One Hundred and Twenty Six Story:

Parenting 101

Clary POV:

Junior year of high school was supposed to be the hardest year yet. It was also the busiest. Everyone was starting to look at colleges, and taking the SAT's. It was a lot for someone to get used too, and it was only the second week of school.

It was a Friday, and she was in the last class of the day – Health. It wasn't a bad class, especially since I had it with Simon, Izzy Alec, and a few other kids that I knew. To me it was the second best class to end with, right after study hall that is. The class was talking low until the teacher walked in and closed the door.

"Good afternoon class." The teacher said. "Now, I know it's a Friday, and it's the last class of the day, but today is going to be extra important, so listen closely." She explained. "As you know, the school has a curriculum that we must follow." She started off. "So, the next chapter of our lesson is Sex Ed." The class groaned. "Now, I'm not going to stand up here and talk about every type of STD, I think you all know how to use Google, and it would be a waste of my time, and yours frankly." She said. "So, we're going to be doing something different. And what better way to show you the consequences of not practicing safe sex than giving you something you must take care of." She said. Oh no. "For the rest of the semester, you and a partner will be learning what it's like to be parents." She said and the class groaned again. "And to make it even better, I've assigned your partners." Cue another groan. "After I finish giving out all pairs, I want you to take the rest of the class to get to know each other."

I sat there praying that I got either Simon or Alec. Hell, I would take anyone I knew even if it was only a fraction. I just didn't want to be paired with someone that I didn't know at all, or someone who I knew wasn't going to be helping me at all. It may only be a fake baby, but I didn't want to be a fake single mom either.

"Okay, first pair – Alexander Lightwood, and Lydia Branwell." She said and I sighed. There goes one potential baby daddy. I tuned her out until I came across another name I recognized. "Simon Lewis, and Isabelle Lightwood." She said.

"Ugh, lucky you." I said and Simon just smiled. The teacher kept calling out names, and every time, it wasn't me.

When there were only 4 people left, I looked at my two potential baby daddy's. Sebastian Verlac – biggest asshole in the entire school, perpetual playboy, and notorious for cheating on girls, tests, and I've even heard he's cheated on drug tests, but I don't if that's just a rumor or not. I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. And the other baby daddy, was Jace – biggest loner in the school. Rarely talks to anyone, and doesn't have one single friend in the school. I didn't know who would be worse. I had a strange feeling that it would be kinda the same with either one of them.

"Sebastian Verlac." The teacher called, and I was chanting so hard in my head that he wasn't my partner. It might be awkward in the beginning if I was stuck with Jace, but at least he wouldn't be a total douchebag, at least I hope now. "And Kaelie Whitewillow." She said and I let out a sigh. "Which means our last pair is Clarissa Fray, and Jonathan Herondale." She said. "Now, take the rest of the period to get to know your partner." She said and the room started to break up. I grabbed my stuff and made my way back to Jace, knowing he fully wasn't going to move for me.

"Hey." I said as I took a seat.

"Hi." He said before going back to whatever he was reading. I took a calming breath and looked at the clock. 15 minutes until the end of the day, I could hang in there.

Time Jump – 15 Minutes Later

Clary POV:

When the bell finally rang, I felt like I was Sleeping Beauty being woken up after sleeping for 100 years. It was the slowest 15 minutes of my entire life. I grabbed my things and followed Simon, Izzy, and Alec out of the room.

"This is going to be the longest semester ever." I said and they laughed.

"It couldn't have been that bad." Alec said.

"We said one word to each other, and that was hello." I told them and Izzy gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Maybe it'll get better." She offered and I scoffed.

"I highly doubt that." I said as we made it to our lockers. We got the rest of our things and headed out to the parking lot to go home. I caught sight of Jace getting into his car and speeding out of the parking lot. He was a mystery to everything single person since the day he showed up here, and I had no idea how I was going to get through this project with him.

Time Jump – Monday

Clary POV:

When Monday rolled around, I was slightly dreading Health Class. Now that we had our partners, we had to sit with them in class. I was ready for a silent class period, followed by doing whatever assignment that we were given alone.

When I walked in the room, Jace was in the back like he normally is. I took a seat next to him, and he didn't even look up to say hello or even give me a smile to acknowledge my existence. He was certainly and odd ball, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"Okay class, today is the day you get to pick up your baby." The teacher said as soon as she walked in. "Now, the way we will pick the babies is reverse order of how you were called on Friday. So Clary and Jace, why don't you come up here and pick out what baby you would like." She said. I knew Jace wasn't going to get up considering he didn't even look up when the teacher walked in the room.

I made my way up to the front of the room and saw the boxes set up. I had no idea what kind of baby Jace wanted to look after. I mean, I had a 50/50 chance to make him even a tad bit happy. I saw a box on the far left and just decided to go with it. It was a boy, and I figured that maybe he would be easier than having a girl, but who knows.

I went back to Jace and waited for everyone to grab a baby. Izzy of course picked a girl, and I could see how happy she was to dress her up, and make her a baby version of herself. I knew Simon didn't care, he was just going to let Izzy do whatever made her happy.

"Okay, now that all the babies are chosen, there is a slight twist." She said. "Some of those boxes have twins in them." I pray to God I didn't pick up a box with twins in it. "You have the rest of the class to work out custody agreements. Have fun."

I took a deep breath before starting to open the box. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was a piece of paper that was sitting on top. I picked it up and started to read what it said.

"Oh thank God." I said.

"What?" Jace asked, which slightly surprised me.

"We didn't get twins." I said.

"That's a relief." Jace said and I nodded in agreement. "Who do we have though?" He asked.

"His name is Matthew. He's 3 months old, and he wakes up 5 times a night." I said as I read off the list.

"That sounds fun." He deadpanned and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Parenthood isn't always fun." I said and he nodded. "So, custody. We should figure that out."

"Okay." He said.

"Would you rather have him during the week or on weekends?" I asked.

"Weekdays." He said.

"Okay. So how about I get him Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Than you can have him Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during the day." I offered.

"Works for me." He said and I nodded. It was the most conversation we've ever had, but it was something, and we figured it out, so I was pretty happy with how this portion of the assignment went. I wrote it all down, and handed it in to the teacher, who smiled and checked it off. Inside the box also had a baby car seat, which had to be assembled. I grabbed the instructions and started building it. Jace sat there and watched the baby. It was the first act as parents we had together and it went well, I just hope the rest of the semester went this way.

Time Jump – Two Months Later

Clary POV:

The last two months have been what I can only call our normal. When I got the baby back, he was always happy, and peaceful, so I knew Jace was doing a good job, but other than that, we really didn't talk much. I looked at the other pairs in the room, and they were all talking about their babies, and how things were going, but all I had was a silent baby daddy, and a content baby. It could be worse, but everyone else seemed t be enjoying this project, and I simply wasn't.

"Alright class, I have another assignment for you!" The teacher said as she walked into the room. "Since you've officially been a cute little family for 2 months, your next assignment is to spend the weekend together doing family activities." She announced and I wanted to cry. The rest of these groups have probably been doing that since they got the plastic baby, and I only see Jace in class. "You must document what you did, and put it in your family photo album." She said. "At the end of the experiment, the photo album will have to be turned in." I rolled my eyes, and looked at the baby that was sat next to Jace's feet. Great, a family photo album. The bell rang and I started packing up my stuff when something landed on my desk. The paper was folded up. I opened it up to see what it said.

Meet me at my place tonight. 7:30. 117 Alicante Avenue. – Jace.

When I looked up, he was already gone. I put the piece of paper in my pocket and headed out to my car. This was definitely going to be an interesting night at the rate this partnership was going. I had no idea what I was in store for, but part of me was a little excited to get to know more about Jace, and know something that the rest of the school was actively shunned away from.

Time Jump – Later That Night

Clary POV:

I got to the address, and the house was rather large. I've never seen it before, but than again, the driveway was long enough to make people think it was another road. I got out of my car and made my way up to the door. I rang the doorbell and patiently waited for it to open. Once it did, there stood Jace in sweats and no shirt, and damn did he look hot as hell.

"Hey." He said as he walked away from the door. I took that as my cue, and walked in behind him.

"So, why did you want me to meet you here?" I asked.

"I figured we could talk about this whole weekend activities thing." He said.

"Okay!" I said enthusiastically. He was finally taking initiative.

"Cool, follow me." He said as he started going upstairs. I followed his lead, and realized I was going to his room. When we walked in I half expected everything to be extra dirty, but it was exceptionally clean in his room. He took a seat on his bed and I took a seat on the chair that was in the room.

"Do you have any ideas about what we could do?" I asked.

"Not really." He admitted. "I've never really had a family filled weekend."

"Really?" I asked and he nodded. "Okay, well it doesn't have to be elaborate, it just has to be something fun, and something we both would enjoy."

"Like what? I doubt we have the same interests." He said and I couldn't help but laugh at his accuracy.

"True, so lets figure it out right now." I said. "I don't think we should do anything physical. I'm not that athletic." I admitted and he laughed for the first time.

"I'm okay with that." He said.

"Do you have any hobbies?" I asked.

"I play the piano." He said and that surprised me, in a really good way.

"Really?" I asked and he nodded. "Cool. Okay, well that's something we have in common. I mean, I don't play the piano, but I'm into the arts as well. I draw."

"Cool. I can't draw for shit." He said and I laughed again. He was actually pretty funny. "What do you like to draw the most?" He asked.

"Portraits." I said. "I like capturing people."

"That's cool." He said and I nodded.

"Okay." I said trying to think of something we could do that we both would enjoy. "Do you want to just do something tomorrow? Or actually do something both days of this weekend?" I asked.

"We can do something both days if you aren't busy." He said.

"I'm pretty free this weekend." I said and he chuckled a little. "Okay, so why don't we each pick an activity for each day? That way we are doing something each of us likes." I suggested.

"That works for me." He said and I nodded. We finally got somewhere. I was about to say something when I heard the front door slam.

"JONATHAN! Get your ass down here!" I heard and Jace cursed under his breath.

"Get in my closet." He said as he grabbed my wrist and started putting me in the closet.

"Jace, what's going on?" I asked slightly scared.

"Just stay in here until I come back." He said. "And don't say a word." I nodded and he shut the door. It was quiet for a couple moments until I heard the yelling.

"WHOSE FUCKING CAR IN IS IN THE DRIVEWAY!?" I heard the man yell. "You know damn well you aren't allowed to have anyone over. You useless piece of shit!" I heard and my eyes started to water. What the hell was happening?

I didn't know how long I was in the closet for. When I heard his bedroom door open, I was slightly scared that it was the man who was yelling downstairs. When the closet door opened, there stood Jace.

"You need to leave." He said as he picked me up off the ground.

"Jace." I whispered.

"He's passed out, but sometimes he can wake up, and it'll be ten times worse if he remembers what just happened." He said.

"Jace, your face." I said as I saw the cut on his jaw line.

"It's nothing." He said as he continued to usher me through his house. "I'll come up with something for us to do tomorrow. Meet me in Central Park at 11." He said.

"Jace." I said still trying to figure out what happened.

"Have a good night Clary." He said as he handed me Matthew, and shut the door. I stood there for a moment just processing everything that happened. I finally got back to my car and strapped Matthew in. I made my way home in a daze. How long has that been going on? Finally Jace made sense to me. He was a loner because he was probably forced into being one. If that happened every time he brought a guest over, I wouldn't make friends either.

Time Jump – Saturday Morning

Clary POV:

My mind was still racing after everything that went down last night. I couldn't believe that happened, and all I could think about was if Jace was okay. I wanted him to be okay. He didn't deserve to be treated that way.

I packed up Matthew, and made my way to Central Park. The moment I pulled up I saw Jace. I got out and got all my belongings before making my way over to him. The cut on his jaw was barely visible anymore, and he didn't seem to be in any pain, so maybe last night didn't turn as ugly as I kept picturing it.

"Hey." I said once I got close enough.

"Hey. You ready for today?" He asked.

"Depends." I said. "What are we doing?" I asked, and he simply smiled.

"You'll see." He said as he started walking.

"You should know, I hate surprises." I said as I followed after him.

"I promise. It's really cool." He said and I nodded. I trusted him, and I was excited to see what he had planned for us to do.

We kept walking until we came across what normally would be a sketchy part of New York City. Normally I would be freaked out, but I was with Jace, and I had a feeling he wouldn't let anything happen to me, or our fake baby. The place was pretty crowded, and when the ally way started to narrow, Jace put his hand on my back and guided me to where we were supposed to be going. We got to an opening where there were a lot of people standing around talking.

"What are we doing here? This isn't exactly my scene." I said and Jace laughed.

"I promise. You'll really enjoy it." He said as he guided me over to a place to sit. We took a seat and I put Matthew at our feet. "They come here every fall to battle, and I like to come to it every year." He said and I nodded.

"Jace man! Good to see you back." Some guy said as he approached Jace. Jace had a smile on his face as he got up and hugged the guy. "And you brought company. I didn't know you had a kid man."

"Fake kid." Jace corrected. "Health Class is teaching us about parenting." He explained and the guy nodded. "This is my friend Clary, Clary this is Raphael."

"It's nice to meet you Raphael." I said and he nodded.

"You as well." He said. "Hope you enjoy the show." He said before running back to his friends.

"So you do have friends." I said and Jace smiled.

"Yea." He simply said. I was about to say something else when the music started. I looked up and Raphael was standing at a wall shaking a can, than he started tagging. It was a form of art I never understood but really enjoyed, and it meant so much to me that Jace brought me here.

"You know." I finally said as I leaned over so Jace could hear me. "I don't think Miss. Wiley had this in mind when she said family bonding." I pointed out and Jace laughed.

"But she never said anything against it." He said. "Plus, I think little Matthew would enjoy this if he were real."

"You think?" I asked and he smirked.

"He is my son." He said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you for bringing me here." I said. "This is really cool."

"After talking the other night, I remembered that they were going to be here, and I thought it was a pretty cool idea to show you." He said.

"That means I have to make tomorrow really cool." I said and he smiled.

"I'm not high maintenance." He said. "We can do whatever you want to do." I nodded and looked back at the people tagging. I was going to make sure tomorrow was super fun. After experiencing Jace's home life, and how he brought me here, he deserved something special.

The baby started to fuss, and I groaned. For a moment, I actually forgot about the child. Jace grabbed the kid out of the carrier and decided to take him on a short little walk to calm him down. I know this project was supposed to teach us how hard it would be to be teen parents, but I would have so much more patience if the kid was actually mine. Having a plastic baby just made this kids problems so much more annoying and made me want to shove it in a closet.

I was watching the next round of taggers, and this little battle they had going on was actually pretty cool. Especially because all the artists were super talented. I also wish I had the guts to do what they do, but I am terrified that I'd get arrested, and it would affect my college plans, and my dream job.

"Where did Jace go?" I heard and I looked to my left to see Raphael.

"The baby was fussy." I said. "He took him on a walk."

"That project sounds whack." He said and I laughed.

"It is." I admitted. "I mean, my mom is a single mother, and she had me pretty young, so I witnessed the struggles she went through. I'm not stupid enough to put myself in that situation after witnessing how hard it truly is." He nodded. "Plus, that piece of plastic isn't my kid. If it were, I would have more patience for it."

"I don't blame you." He laughed. "I pretty much raised my younger siblings, and it's way different than a plastic baby who cries on a schedule."

"I can't wait for the semester to be over so it's done with." I said and he nodded.

"So, you ever tag?" He asked.

"Oh god no." I laughed. "I've always wanted to, but I never got enough courage to do so."

"Wanna try?" He held the can out in front of me.

"Really?" I asked.

"Of course." He said and I took the can. "This place is for everyone."

"Where should I go?" I asked as I stood up.

"Well, the battle happens on one wall, but there is a huge space over here." He said as he pointed to the wall adjacent to the one they were battling on. "Have a field day." He smiled and I couldn't get the smile off my face as well. This was going to be so fun.

Jace POV:

After the baby stopped fussing I decided to make my way back to the battle. I was glad that Clary enjoyed this so much. It was always something I found incredibly liberating, and just interesting to watch, and I was glad she felt the same way.

When I got back, Clary wasn't near the car seat. I figured she just went to the bathroom of something, so I settled Matthew back in the car seat and took a seat. I looked up but no one was battling. Everyone was paying attention someone tagging on another wall. Curiously I got up, grabbed Matthew, cause that would make me an irresponsible father to leave him, and made my way over to the crowd, and to my surprise, Clary was the one tagging.

"Little chica has skill." Raphael said as he stood next to me.

"She told me she was an artist. That's why I brought her. I just didn't know she was this good." I admitted.

"How long have you known her?" He asked.

"Since I moved here, but I never had a conversation with her until we got paired together for this project." I answered.

"She's a sweet girl." He said. "Do me a favor, don't shut her out after this project is over."

"What makes you think she won't shut me out?" I asked and he laughed.

"Please, your signature move is to cut all ties unless absolutely necessary. I've known you long enough to know that you don't keep friends long." He pointed out.

"Not true. We've been friends for years." I said.

"Dude, I come around a couple times a year. The only reason you haven't dumped my ass yet is because we only see each other a couple times a year." He said. "I know it's tough letting people in for you, but you have to get lonely at some point."

"I manage." I said with a shrug.

"Managing is not living." He said. I was about to say something when I saw Clary coming towards me with the biggest smile on her face.

"Oh my god Jace! Did you see that?" She asked.

"I did. You're even better than I thought." I said and she smiled.

"Thank you so much for letting me participate Raphael." She said and Raphael smiled.

"Of course chica. Don't be a stranger though. Next time we come to town, stop by." Raphael said.

"I won't be. I'll make Jace bring me again." She said with a bright smile and I guess there was no cutting ties after this project was over.

"I look forward to it, but if you'll excuse me, my battle is coming up soon." He said before walking away.

"That was so exhilarating!" Clary beamed as we made our way back to where we were originally sitting.

"I'm glad you had fun." I said.

"This is so much better than I imagined, and I can't wait to come back!" She said.

"You really want to come back?" I asked curiously.

"Absolutely. For as long as they come here, we will be here." She said and I nodded. That just solidified it, I would not be cutting ties with Clary Fray after this project, and I didn't know how to feel about that exactly.

Time Jump – Tomorrow

Clary POV:

I wanted to do something special for Jace today, but I couldn't figure out the perfect plan, so I spent all night trying to figure out what we were possibly going to do. I didn't know much about Jace except that he liked playing the piano. Unfortunately, I didn't know what to do with that information, but it was almost the end of October, and I have yet to go through a maze, so I figured it would be fun for us to do together.

Jace was meeting me here today considering it didn't go well the last time my car was in his driveway, and I didn't want him getting into trouble yet again. I just finished getting Matthew ready when the doorbell rang. I made my way out to the living room and opened it up to see Jace standing there.

"Glad you're here." I said as I welcomed him in.

"I'm curious as to what you have planned for us at 8 at night." He said and I smiled.

"You'll see." I said as I grabbed my jacket. "Can you grab Matthew for me?" I asked. He nodded and made his way over to the car seat. He picked him up, and we made our way to my car. Matthew was strapped in and we were off. "So I had no idea what to do with you today, but I finally figured it out, and I think you'll like it." I reassured him and he just nodded in agreement.

About 15 minutes later, we made it to the farm where the maze was. It was a pretty popular farm, and my mom used to bring me here when I was younger, but I haven't been back in years. I pulled the car up and put it in park.

"A corn maze?" Jace asked.

"The perfect Halloween family night." I said and he smiled.

We got out of the car and I grabbed Matthew. We headed towards the maze, and surprisingly Jace paid, thankfully since Matthew was fake, he required no payment. We started in the maze, and I can't tell you how many judgmental stares I got from older women. I mean, if they could see that he was fake, they might be more sympathetic, but since this baby was temperature sensitive, I had to bundle him so he wouldn't he too cold.

"I guess teenage pregnancy is frowned upon at a family establishment." Jace whispered in my ear and I laughed.

"Evidently they never saw a family before." I said just loud enough for the woman staring at us to quickly turn her head away from us and usher her kids away from us. "I can't imagine what it would be like to actually be a teen mom." I told him.

"Don't worry about the stares. We're just here having a great family night." Jace said and I couldn't help but laugh.

Safe to say, we aren't the best at mazes. It took us a little longer than I anticipated to get out, but we were having a great time. I realized that I was really going to miss this project when it was over. I mean, I basically told Jace that we would continue to be friends after this was over, but it was going to be different when we gave Matthew back, and part of me was going to miss these 'family' moments.

"Well, that was fun." Jace said when we made it back to the car.

"You know, I thought I was a lot better at mazes." I said and he laughed.

"I've never done one, so I was pretty useless." He admitted and I smiled.

"Well, how was your first maze experience?" I asked curiously.

"Pretty good." Jace said with a smile.

We made our way back to my house after the maze, and I didn't want the night to end. So I invited Jace in for a little just so we could warm up a little, and have a cup of coffee. My mom was at work, so it was nice to just have a calm night with Jace.

"How is everything?" I finally asked and Jace looked at me.

"Good." He said.

"I think you know what I'm talking about Jace." I said and he sighed.

"It's been worse." He admitted.

"Why does he do that?" I asked curiously.

"He fell off the wagon when my mom died." He said. "It's just his coping mechanism."

"That doesn't justify him abusing you." I said.

"It doesn't happen all the time." Jace said but I knew it happened enough that he was used to it.

"It shouldn't happen at all." I said and Jace continued to look down at his mug. I made my way over to him and put my finger under his chin and made him look at me. "I'm worried about you Jace."

"I'll be okay Clary. I always am." He said and I knew I wasn't going to convince him even though I want him to know what he's going through is wrong. "I should head home before he gets back." He said as he put his mug on the coffee table. "Thank you for tonight, it was really fun."

"Be safe Jace." I said. He gave me one last smile before heading out. When I heard the car pull out of the driveway I took a deep breath. I hated that he went home to house that wasn't a safe place. It hurt to know his father put his hands on him. I've only known Jace personally for a few months, and he just didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

Time Jump – Middle of Spring Semester

Clary POV:

After the project ended, Jace actually actively spoke to me during school. I thought I was going to be the one who had to initiate conversations but I was pleasantly surprised that he was open to talking, and I loved that.

We didn't talk about anything serious, although I know he knew I was curious, but he never hinted at it. When I saw a bruise or a cut, I knew what it from and I hated his father each time I saw a new one.

It was a normal day, and it was beautiful outside, so I was taking my free period to sketch some of the scenery. I had my headphones in, and I couldn't wait to be able to sit outside all summer and do this. Getting my college portfolio ready, and hopefully receiving a scholarship for my work. I needed it if I didn't want to come out of college with a bigger debt than I could handle. I was so focused on my work, that when I looked up to get a better look at a tree, but saw Jace instead, I nearly shit myself.

"What the hell Jace? Don't scare me like that." I said as I pulled my headphones out of my head.

"Sorry, you were just so focused, and it's kinda mesmerizing to watch you draw." He said and I closed my book.

"I didn't know you had a free period." I said and he gave me a sad smile.

"I don't." He said.

"Oh. Rebel." I said and he laughed a little. "So what brings you out here skipping class?"

"I'm not skipping." He said and that confused me. "I'm not a student anymore."

"What?" I asked completely puzzled.

"I'm moving." He told me. "Apparently my dad doesn't want to live here anymore."

"He can't just move you. We have like 3 weeks left of the school year." I said worriedly.

"It doesn't matter to him." Jace said. "He doesn't want to be here anymore, and I'm only 17."

"But….." I said. "But it's not fair."

"It doesn't matter." Jace said. "I just wanted to tell you."

"I'm gonna miss you around here." I said and he smiled.

"Thanks for being such a good friend." Jace said as he stood up. I followed suit and instantly wrapped my arms around his neck. After a moment, he snaked his arms around my waist, and he stood there embracing. "You don't know how much you've changed me in the short time we've known each other Clary." He whispered into my hair, and my eyes started to water.

"Take care of yourself Jace." I said and I felt him nodded a little. "Be careful, and do great things."

"Maybe I'll see you in the future Clary." Jace said as he broke away from the hug. If he didn't end the hug, I'm convinced we would have been standing there for hours. I quickly grabbed my sketchbook and ripped out the portrait of Jace that I was working on for a couple weeks now. I folded it up, and shoved it in his pocket. I looked up and he seemed a little confused, but when he decides to open it, I knew he would understand.

"Bye Jace." I said and I saw him walk away. Once he was gone, the tears escaped my eyes. I was really going to miss him.

Time Jump – Three Years Later

Clary POV:

Sophomore year of college started last month, and I absolutely loved it at NYU. I got that scholarship I needed and I was studying Art History. I was one step closer to my dream job.

Despite how happy I was going to school, and do what I love most in this world, every time I wasn't busy, my mind wandered to the thought of Jace. We kept in touch for the summer, but than it just stopped. I was scared that something had happened, until he sent me an email saying he no longer had a phone, and it would be hard to keep in contact using public computers. It sucked that we couldn't keep in touch as much as I wanted too, but I hoped every single day that he was doing alright.

Since I turned 21, my friends have been begging to take me out to the bar, and normally I said no since I was so busy, but this weekend I didn't have anything to do, so I decided that why the hell shouldn't I go out an enjoy a weekend letting lose. We got dressed up and went to the frequented bar that most NYU students go too.

The place was packed. I was shocked until I realized that it wasn't just a bar, but it was part club as well. I didn't mind. They were playing great music, and I was with great company, and I was ready to have an amazing night.

My friends got me the first couple drinks, but I decided that I needed a glass of water and some down time knowing my feet would be killing me from all this dancing tomorrow. I got over to the bar and took a seat and waited for the bartender to come over to me.

"Clary?" I heard and when I turned around I was greeted by those familiar golden eyes that I could simply never forget.

"Jace!" I cheered. "Oh my god what are you doing here?"

"I work here!" He called over the music. "I've never seen you here before."

"My birthday passed and my friends have been dying to take me to a bar, so here I am!" I explained to him, but I knew that if I didn't do anything about seeing him now, I would regret it forever. "When is your shift over?" I asked.

"An hour." He said.

"Come find me when you're done. We'll get out of here!" I said confidently and he smiled and nodded.

"What can I get for you?" He asked.

"Just a glass of water." I said and he nodded. He placed the glass in front of me before going to help another customer. I drank my water before I was dragged back to the dance floor by my friends. I was having a blast, but I couldn't wait to catch up with Jace tonight.

Time Jump – An Hour Later

Jace POV:

When my shift was over, I gathered my things and started looking around for Clary. I spotted her bright red hair on the dance floor and made my way over to her. She was lost in the music so I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me.

"You ready to get out of here?" I whispered in her ear. She looked back, smiled and nodded.

She said goodbye to her friends, and I took her hand in mine and we made our way out of the bar. It was still a nice night out, and I had no idea how Clary got here, but she was a little tipsy, so I thought a nice walk to my place would sober her up a little bit.

It was a quiet walk between the two of us. The noise of the city made sure that nothing was awkward between us, but with Clary, no moment was ever awkward. She was one of the easiest people to be around, and just her presence alone was calming enough to make the worst times bearable.

We got back to my place and Clary made herself comfy on the couch the moment we walked in. I got her another glass of water and took a seat on the coffee table while she drank it.

"I can't believe you live in the city." She said. "When did you move here?"

"About a year ago." I said. "After we moved I got a job and worked my ass off so I could move away from him." I explained. "New York City was the only place I truly felt at home, so I came back."

"So you got away?" She asked.

"I finally got away." I said and she lunged herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I'm so happy for you Jace." She said and I couldn't help but smile. "So, what college do you go to?" She asked.

"None." I said. "I can't afford college."

"That's okay." She said with a smile. "At least you have a job, and a place to live!"

"It's not the best, but it's better than nothing." I said and she smiled.

"I can't believe we ran into each other. What's it been? Three years." She said and I nodded.

"It's been a very long three years." I admitted and she nodded in agreement. "Well, I brought you back here because I didn't know where else to go, but when you want to go back to your place, just let me know." I said and she nodded.

"I'm not ready to go back to my dorm yet." She said. "Mind if we just chill and watch a movie together?" She asked.

"Sounds great." I said with a smile on my face.

"Can I borrow some clothes to change into?" She asked and I nodded.

I went to my room and grabbed a shirt and some sweats and handed them to her. She made her way to the bathroom and I got the TV ready for a movie. I didn't know what she wanted to watch, so I just picked a random movie. She came back out, curled up on the couch and got under the blanket. I turned the lights off and joined her on the couch. I wasn't prepared for it, but Clary moved over to me, and curled into my side as she placed my arm around her shoulders. I pulled her closer to me, and turned my attention back to the TV. I can't believe we ran into each other in such a big city, but I was glad that it happened, and I was glad to have Clary back in my life.

Time Jump – Next Day

Clary POV:

I woke up with a slight headache, and I was slightly confused as to where I was until I remembered that I ran into Jace last night. I sat up on the couch and stretched my arms and legs out. I looked around at the apartment that I was in, and it was pretty small, but one person didn't need a lot of space.

I got up and started looking around the place for Jace. I walked down a hallway and heard water running. Normally a person would stop and turn around at this point, realizing the person they were looking for was most likely in the shower, but apparently I wasn't normal. I kept going, curious about what his room looked like.

It shouldn't have been a surprise to me, it looked just like his room from high school. It was clean, and colorless. But what I noticed, was the portrait I did of him in high school, was framed, and sitting on top of his dresser. I couldn't help but smile as I walked over to it. I could totally do it so much better now.

"That was the one thing that always got me through the hard times." I heard from behind me, and I jumped and flinched so much that I knocked it off the dresser. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Jace said and I looked behind me after fixing the picture to see Jace in nothing but a towel.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have been snooping anyway." I said as I tried to run out of the room, but Jace blocked my path.

"You came looking for a reason. Is everything okay?" He asked and I gulped. I could feel the heat radiating off of him, and I took in his body, and the tattoos that covered his torso.

"Uh…." I started, but nothing came after that.

"Do you want a ride home?" He asked.

"No!" I shouted a little too quickly, which caused Jace to laugh. "I mean, no. I was just curious if your room looked like it did in high school." I explained. "Now that I did, it does, so I'm done. Excuse me." I said as I tried to move past him again, but failed.

"Why are you so dead set on getting away from me?" Jace asked with amusement in his voice.

"What? I'm not." I said and Jace laughed again.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked slowly.

"No." I simply said.

"Would you like me to put some clothes on? Would that help?" He asked, and before I could filter, I spoke.

"No." I said and I mentally punched myself in the face.

"Okay, so you don't want me to put clothes on, and you aren't uncomfortable." He said. "What is it?" He asked.

"I, uh, oh fuck it." I said as I slammed my lips to his. I felt him smile underneath my lips, as he gladly kissed me back. As we stood there kissing each other, and letting all the passion that has built up over the years finally run its' course, I couldn't help but feel like something was just given back to me. When we both finally broke apart, he had a smile on his face, and I had a smile to match.

"Is that all you wanted?" He smirked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"For now." I said. "I might some more later."

"You can have some more any time you want." He said and I couldn't stop the butterflies from forming in my stomach.

"Sooooo, what do we do now?" I asked and Jace laughed a little.

"Whatever you want to do." He said.

"Well, what I want to do all depends on you." I said and he leaned against the doorframe and gave me that look that says 'continue'. "I was thinking that we go out on a date tonight, but only if that's okay with you." I said and he Jace got this wide grin on his face.

"I think a date sounds perfect." He said and I couldn't wait to be with Jace and catch up on everything and anything that we missed within the last three years of being apart.

"Great." I said. "How about you get dressed, take me back to my dorm, and pick me up around 7?" I asked and Jace laughed.

"Sounds perfect." He said and I leaned up and pressed my lips to his sweetly.

We did as planned and when I got back to my dorm I couldn't get the ridiculous smile off my face. My roommate was slightly worried about me, but once I gushed about everything, she helped me get my outfit ready. I was super excited to get the chance to know Jace on an intimate level, and not just on the surface. There was so much more to him than what I already knew, and I was excited to get to know everything about him.

Time Jump – Four Years Later

Clary POV:

It was truly a miracle how life had it's own way of working out. Jace and I running into each other after nearly 3 years of separation, the opportunities Jace got from working at that bar/club, and the way some of the darkest events can make some of the brightest people.

Within the last 4 years a lot has happened with my life. I graduated with a degree in Art History, and was currently going for my masters. The owner of the bar/club Jace worked at saw something in Jace and offered to pay for some business classes so that one day when he wanted to retire he could trust his business to Jace, and we were in the most loving and supportive relationship I've ever experienced.

There was no way that Jace and I were ever letting go of each other after we were separated. I didn't know how much of a void his absence left in my life until I got him back. I didn't care what happened, I knew I was always going to need him in my life.

My junior year at NYU we decided that we wanted to move in together. We hadn't been together for that long, but we both knew it was the right decision. With the promotion at work, and my job, Jace and I were able to afford a nicer place to live, and it was just the perfect home for us. Everything was falling into place for us, and the future just looked bright.

Or so I thought. Life has the ability to throw constant curveballs at you. Doesn't matter if you're not emotionally ready, financially ready, physically ready, or mentally ready; life will hit you with challenges, and it's up to us to work through those challenges. My current challenge? I think I'm pregnant. I haven't felt right the past month, but when I took the pregnancy tests, some were positive, and some were negative. I didn't know what to do except go to the doctors.

Jace has been super stressed with work lately. He had no idea how much working running a business was going to be, but I was super proud of him for sticking it out, and learning everything he possibly could. So, if it was a false positive, I didn't want to get his hopes up, so I was currently with my mom and Izzy waiting for the doctor to come and tell me the results.

"Clarissa Fray?" I heard the nurse call. I stood up and followed her with Izzy and my mom right on my trail. I got in the exam room, and the nurse left. I was getting more and more anxious by the minute. When the door finally opened and in walked the doctor, I braced myself.

"Okay Clary, I got the results back, and it looks like you are in fact pregnant." She said and I let out the huge breath I was holding. "You are currently a week shy of your second trimester."

"How did I not know sooner?" I asked curiously.

"Sometimes women don't get symptoms and they are late to show." She explained. "It's very common."

"Okay." I said trying to process everything.

"Would you like a ultrasound to see the baby?" The doctor asked.

"Yea." I said. When I got to tell Jace, it was going to be physical proof that this was happening. I laid back on the table as I held my moms hand tightly in mine. She squirted the gel on my stomach and started searching for my growing baby.

"Okay Clary." She said. "If you look right there, you can see the heartbeat of the first baby."

"Wait, first baby?" I asked.

"Yea, hear these two sounds?" She asked and I nodded. "That indicates two heartbeats."

"Oh my god." I said.

"This is so exciting! Double shopping!" Izzy cheered. "Do you know the genders yet?" Izzy asked.

"With the blood test we took, we got to find out the gender." The doctor said. "Do you want to know?" She asked me. I don't really know if I want to know. I mean, it would make everything a lot easier.

"Uh, sure." I said finally making up my mind.

"You're having a boy and a girl." She said.

"Yes! One of each!" Izzy cheered yet again.

"I'll print the pictures out and you can head on out. Just make sure you schedule your next appointment." She said as she handed the pictures to me. I nodded and she left the room.

"How are you going to tell Jace?" My mom asked.

"I'm just going to flat out tell him." I said honestly. "There is no sense in prolonging it."

"Let me know how he takes it." My mom said and I nodded. "I have to go meet Luke, but call me later?" She asked and I nodded. She kissed my head before heading out.

Izzy and I made our way out to the car and she started driving me home. She was gushing about the babies, but I just couldn't get how Jace was going to react out of my head. When we pulled up to the building, I gave Izzy a hug and headed upstairs. I was taking as many deep breaths as I could thinking about how I was going to just spit news out like this, but when I saw the apartment door slightly ajar, and I heard yelling, I got worried.

"Just get the fuck out of my house!" I heard Jace yell so clearly. I pushed open the door, and there stood Jace and a man who resembled Jace eerily.

"Jonathan, be reasonable." The man said.

"No dad, I'm so over it. I haven't seen you in nearly 6 years. I have a life, you can't hurt me anymore, and I don't want anything to do with you." Jace yelled. This was his father.

"You fucking bastard! I gave you everything!" The man yelled.

"Yea. Bruises and bloody lips!" Jace yelled. His father picked up one of our vases – one of my favorite ones I might add – and threw it at Jace, which caused me to scream slightly. Thankfully Jace ducked and it just slammed against the wall.

"Who the hell are you?" The man yelled as he looked back at me.

"The owner of that perfectly good vase you just broke asshole!" I yelled back. You know, I knew my temper was unnaturally short these past couple weeks, it's nice to know why now.

"Look little girl…." He seethed.

"My name is not little girl." I hissed back. "Now, get the fuck out of our house." I said in a deadly calm voice.

"You can't hide from me forever Jonathan." The man said as he started walking out of the apartment. As he passed me, he growled at me like a fucking dog and left. I slammed the door and dead bolted it.

"We need to fucking move." Jace said as he paced.

"I'm in." I said and he looked at me.

"Really?" He asked sounding surprised.

"Yea. This place isn't big enough anyway." I said as I looked at our small two bedroom apartment.

"How much space do two people really need?" Jace asked amused.

"Not much, but 4 people need more." I said.

"4? Who is moving in?" He asked puzzled.

"Our children." I said nonchalantly, but Jace was gaping.

"Our – children? As in plural?" He asked and I laughed.

"We got lucky in high school." I smiled. "Unfortunately, this box had twins."

"Holy shit." He said before running over to me and wrapping his arms around my and twirling me around. "We're going to be parents."

"Real parents." I assured him.

"What the fuck are we going to do with two kids?" He asked and I laughed.

"Exactly what ever other parent did. Screw up a little, but ultimately make them into pretty cool kids." I said and he smiled. "I know the genders. Would you like to know?" I asked.

"Hell yes." He said.

"One boy, one girl." I said.

"This is a miracle." He said.

"It's something." I said and he pressed his lips to mine.

"I love you." He said breathlessly.

"I love you too." I said as we stood there embracing. This was going to be one hell of an adventure, but I was ready.

Time Jump – One Year Later

Jace POV:

Conner and Natalee were already a year old and it was surreal how fast the last year went. I felt like it was just yesterday that Clary told me she was pregnant, and now we have two little ones who are learning how to walk, and brightening up the darkest days.

Although it had been a few years, Clary and I decided to take the kids to the Tag Battle. We had missed out on it the past couple years due to being super busy with school and work, but since the twins came into the picture, I've been trying to make the weekends all about family, and with Clary finishing up her masters, she was less swamped with school work.

We got to Central Park and started towards where the battle took place. It was just like I remember it all those years ago, and it felt like I had just returned to a safe place after so many years away. The music was blaring, and the atmosphere was the same as it always was.

"Look what the cat dragged in." I heard from behind me and when we turned around, there stood Raphael. "I'm not going to lie, I thought you were never coming back."

"Raphael, it's so great to see you." I said as I gave him a proper hug. "Things got tough in high school, and than I was just working my ass off and kinda just forgot about everything else." I explained.

"It's all good man. You seem to be doing well." He said as he looked at Connor, and than at Clary and Natalee. "Little chica, good to see you as well." He said and Clary and him hugged.

"You as well Raphael." Clary said.

"I can't nearly be as mad at you since you did show up for a few years alone." Raphael said.

"You came back?" I asked curiously, not knowing that she did that.

"I missed you, and this was the first place we ever came together." She explained. "I thought it would fill a void."

"She destroyed some of our best taggers." Raphael chimed in.

"You battled?" I asked and she laughed.

"A couple times." She said. "My first battle was pretty pathetic, but I got the hang of it."

"Wanna go again?" Raphael asked, and I saw Clary get this wicked expression in her eyes.

"Only if you'll finally battle me." Clary said.

"Oh Little Red, you are so on." Raphael laughed. "Moms never terrified me anyway." He winked and I couldn't help but smile.

"Jace, hold Natalee for me." Clary said as she handed over our daughter. I gladly took her and she made her way over to the other taggers to borrow some paint, but Raphael stayed behind for a moment.

"You look like you have a good life man." Raphael said and I couldn't help but smile.

"I have the best life." I proudly said. "I thought I was lucky when I finally moved away from my dad, and when Clary came back into my life, but I think I just keep getting luckier in life than I should be getting."

"Don't question it, just embrace it." Raphael said and I nodded. "You got a couple cute kids, and a great girl by your side. Sometimes we just get lucky. But if you ever mess it up, I'll kick your ass myself."

"Hey, there are two kids here." I said as I bounced both kids in my arms.

"Sorry, last time I saw you with a kid, it was plastic." Raphael said and I laughed.

"Yea, we these two aren't, and they are starting to copy sounds. I don't need their first words to be a curse word. Parenting 101." I said and he laughed.

"Raphael? You coming, or are you gonna chicken out on me?" Clary called from across the way.

"Well, your girl has now called me out officially, so I have to go kick her as….butt." Raphael said. "Buy her something nice when I'm through with her." He laughed as he jogged over to where Clary was.

I took a seat on a near by ledge with one kid sitting on each of my legs. The battle counted down and Clary and Raphael wasted no time battling. I was mesmerized by what was going on since I've never seen Clary tag like this before. She was an amazing artist, I knew that, but seeing her just so free and not worrying about the rules and regulations was really nice.

"Mama!" I heard and I looked at the kids. "Mama!" Natalee said again as she pointed to Clary.

"Yea baby girl, that's mama." I said excitedly. They both started clapping and giggling which caused Clary to look over at us. She blew us all a kiss before getting back to whatever she was tagging.

I knew one thing for sure, I wasn't going to have to buy her anything special after this battle. She was cleaning house with Raphael, but maybe an engagement ring wouldn't be a bad idea.

Authors Note:

Still coming out of my lack of motivation/inspiration, but I wanted to write something like this for a long time, and here it is! I originally wanted it to go into a different direction, but it had a mind of it's own, and I really like it! Let me know what you think and leave a review! :)