He turned around and smiled at me.

"Glad you came." He said and I put my stuff down.

"You said you wanted to talk, and I told you I would be here when you were ready." I said and he nodded.

"Give me 5 more minutes." He said and I nodded.

"I'll set the table." I grabbed the plates and made my way to the table and once I was done Jace came out with the food. He sat down and we both started eating. It was some of best food I have ever eaten, and when I looked at him I smiled. "You are a man of many talents. This food is amazing."

"I tried my best." He said and I nodded. "First I want to apologize for everything that happened that last night and this past week. I know I've been unfair to you, and it wasn't right of me to keep something from you."

"I just want you to be able to come to me if you're having a problem. I get that we don't really truly know each other, and I know we've only been married for a month, but we're still married. You're still my husband and I hate that you felt the need to hide something from me."

"I am an extremely private person. Always have been, and it takes me awhile to be able to open up to someone." He said and I nodded. "On Monday my mom showed up at my work and she looked horrible. I think she's a junkie now." He said and I reached my hand across the table and he interlaced our fingers. "She was hysterical. She kept telling me how sorry she was and how she didn't want to give me up but she had no other choice. After her fit I managed to calm her down, and than she asked me for money."

"That's terrible." I said and he just shrugged.

"I'm assuming she was going through withdrawal, and she didn't know where else to go."

"How did she find you?" I asked.

"Since I was a child of the state my adoption wasn't closed." He explained. "Apparently she went to the agency and begged them to tell her anything about me. Eventually she got a picture and I guess she was looking for me."

"She must have stalked a lot of people." I laughed and he smiled.

"My father tried to contact me when I was 17, and since I was still a minor it was up to the Lightwoods, and I told them I wanted nothing to do with him and I closed myself off for 2 months before I finally talked to Alec about it."

"I am in no way trying to make you share every little detail of your life with me Jace, but if something is bothering you, I will always listen and help you through it." I said and his eyes locked with mine.

"I know that now, and I shouldn't have shut you out. It was a stupid thing for me to do, and I really am sorry for that." He said and I smiled. I stood up and walked over to him. I sat on his lap and pressed my lips to his.

"Apology accepted." I said and he smiled. "But I have one request."

"Anything." He said.

"I really hate eating dinner alone. I know some nights you work late, but if you could make it home some nights I would really like that." I said and he smiled.

"I will be home more often for dinner. I promise." He said and I smiled. I know that this whole marriage thing was still new to both of us, but I thought that now that we have had our first 'fight' out of the way we could make it through whatever came our way.

Time Jump – Two Weeks Later

Clary POV:

It was late one night and I was stuck finishing grading some projects that I was supposed to finish the other day but I couldn't. I told Jace I would be late coming home and I just wanted to get home, change into a comfy clothes and relax. My phone started ringing and I figured it was Jace so I didn't even bother looking at my phone.

"Hey babe, I have one more project to grade and than I'll be home." I said.

"Uh, Clarissa?" I heard and I recognized that voice.

"Dad?"

"Hey." Was all he said.

"Why are you calling me?" I asked.

"We haven't spoken since you told me you were getting married." He said and I scoffed.

"Yea, because you didn't agree with my decision." I said.

"I know, and I thought about it, and I would really like to meet you…" He trailed off and I rolled my eyes.

"Husband dad. He is my husband." I said.

"I know, it's just strange to me that you're married." He said and I nodded to myself.

"I know that, and I know this marriage wasn't traditional but I'm happy. We get along really well, and I like him. It's been a good month and a half." I said.

"Can we all meet for lunch, maybe this weekend?" He asked and I took a deep breath.

"I'll talk to him about it tonight, and I'll get back to you." I said.

"Okay, have a good night Clarissa."

"You too dad." I said and I hung up. I finished grading the project and couldn't wait to get home. When I opened the door and walked in and found Jace sitting on the couch watching TV. I sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder.

"Rough night?" He asked.

"My dad called me tonight." I said.

"What did he want?" Jace asked.

"He wants to meet you." I said.

"Really?" He asked and I nodded.

"He wants to get lunch with us this weekend."

"I'm down if you are." Jace said and I smiled.

"I don't know if my stepmom will be there, but I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to meet them." I said and he pulled me into his lap.

"Don't let him get to you, or her if she is there. We're happy, and this is our marriage, they don't have any say in it." He said and I nodded. He gave me a kiss on the neck and I smiled. "Go get changed, and we'll chill out on the couch for the rest of the night. And if you fall asleep I will carry you to our bed." He said and I laughed.

"Hoe thoughtful of you." I said and I got up. When I came back I curled into side and he put something on but I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't realize how tired I was because before I knew it I was drifting off. I was nervous about seeing my dad again, and I was nervous for him to meet Jace. I didn't need their approval, considering I would never get my stepmom's but having my dad be a little supportive would be nice.

Jace POV:

It was late and Clary had already fallen asleep. I picked her up and made our way to our room. When she asked how I felt about meeting her father and potentially stepmom I was a little nervous. I wanted them to know that I was going to take care of Clary, and that I was in the marriage for real. It might not have started out traditionally but I felt like it had been a good month and a half and I was excited to continue to get to know Clary and I didn't want her family to get in the way of that.

I got ready for bed and joined Clary and I loved that even in her sleep she cuddled next to me. I gave her a kiss on the top of her head and closed my eyes. We could get through whatever her family decided to put us through, and I knew that I would be there for her no matter what, but I really hope that her family doesn't do anything that would cause Clary to be upset because that is the last thing I want her to be. She means a lot to me, and I want her to be nothing but happy.

Time Jump – Lunch

Clary POV:

We had to meet in the middle for lunch and my dad picked this restaurant that I had never heard of but at least it was public and it would be harder to completely blow up unless you wanted to cause a scene. I think Jace could tell I was nervous because he didn't let go of my hand the entire time we drove there. I was grateful for his company and that he was willing to go with me.

When we pulled up I took a deep breath and got out. Jace was right by my side holding my hand and we walked into the restaurant. I saw my father and unfortunately my stepmother was with him. We walked over to the table and took a seat not really greeting each other. It was quiet for a minute but my father decided to break it.

"So Clarissa, care to introduce us?" He said and I gave him a fake smile.

"Dad, Carol, this is Jace. Jace this is my father Valentine and my stepmom Carol." I said and he reached out his hand and shook both of their hands.

"It's a pleasure to me you both." Jace said.

"I'm not going to ease into it. I have been curious since the day she told us about what kind of guy she would be marrying." My dad said.

"Completely understandable sir." Jace said. I put my hand on his thigh under the table and he looked and smiled at me.

"What do you do for work?" My dad asked.

"I am the founder and CEO of my own company." He said and my dads eyes raised.

"Really? Which company?" My dad asked.

"Herondale & CO." He said and my dad nodded.

"Impressive." My father said and Jace smiled. "So Clarissa, on the phone you said you were grading something, what do you do for a living now that you left me to fend for myself?" He asked and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm a professor at NYU." I said and his eyes widened.

"I didn't know you wanted to teach." He said.

"It was something that I had been considering in the last couple years. I have my Ph.D. and I felt like I could do so much more with it and teaching just really spoke to me."

"Well, you can't do much with an art degree." Carol said in a really condescending voice.

"There are more jobs out there than you might think." Jace said and I looked at him. "It's actually a really fascinating field when you research all the possibilities that it comes with." I smiled at Jace because I was glad that he was defending me.

"So she's dragged you into her ridiculous world?" Carol asked.

"Nope, I willingly entered. I felt it was important to get to know what my wife had her degree in and what she was passionate about. I've actually really enjoyed learning from her." Jace said and I could have cried tears of joy with everything he was saying. It was quiet before my father started talking about.

"So, how is married life so far?" He asked.

"It's been pretty great. Our schedules get pretty crazy, but we always make sure we have time for each other, and I think that's really helping us bond and show that we are both serious about this working." Jace said and I smiled. I was glad my father wasn't intimidating him, or at least he wasn't showing it.

"Being married is tough. It takes two willing people to make it work and normally people know who they are going to spend the rest of their life with, you didn't have the chance to run away from your wife." Carol said and I sighed. I really didn't want to fight with her, I just didn't have the energy to do it right now.

"I wouldn't have run away, I have been loving who she is. Getting to know her has been great." Jace said and it was nice but I knew Carol was going to shoot something back at him.

"You've only been with her for a month and a half. She'll get old pretty quick and you'll be dying to divorce her." Carol said and I just stood up and looked at Jace.

"I can't be around her anymore. I'm going to go wait in the car." I said and I walked out. I really wanted this to be a smooth meeting, I didn't want to fight, or start shooting insults back and forth but Carol can't stop herself, and I needed to get away.

Jace POV:

After I saw Clary leave the restaurant I turned back to her family and I could see Carol smirking. I stood up and put some money down on the table because I wasn't going to make them pay for our food. I was about to say something when Carol spoke up.

"Leaving so soon? It was just about to be an enjoyable lunch without her here." She said.

"Listen, Clary told me that you weren't a fan of hers, but I didn't think you would be so cruel. We didn't arrange this meeting, Valentine did and she wanted me to meet her family, and so did I." I said and Valentine sat there with a stone cold face. "Clary is an amazing woman. She's kind, and loving, and caring, and she has the biggest heart that I've ever seen. She never has a bad thing to say about anyone, and she is completely and totally loyal. She's one of the best people I have ever had the opportunity to meet, and the fact that she's my wife makes me the luckiest guy in the world."

"You're in love with her aren't you?" Valentine finally spoke up and I looked at him.

"I am." I said after a moment. There wasn't any doubt in my mind that I was in love with Clary. All I had to do was tell her. "I understand that you are her family, but please don't contact us again if this is how every meeting is going to take place. Clary doesn't deserve that." I grabbed my coat and was about to leave when I heard Valentine.

"Take care of her." He said and I nodded and went out to the car. I saw Clary sitting in the passenger seat and she looked pretty upset. When I got in the car I noticed that he cheeks were tear stained and I reached over and grabbed her and she looked at me.

"I'm really sorry." I said.

"It's not your fault. I knew the minute I saw she was there that it was going to be problematic." She said and I started the car. The drive home was silent but I didn't mind. I knew Clary needed to process everything, and I was okay with that.

When we got home Clary immediately went into our room and changed. When she came out she sat on the couch and cuddled under the blanket and turned on the TV. I made my way into the kitchen to make her some coffee and when I joined her on the couch she smiled at me.

"Thank you." She said and I kissed her forehead.

"Anything for you." I said and she leaned back against me and I put my arm around her. I couldn't picture my life without her in it, and I couldn't wait for the day that we sat back down with the experts and made our final decision.

Time Jump – Final Decision

Clary POV:

Today was the day that we were meeting with the experts and I was nervous. We decided today whether we wanted to stay married or get a divorce and I was really confident in my answer. Although we have had our ups and downs, I was really enjoying being married to Jace. We got along and we fit together really well.

I made it to the building where we were meeting the experts and when I walked into the room my heart immediately started racing. I knew how I felt, but I didn't know how Jace was feeling. I knew he was happy, and I knew we had been great recently, but it could always change and I don't think that I would be able to handle if I lost him.

I sat in the room and waited for Jace to enter. He had to something to do in the office so we showed up separately. After about 10 minutes of waiting the door opened and in walked Jace in his suit and tie and he looked so damn sexy. He sat down next to me and gave me a kiss. A moment later the experts all filed in and sat in front of us.

"Nice to see you both again." The older woman said.

"It's nice to see you as well." Jace said. He put his arm around me and I leaned into him.

"How has your 8 week marriage been?" The man asked.

"We've had our share of bumps, but other than that, I think it's been a really good 8 weeks." I said and they all nodded.

"So today is the day that you give us your final decision. You can either continue with the marriage or you can file for divorce." The woman said and Jace and I nodded. "So Clary, would you like to stay married, or would you like a divorce?" I looked at Jace and I gave him a smile.

"These last 8 weeks have been hard at times, but have always been really wonderful. We both went into this not knowing a thing about each other and had to figure it out as we went, and I think at some points that was a challenge for us considering out closed off you can be, but we've always been able to make it work, and you've always been there supporting me, defending me, and taking care of me, and I think that that's a huge part of any marriage." I said and I grabbed his hand. "Over the past 8 weeks you really have become a huge part of my life and I never want to lose that." I smiled and looked back at the experts. "I would really love to stay married and continue to let our relationship grow."

"Jace, what is your decision?" The man asked, and Jace looked at me.

"I think the hardest part of this experiment was letting someone into my life in every aspect." He started. "I had never had a relationship where the girl knew all about me. I could keep my distance and let her in when I wanted her to be there, but this time around you know, she is my wife, and we live together, and it's hard to try and fool the person who you spend the most time with." He said and he looked at me. "I really had to learn how to trust her and let her into my life in a way that I normally wouldn't let woman in, and when I did it turned out to be one of the most amazing things I've ever done." He squeezed my hand and I smiled. "I don't know how you did it, but Clary is hands down the most amazing person I've ever met and over the past 8 weeks I have found myself wanted to celebrate my victories with her, and share my disappointments and pretty much everything in between because I finally had that someone who wanted everything I did." He looked at the experts. "I can't thank you enough for bringing her into my life, because now that she's here I can promise that I will never let her go, and I want to stay married and build our life together like we both want." He said and I couldn't stop the smile on my face as I leaned over and kissed him.

"We are so happy for the both of you, and we are excited that you two have found that bond and are willing to stick with it because there isn't anyone else you'd rather be with." The man said and we all stood up. We shook their hands, and than Jace grabbed mine and we walked out of the building. When the air hit me suddenly everything else did too. I looked up at Jace and smiled.

"We're really sticking with this?" I asked and he nodded and laughed.

"Yes we are. I can't wait to get to know you even more, and build our life together." He said and I pressed my lips to his. I knew this was the start of a beautiful life together and knowing that we both want this to work, and are willing to make it happen means everything to me.

Time Jump – One Year Later

Jace POV:

Today is the one year anniversary of Clary and I's marriage and I was planning something truly special for her. I was going to ask her to take my last name tonight and I was pretty nervous. This past year has been crazy but Clary and I were closer than ever and doing this experiment was the best decision I've ever decided to do and I was happy that it worked out.

I had gotten everything ready at the restaurant and I was heading home to pick up Clary. When I walked into the house I heard the music from our room and when I walked in Clary looked absolutely stunning and I still couldn't believe she was mine. She turned around and smiled at me.

"Does this look okay?" She asked and I nodded and walked over and gave her a kiss.

"You look amazing. You ready to go?" I asked and she nodded. I grabbed her hand and we made our way to the restaurant and were seated immediately. We ordered and when I went to pour Clary some wine she didn't want any and when I looked at her confused her face got red and she smiled.

"I wanted to tell you in a better way, but I'm pregnant." She said and if I was standing I would have been on my ass.

"You're pregnant?" I asked and she nodded. I stood up and pulled her into a hug and she laughed. "When did you find out?"

"Last week." She said and I smiled.

"How far along are you?" I asked.

"Almost 2 months." She said and I couldn't help but smile.

"You totally took my thunder." I said and now it was her turn to be confused. I reached across the table and took her hands in mine. "I love you Clary. I am completely and totally in love with you, and I knew the moment our lunch went terrible wrong with you father." I said and she smiled at me. "There isn't a person in the world that I care about more than you, although our child might just beat you out." I said and she laughed. "Clarissa Morgenstern, would you do the honor of taking my last name?"

"I would be honored Jace." She said and I walked over and kissed her. My hand immediately went to her stomach and she smiled into the kiss. "I love you more than you could possibly know Jace."

"Here is to our first anniversary. May we have many more and they be filled with as much love as this past year has been." I said as I raised my glass. She lifted her up and we toasted to our marriage, our new baby, and our life that was going to be absolutely amazing, I just knew it.

Authors Note:

This one shot was thought of by me because I am totally in love with the show "Married At First Sight" and I wanted to create a story based off of that! I hope you all like it as much as I do! This is by far the longest story I have ever written, but I absolutely love it! And before anyone comments, I know I said Simon was important, but just because it was already extremely long they don't really speak as much and I'm just going to chalk that up to them living in different states and being busy with work! Let me know what you all think and thanks for reading! :)

Disclaimer - I do not own "Married At First Sight" and if anyone is familiar with the show, I didn't want it to be exactly the same. So they weren't on TV in my story, and I know most couples would go through a lot harder times than these two did, but I wanted to show the good side of their relationship, with a touch of hardships. It might be a little unrealistic but this is fiction and I like the story! :)