One Hundred and Thirty Story:
Vampire Empire
Jace POV:
Immortality. Immortality. I didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. I watched everyone that I loved age and die. I killed people due to the hunger, and I've done things that I'm not particularly proud of. I've wandered all over this earth hoping to find some meaning in life. To find something that gave my immortality a purpose. Sometimes I wanted to stick a stake in my own heart and just head the misery, but something always stopped me, I just wish I could find what.
It was a particularly miserable night. Everything was quiet, and eerie. Something that I didn't care for much, but it always made humans quick to jump and run screaming. Of course this time of night is when all the low life's come out, so I wasn't running into decent people.
My favorite trail though was the one through the woods. Very few people took this path during the night, and even fewer went off the beaten path. It was a foolproof way of being alone. It helped me think and it got me away from the crazy that happens during the night.
The only sounds that I heard were the crunching of the branches beneath my feet. It was a calming sound, and I looked forward to it every time I took a walk through these parts. There were very few things that calmed me down in my long life. And silence happened to be one of them. I was lost in my own head when I heard the sound of a wailing animal. There certainly weren't any hunters out here this time of night, so I really didn't understand what was going on.
As I made my way towards the sound, I smelled blood. Lots of it. It wasn't human, so I chalked it up to a wounded animal. As I got closer to the sound, that's when it stopped. But that didn't stop me. I kept going in the direction of where the sound originated, and that's when I saw the figure. The figure was bent down over a now dead deer. I approached as slowly as possibly, hoping I wasn't making a sound so I didn't startle the figure.
When I got closer, I realized that it was a girl, a young one. Well, young to me. She was feeding heavily on this deer, and I knew it was because she probably hasn't fed in a long time. When I got closer, I decided that it was time to make my presence known.
"Hello?" I called and she whipped her head around, and that's when I saw her eyes. Black holes. "Are you hungry?" I asked and when she went back to feeding on the deer, that's when I got my answer. I continued to get closer to her, but I let her feed. The deer was already dead, there was no reason for me to stop her from getting what she clearly needed. Once she came back up for air, she looked up at me, her eyes no longer black. "My name is Jace." I said. She wiped the back of her sleeve over her mouth and got rid of the blood.
"Clary." She said, and I could tell she was frightened. "Are you a…..vampire?" She asked quietly.
"You don't have to whisper. There is nobody out here." I said as I kneeled in front of her. "But yes, I am."
"How long have you been like this?" She asked.
"A very long time." I answered. "What about you?" I asked.
"A week. Maybe." She said. "I lost some time there."
"Hunger does that to a vampire." I said. "When I first turned I lose a whole year."
"How?" She asked.
"I'll tell you what, why don't you come back to my place, clean up, you can change your clothes, and ask me whatever questions you have." I offered to her. I knew how hard it was being the new vamp. I will forever be indebted to the vampire that took me in when she found me, and I always planned on paying it forward.
"I feel like I should ask if you're going to kill me, but I can't die." She laughed as she stood up. "I can't die right?" She asked.
"It will take a lot to kill you, but I'm not going to even attempt." I said and she nodded.
We walked back to my house in silence, which I didn't mind at all. I was actually worried about trying to make small talk with this girl. Although I haven't shut myself completely off from society, I did mingle as little as possible, so actually having to maintain a conversation with someone was going to take some getting used too.
We got to my house, and I pointed her in the direction of the bathroom. I went into my sisters room – who was now long gone – and grabbed some clothes for Clary. I knocked slightly on the bathroom door, opened it, dropped the clothes on the counter and than left. I made my way back down to the living room and picked up the book I was currently reading. Maybe 15 minutes later, Clary joined me.
"So, what would you like to know?" I asked gently.
"How long have you been a vampire?" She asked.
"Nearly a thousand years." I replied and her jaw hit the floor.
"How old were you when you, um, turned?" She asked nervously.
"I was 23 when I was turned." I explained.
"How did it happen?" She asked curiously.
"It's blurred over the years, but vaguely I remember taking a walk and stumbling upon another attack. I think the vampire wanted to kill me, but got interrupted." I explained, and she nodded.
"How do you feed?" She asked.
"Probably not my most law abiding habits, but I take blood from the hospital. Though I don't steal it, a friend of mine gives it to me." I explained, with a loose interpretation of the word friend. "Animal blood doesn't keep you as well fed as human blood. I tried to survive on it, but I was hunting so often that it just became too much." She nodded again. "I'm actually surprised you were feeding on an animal and not a human."
"Every time I would get close I think I subconsciously knew it was wrong." She explained. "I stayed away from people for as long as I could but the urge slowly took me over. I found the deer and just started feeding without another thought."
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I just turned 19 last month." She explained. She was so young. "My family and I just celebrated when we were attacked."
"How did it happen?" I asked.
"We went out, and since we walked to the restaurant, we had to walk home." She began. "We were nearly there when someone came up from behind. My dad and brother tried to fight him off but he was so strong." She laughed, but there was no humor to it. "I guess I know why now." She added. "I was the last one and someone stumbled across it. Much like you, he was interrupted. They called 911, I went to the hospital, but before they could really do anything I left. I was fine, and I didn't want to be there anymore."
"That's understandable." I said and she nodded. "Where are you from?" I asked.
"New York City." She said and I nodded.
"Well, you're quite far from New York City now." I told her.
"Where exactly is here?" She asked.
"Portland, Maine." I said and she took a deep breath and nodded. "You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you need. There are plenty of rooms, and although I've never had a roommate, I don't think I'm the worst, although you may give me a report later on to evaluate me." I said with a little laughter.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked.
"I was found at a pretty low point in my immortal life by another vampire." I explained. "She took me in and got me back on my feet and taught me how I was going to live, and how to adjust. I always promised to pay it forward one day." I said. "This is me paying it forward. I was like you too, and I know how scary it can be being alone."
"Thank you Jace." She said after a moment of processing it all.
"You are very welcome Clary." I said. "Now, I don't know what the legends taught you about being a vampire, but we can sleep, we don't need to, but that doesn't mean a nap every now and than isn't appreciated. We can go out in the daylight, but it weakens our powers."
"I have powers?" She asked and I couldn't help but laugh.
"You do. Heightened sense, super speed, fast healing." I explained. "Those are pretty common among vampire literacy." I said and she nodded. "Despite what people think, we can reproduce. Although feeding gets ten times more intense during the pregnancy because you are trying to keep yourself plus your offspring alive. I've only witnessed it a couple times, and it seems brutal."
"Is the baby born a vampire?" She asked curiously.
"Yes. The baby is born completely like us, and grows at a heightened pace until she or he hits the age of when the mother or father stopped aging." I explained.
"So if I have a kid, they'll only grow until they're 19?" She asked.
"Or the age of whoever you decide to spend time with." I said.
"Time with?" She questioned. "Is marriage not a thing in this world?" She asked.
"I'm sure vampires get married, but I doubt they last long." I said honestly. "Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be. Despite some vampire clans, they hardly hang out with the same people for long periods of time. They get board. They constantly need to be moving, and meeting new people." I explained. "Most vampires make friends with humans because they eventually die and than they make new friends. It's easier for them to always keep things different."
"That's horrible." She exclaimed.
"I only know of one couple that's still married and has been married for nearly 400 years." I said truthfully.
"Who are they?" She asked with so much hope in her eyes.
"Camille and Raphael." I said. "They meet in the 1600's, and have been together ever since."
"That's amazing." She said with the biggest smile on her face.
"They have a lot of kids." I said and she laughed.
"I bet. I always wanted a big family, and being alive forever gives you time to pop as many out as you please." She said and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, at least you have something to look forward too." I pointed out.
"And what about you?" She asked. "Do you have something to look forward too?"
"Not really." I said honestly.
"Oh come on. In a thousand years there isn't one thing you look forward too?" She asked.
"I said I was nearly a thousand. I still have some time." I said and she laughed.
"Do you even remember your age? Or do you round because you can't remember?" She asked with a laugh.
"I believe I'm someone between 940, and 960 years old." I said. "After 100 you just stop counting." I admitted.
"Why after 100?" She asked.
"100 is a milestone." I said. "After that, every number just feels the same because you aren't physically changing."
"Makes sense." She said. "Is it possible for me to eat real food?" She asked after a moment.
"You can train yourself to get there." I said.
"Have you?" She asked.
"I have. After a got a hang of my new life, I wanted to fit back into society. I guess it was me trying to grasp for normalcy again." I explained. "It took some time, but it's possible."
"How much time?" She asked.
"I don't know. 80 or 90 years." I said.
"That's a long time." She sighed.
"Not for the immortal." I said. "That's equivalent to like a day in the human world."
"After you got back on your feet, how did you adjust?" She asked.
"I started with other vampires. They had no blood to crave, so it was easier." I said. "Once I got comfortable with them, it took me only a couple years to get back to normal humans. Although I rarely try to go out of my way to meet or interact with new people. I was lucky enough that my childhood home was build off the beaten path. Gives me privacy." I explained.
"A couple years in human time, or vampire time?" She asked and I laughed.
"Human time." I reassured her. "Once you get your hunger controlled, fitting back in is relatively easy. We have no physical change to ourselves."
"We just don't have a heartbeat, blood, or anything remotely human." She said and that caused me to laugh as well. "Will I get fangs?" She asked.
"You've already used them." I pointed out. "You weren't using normal teeth to rip into that deer."
"I guess you're right." She said.
"They're retractable though. They come out when you hunt or drink blood." I said. "It's not like you walk around with fangs all the time."
"You cleared a lot up. I thought I was going to be sleeping in a coffin, and only taking walks at night." She said and I smiled.
"Vampires are commonly miss portrayed in literacy." I informed her. "They have no idea what really goes on in our lives."
"I will never read Twilight the same again." She said.
"What's Twilight?" I asked confused.
"It's a book series about a vampire family." She said and I just nodded. "Well, I think my exhaustion caught up to me." She yawned. "I'm going to try and get some sleep."
"Goodnight Clary." I said and she gave me a soft smile.
"Goodnight Jace." She said and she walked upstairs. I opened my book again and continued to read until I saw the sun come up. Over the years I've learned that although sleep was possible for us, I didn't need to sleep. Most of the time I stayed up late reading, or wondering the streets. When the sun started peaking through the curtains, I knew it was time to start my day.
Time Jump – Two Weeks Later
Clary POV:
Getting used to this life was weird. I feel as though I'm going to wake up in my old room, eat pancakes with my family, and this will all become a distant dream, but when reality sets in, I remember that they're dead, and this is my new life. My new immortal life.
Over the past two weeks Jace has been extremely accommodating towards me. He's given me real blood, which surprisingly the different types taste different. Jace is more of a B Negative type of person, where as I like O Positive. Not that the others tasted bad, it's just the O Positive tastes better to me. I would classify it as sweeter than the others, whereas Jace finds the taste of O Positive just as bad as chocolate. Which honestly shocks me. Who doesn't like chocolate?
He stocks up on blood every couple months, so the fridge is always filled with it. It was mostly B Negative, but since I've arrived he has gotten more O Positive for me, which I was grateful for. It was still weird for me to drink blood in place of real food, but this was my life now, and until I got the hang of eating food again, I was going to live off blood.
"Can I ever supplement food for blood?" I asked Jace as I played with an apple.
"No." He said. "You will always need blood to alleviate your hunger." He explained. "Vampires who eat food mainly do it to fit into society. It's weird if you got to a restaurant with a friend and don't order food."
"That would be weird." I admitted.
"So a lot of vampires don't even try to learn how to eat it again. But those who want to acclimate themselves back into society will suffer the 80 or 90 years it takes to relearn how to eat just so they can."
"Why would they suffer?" I asked curiously. He made it sound awful. "Would it just be trial and error?"
"Not necessarily." He said. "Relearning how to eat food is actually extremely painful." He explained, but I didn't understand why. "Have you ever had a food allergy?" He asked after he saw my confusion.
"No." I said.
"Well, when I was human, I was lactose intolerant." He said. "The smallest amount of dairy would kill me, and it sucked because sometimes you just forget that dairy is in a lot of food." He explained. "So when I ate dairy without knowing, I would get the worst stomach cramps. It would honestly knock me on my ass for a few hours." He laughed. "Now, imagine that, but so much worse."
"Like period cramps?" I asked and he looked at me.
"I wouldn't know what they feel like, but if they are just as bad as not being able to digest something, than yea, go with that." He said.
"Well, I guess another good thing is I never have to buy tampons again." I said after a moment.
"Not necessarily." He said.
"Oh come on, I'm immortal and I still get my period? How the hell is that fair?" I asked and he laughed.
"Okay, I've never had to have this conversation with anyone, and I was beginning to think I never would, but it's important." He said as he made his way over to me. He leaned against the counter and I did the same. "The blood type AB Negative has something in it that a woman's body uses in order to reproduce, men too." He said. "Now, I don't understand how it works exactly, but the vampire who took me in explained it to another vampire one time, and I didn't understand, but I got the gist of it. So as long as you're drinking AB Negative, you have the possibility of getting pregnant, but also the chance you get your period."
"So, AB Negative is like not using protection when having sex?" I asked.
"That's a very good way of looking at it." He admitted. "When vampires want to have kids, they only drink AB Negative because it aides in the reproductive process."
"So no kids means don't drink AB Negative. Got it." I said and he laughed.
"You're catching onto this vampire thing a whole better than I did." He said and I just smiled.
"I've never been one to dwell on things I can't change." I admitted. "This is my life now, I might has well get used to it and learn as much as I can."
"Very optimistic." He said. "I like it. It's been awhile since I've had so much positive energy around here."
"Maybe that's why I prefer Positive blood. Keeps things positive." I said.
"Are you saying that because I prefer Negative blood, I'm a negative person?" He questioned.
"If the shoe fits." I teased and he laughed.
"Well, I'm going out. I'll be back later." He said and I nodded.
He left the house and I was alone. I didn't trust myself to go out and potentially run into a human yet, which is why I haven't left this house unless I was with Jace. It wasn't all bad, it was a very nice house, and I lied exploring it, it has been two weeks, so I didn't really know what to do this time around. I was in the kitchen and I was looking at the cabinets, and the fridge. Not knowing what else to do, I went over to the pantry and opened it up. It wasn't stocked, but there was some human food. I grabbed the box of Cheerios, and sat on the floor in the living room.
"Okay. I'm going to do this. No matter how much it hurts." I said. I poured some Cheerios out of the box and just stared at them. I picked one up and looked at it. "Cheerio." I said and I put it in my mouth. Bad idea.
Time Jump – Later That Day
Jace POV:
When I came back to the house, I had some more blood, some clothes for Clary considering she didn't have much, and she could only live out of Cecilia's room for so long, and a new movie or two. I asked the lady in the store what a girl would like, and she recommended them.
When I walked into the house I put the blood in the fridge, and went to put the movies in the living room when I found Clary lying on the ground. She looked ill, and she didn't look particularly happy either.
"Everything okay?" I asked worriedly.
"Cheerios. Bad." She said and I couldn't help but laugh.
"I told you it would be painful." I said as I kneeled down to her level. "How long have you been like this?"
"I tried to eat them maybe 15 minutes after you left this morning." She said.
"Clary that was like 6 hours ago." I said and she nodded.
"Cheerios. Bad." She repeated.
"Come on, a bath will make you feel better." I said. I scooped her up into my arms and I couldn't deny how perfectly she fit in them. But that couldn't mean anything. I've wondered this earth for a thousand years and I've never met someone who I wanted to spend my immortal life with, and I never thought I would. But now, I don't know how true that is.
Time Jump – One Month Later
Clary POV:
Jace has been particularly weird lately. I don't know what it is, whether it be a vampire thing, or just a Jace thing, but I wanted to get to the bottom of it. He left most mornings to do whatever it is that he does, but today he wasn't leaving without giving me some information.
"Where you going?" I asked when I met him in the kitchen.
"Out." He said.
"You always say that. Will I ever get a place?" I asked.
"No." He said curtly.
"What's gotten into you?" I asked. "Been a while since you've been laid and you're frustrated?" I asked and he turned to face me.
"No." He said quickly. "I mean, technically yes, but I'm not frustrated." He admitted.
"So why are you being so short with me?" I asked.
"It has nothing to do with you Clary." He said. "Just, leave me alone."
"Jace, you've been rude to me all week, and I don't even get an explanation?" I asked annoyed.
"I'm going to the cemetery!" He yelled and my eyes widened. "This week is the week that I was attacked, and I've been going to the cemetery to visit my family." He said in a softer voice.
"I'm so sorry." I said, hating myself for being so insensitive.
"It's fine." He said as he continued to grab his things.
"Would you like some company?" I asked without thinking. He looked at me with confusion in his eyes.
"You want to spend the day in the cemetery with me?" He asked and I couldn't help but smile.
"Sometimes being with someone who understands makes things easier." I said and he sighed.
"Uh, sure." He said. I used my super speed to get dressed, and in record time I was changed. Jace and I walked over to the cemetery where his family was buried. We got to their graves and he set out a blanket. We didn't speak. I put my hand on his, and we looked at the tombstones of his departed family. I felt heavier than I have in a long time, and it hit me just how unfair and cruel immortality can be.
Time Jump – A Year Later
Clary POV:
I'm going to do it. Tonight is that night. I'm not backing down, and I'm not chickening out. I took a deep breath and went downstairs where I heard Jace moving around the kitchen. When I got there, he was getting some blood for himself.
"Hey, you want some?" He asked when he heard me.
"Sure." I said and he got me a glass and started pouring me some O Positive. He handed it to me before walking away, and if I didn't do it now, I would lose my nerve. "Would you like to go out with me?" I shouted, but he turned around and looked confused.
"What was that?" He asked. I hadn't realized how fast I said it until now.
"I said, would you like to go out with me?" I asked slower.
"On a date?" He questioned.
"Yes." I said. "On a date."
"Bold Clary." He smiled. "And I'd love to."
"Great! I'll think of something!" I said.
"Actually, I have a idea." He said and I nodded encouraging him to continue. "How would you feel about meeting some people?" He asked.
"Humans?" I asked.
"Not entirely." He said, and that confused me.
"What does 'not entirely' mean?" I asked.
"Well, they're half and half." He said. "Mom was a human, but their father is a vampire." He explained. "I met them about 200 years ago."
"How come you've never mentioned them before?" I asked.
"Many reasons." He said. "Mainly because you've only just learned how to control your impulses around human blood, and they still have blood."
"Makes sense." I admitted.
"Plus, they just got back in the country. They travel a lot." He said and I nodded. "It won't be the whole evening, but I think you'd like them." He said and I smiled.
"Can't wait!" I said with a bright smile.
"Great. Be ready by 7." He said and I nodded. He made his way back upstairs, and I went into the living room and put something on TV. I was excited for this date tonight, and the possibility of more dates in our long future.
Time Jump – Later That Night
Jace POV:
The fact that Clary asked me out was shocking. Not that it wasn't on my mind, but I had no idea where she stood, and she was still getting used to being a vampire, so I wasn't going to add to that stress, but now that we're going out, I was pretty excited about it. Something I haven't been in a long time.
I got dressed and went downstairs where Clary already was. She was sipping on some blood, and reading a book. I stared at her for a few moments. She was no one I've ever met before. She was so optimistic, even after everything that happened to her. She was bright, and energetic, and so warm. She was someone who I never expected to meet, but now that I have, I couldn't picture life without her.
"You ready?" I finally asked and she looked back at me.
"Of course." She said before sucking the last of the blood from her cup. She stuck it in the sink and we made our way to the door. We got in my car and I started making the trip to the Lightwood house. It was extremely nerve wracking to introduce Clary to people that I've known for so long. When we pulled up, I took a deep breath. I didn't even bother knocking on the door, I just made my way in and started looking for them.
"Anybody home?" I called out.
"Jace? Is that you?" Izzy's voice rang out.
"It's me!" I called back, and in a blink of an eye she was in front of me pulling me into a hug.
"It's been ages!" She said.
"It's only been like 50 years Iz." I pointed out.
"50 years too long." She said. "And you brought company." She looked past me at Clary.
"Yea, this is Clary. My newest house mate." I said.
"It's so nice to meet you Clary. I'm Isabelle, but I prefer to be called Izzy." She introduced herself.
"It's really nice to meet you as well." Clary said with a smile.
"Come on, the boys are in the back." She said and I followed her out. Alec, and Max were sitting at a table playing cards. "Boys, look who arrived." Izzy said and they looked up at me.
"Long time no see brother." Alec said as he stood up and gave me a big hug.
"You as well." I said. "How was traveling?" I asked.
"Alec liked it the most I think." Izzy wiggled her eyebrows.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"He met a guy." Izzy nearly sang.
"Mortal?" I questioned.
"Nope." Izzy smiled. "Warlock."
"Wait, warlocks are real too?" Clary asked from behind.
"Who is she?" Alec asked.
"My new house mate." I said. "And yes, warlocks exist. Not many are in the States though. They prefer to live luxuriously." I informed her.
"Magnus lives in Paris." Izzy said. "It's to die for."
"I'm happy for you." I said and Alec smiled. "And what's up with you little Max?" I asked.
"I'm not little." He huffed. "I'm almost 200 years old."
"That's young to me kid." I said and he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, everyone this is Clary. She's relatively new to the whole vampire world."
"How long have you been a vampire?" Izzy asked.
"A year." Clary replied.
"Damn girl, you are young." Izzy said and Clary laughed. "How old were you when you were turned?" She asked.
"19." Clary answered.
"I stopped aging at 19 too." Izzy said happily. "Alec stopped aging at 25, and poor little Max stopped aging at 13."
"For the last time, I'm not little." Max said before walking out of the room.
"Will be not get older?" Clary asked curiously.
"He could." Alec answered. "He doesn't look 13, and over the years he's bulked up, but since our mom was human and our dad is a vampire, we had no idea when we would stop aging or if we would stop aging at all."
"Is your dad here?" Clary asked.
"Nope." Izzy said. "About 60 years after our mom died, he found some vampire woman and kinda just left us high and dry." She explained. "We haven't seen him in, how long has it been Alec?" She asked.
"Uh, 40 years, maybe 50. I'm not sure. I stopped counting." Alec responded.
"That's terrible." Clary said.
"We're all grown." Izzy said unfazed. "If he wants to come back, fine, but if he doesn't no love lost there."
"His new girlfriend or partner or whatever she is doesn't really like us." Alec informed Clary.
"Why not?" She asked.
"She never wanted kids, and she thinks we're pretty useless since we aren't full vampires." Alec explained.
"I had no idea there was prejudices among vampires." Clary said truthfully.
"Oh yea." Izzy said. "We're kinda outsiders because we still have blood and can survive off of blood or human food."
"Just not Izzy's human food." Alec chimed in.
"I'm getting better." Izzy hissed.
"Not in the 200 years I've known you." Max said as he reentered the room, which caused us all to laugh.
"Well, Clary and I have a date tonight, so we'll catch up with you guys soon." I said and Izzy smiled.
"Don't be strangers." She said and I nodded. We made our way back to my car and drove off to where I wanted to take Clary.
"They were nice." Clary said.
"Yea. They're great." I said honestly. "They are pretty much the only people I consider family these days."
"I can see why." Clary said and I nodded in agreement. The rest of the car ride was silent, but Clary and I didn't need conversation for it to be comfortable. I reached my hand over to her and rested it on her thigh. She looked over at me, smiled and went back to looking out the window. In the thousand years I've been alive, this is probably the most alive I've ever felt.
Time Jump – Twenty Years Later
Clary POV:
Describing my life since I've become a vampire is pretty impossible. There were some ups, and there were some downs, but looking at the over all 20 years since my turning, I have nothing but pure joy thinking about it.
The biggest reason though has been Jace. I had no idea what he was going to mean to me, and I doubt he thought anything of me when he picked me up out of the woods that night, but he has become my rock, and my best friend. I couldn't picture my life without him, and I never have too. Immortality took a lot away from me, but it gave me Jace, and I'll be forever thankful for that.
Jace rarely slept, but there was just something about sleep that I couldn't give up. Jace being the kind soul that he is, lays with me and waits until I'm fast asleep before getting up and doing whatever it is that he does. So when I woke up, I wasn't surprised that I was alone. I got out of bed, pulled on a sweatshirt and made my way into the kitchen. Jace was sitting at the counter drinking blood, as he read a book.
"Good morning." I said and he turned to face me.
"Good morning to you as well." He said. "You're up surprisingly early."
"It's 4 am." I said. "I went to bed at like 8 last night." I laughed.
"I know, I just know how much you love your sleep." He pointed out and I nodded in agreement. I did love sleep. "What are your plans today?" He asked.
"Izzy and I are going shopping." I said. "I promised her like 8 years ago that we would go, and she's finally forcing me." I admitted and he laughed.
"Izzy may forget some things, but shopping is never one of them." He said and I walked over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
"I'll be back for dinner." I said.
"Okay. Love you." He said and I couldn't help but smile. If I had a heart, it would be racing right now.
"I love you too." I said before grabbing my bag and heading over to Izzy's. Life with Jace was amazing, I had no complaints.
Jace POV:
With Clary gone all day, it was the perfect opportunity to find her the perfect engagement ring. I never thought I would ever settle down with anyone. I mean, I never wanted it so much, and I knew Clary was it for me. We've already been together for 20 years, it was about time I asked her.
Alec agreed to go with me, and I was pretty nervous. It may only be a ring, but the notion behind it was a commitment that I never thought I would ever make, but with Clary it just seems so right, and we're so ready.
Over the past 20 years I've learned a lot about Clary. One thing I knew was that she was a simply girl. She was never over the top, and she never drew attention to herself, or at least she tried not too, but I've caught many people eyeing her up without her knowledge. The point is, she gravitated towards simpler things, so I knew I wanted to get her a simple ring.
Walking into the store made me incredibly overwhelmed. There were so many options, and I honestly didn't know where to start. I made my way over to the display case, and I just looked down. This might be more complicated than I anticipated.
"Can I help you?" I heard someone ask, and when I looked up there stood a woman.
"Uh yea, I'm looking for an engagement ring for my girlfriend, but I'm afraid I don't know where to start." I admitted and she smiled.
"The best place to start is budget. Showing you a ring over your budget is never advisable, especially if you end up falling in love with it." She pointed out.
"I actually don't have a budget." I said honestly. "I want to get her the best because she deserves it."
"She's a lucky girl." The woman said.
"I'm the lucky one." I said and she just smiled.
"Well, next I would start with asking a few questions about her." She said and I nodded. "What's she like?"
"Well, besides beautiful, talented, funny, smart, thoughtful, kind, and perfect." I rattled off, which caused her to laugh. "She's a simple girl. She has liked simple things from the moment I met her, and it hasn't changed in all the time we've known each other."
"You sound like you've known each other for a long time." She said.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I laughed.
"Try me." She pushed.
"We've known each other for 20 years." I said.
"You two must have met young." I observed. I could see her eyes raking over my body.
"Something like that." I said. Clary technically was a newborn vampire when we met. That counts, right?
"Okay, than I suggest a simple square cut, or a princess cut." She said. "Come here, I'll show you." She gestured and I followed her to the display case where she was now standing. "These are the simplest rings we have. These days it's all about how many diamonds can fit on a ring, but if you ask me, it's all about the thought that goes into what ring your future husband picked out for you." She said and I nodded. "Why don't you take a look around, and get me when you found something." She said and I nodded.
I started looking at all the rings in the display case. They were simple, but I could imagine Clary wearing any of these, and because I don't have a budget, the single diamond that she was going to get, was going to be a little bigger than the average. She may be simple, but she deserved to be shown that she was worth everything, and I was going to show her that for the rest of our immortal lives.
"Find anything?" I heard Alec ask as she came over to me.
"I think I like this one." I said as I held up the ring. I held it up, and showed it to Alec. It was a simple square ring, but the diamond on top was a little large.
"It's simple." Alec stated.
"It's Clary." I countered and Alec just smiled.
"I'm proud of you." Alec said. "Finally opening up your heart."
"I'd have to have a heart to open it up." I laughed.
"Just because it doesn't beat anymore, doesn't mean you don't have one." Alec whispered in my ear. I nodded and a moment later the woman came back over.
"Find one?" She asked.
"Yes. I think this is the perfect one." I said as I handed it to her.
"It's beautiful." She smiled. "I'll ring you up." She said.
We made our way over to the register. I gave her Clary's sizes, and they told me they would call me when it was ready, and Alec and I walked out of there shortly after. I was excited for it to be ready and to purpose to Clary. We had an eternity together, and I couldn't wait to spend every moment of it with her.
Time Jump – Two Weeks Later
Clary POV:
Jace told me we were going out on a date tonight, but Izzy had to dress me. I didn't know whether to be worried, or just plain confused. He normally didn't go out of his way for a date like this, so I was curious as to what was going to happen.
Izzy took 2 hours getting me ready, and by the time I was done, I was freaking starving. Thankfully she brought me up a glass of blood, otherwise I might have died. For real this time. When she deemed me acceptable, I was finally free. She left and told me that Jace was ready for me. I made my way down the stairs, and Jace was in the living room in an entire black suit, looking hot as hell.
"Hottie." I said and he turned to face me.
"You are right there with me." He smirked. "Damn you're sexy."
"I think it's safe to say we're an attractive couple, am I right?" I asked and he laughed.
"Completely." He gave me a light kiss. "Let's go. I have the whole night planned."
"Do I get any hints?" I asked as he took my hand in his.
"None." He said and I laughed.
"Well, I trust you." I said. "Lead the way." I said and he did just that.
It was nearly 3 am, so people weren't out, which was nice. It was times like these that I loved being a vampire. The night was ours, and being in this moment with Jace was perfect. Taking in all the peaceful surroundings with Jace by my side was truly the only thing I would ever need. He were walking around for what felt like hours when Jace finally stopped walking.
"Everything okay?" I asked as I looked at Jace and he simply smiled.
"Everything is perfect." He said. "I'm here with the most amazing woman I've ever met, and we literally get to spend forever with each other." He explained and I laughed. "Which brings me to my next speech."
"You always have a way with your words." I admitted and he smiled.
"I've been around for a significantly long time. So long that I honestly thought there was nobody out there for me." He said. "But when I first met you, I knew you were different. It took us our good old time getting to where we are now, but we have nothing but time on our hands." He pointed out, which made me laugh. "You're amazing Clary. Everything about you is amazing. Your personality, your patience, your kindness, your welcoming heart. You are perfect in every single way, and to this day I don't know how you're mine." He admitted. "When we first met, I explained that not all marriages lasted with vampires because we constantly want change. Well, there isn't anything in my life I'm more sure about than wanting to spend the rest of my immortal life with you." He said honestly and tears came to my eyes. "I love you more than I thought was possible Clary. Before you I was simply existing. I was going through my life the way I always have because I was content with it. But meeting you, loving you, being loved by you, and being shown that life can be amazing, even if it is an immortal life." He let go of my hand and reached in his pocket and pulled out a box. He got down on one knee, and that's when everything hit me for real. "Clarissa Morgenstern, will you marry me?"
"Yes. Forever yes." I said. He slipped the ring on my finger and lifted me into his arms while I slammed my lips to his. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together, and nothing made me happier. Once we broke apart I looked into those golden eyes. "How are we going to get married? Won't they need our birth certificates?"
"Vampires have their own ceremonies." He told me.
"Really?" I asked curiously.
"Really. I certainly can't walk into a courthouse, show them my birth certificate and expect them to just accept it." He laughed.
"You still have your birth certificate?" I asked pretty shocked.
"Of course not." He smiled. "We didn't have them when I was born. Which would bring up a whole different set of issues." I laughed as we continued our walk. "I know a guy who can do our ceremony."
"I don't want to wait long." I admitted. "There is no sense in dragging it out any longer."
"I am so glad you said that." He confessed. "I don't want to drag it out either."
"So next Wednesday? It gives me time to get a dress, give Izzy enough time, because you know she's going to go crazy when she finds out, and it isn't too far away." I said.
"Next Wednesday works for me." He said and he pressed his lips to mine. I was going to enjoy being married to this man for the rest of our lives. That's for sure.
Time Jump – Clary's 100th Birthday
Jace POV:
Today was Clary's birthday, and although there really was no reason to celebrate anymore, hitting the 100 mark was pretty significant, so we were going to celebrate. I got Izzy to guilt trip Clary into going shopping with her, which Izzy has been dying to redecorate her kitchen, so it wasn't a complete lie. It gave me and the kids the whole day to get the house ready.
That's right, you heard me correctly. Kids. About a year or so after Clary and I got married she dropped the bomb on me. She wanted a family. A huge family. Of course I knew that, but hearing her say the words 'Jace, I want to have your babies' was something I never thought I would ever hear. But the moment that I met our first born, I knew that there was nothing that could top that moment.
We didn't just stop there though. Knowing we were going to be alive forever meant we could really have as many kids as we wanted. Which meant that we were going to create a small army, which I had no problem with. Clary having my kids was the greatest thing in the world. Nothing would compare.
Clary has told me many times that we aren't done, but we were currently taking a break. In the 60 years Clary and I have been married, we've had 17 kids. It was intense, and they were a hand full sometimes, but I couldn't be more in love with them even if I tried.
What helped the most with having so many kids though, is that because they were vampires, they grew a lot faster than the average human kid. So having kids so close together wasn't as hard as it would be for a normal family. They grew up, stopped aging, and than helped with the younger ones. We had a system, and it worked flawlessly.
I never knew what it would be like to have kids, especially vampire kids. They were rambunctious, and they were crazy, and they were fierce. Everything they did made me proud to be their father, and I knew Clary was extremely proud of them as well. But watching them grow was strange. Since they did grow faster than normal, we only had them at each stage in their life for a short amount of time before they moved onto the next. That was until they reached their peak age, and stopped aging all together. It was weird, but they followed a pattern. It seemed that all the girls stopped aging at the same age Clary was turned, and the boys stopped aging when I was turned. But the opposite sex twins were a different story. We never knew when they would stop aging, and if they would follow the boys trend, or the girls, so it was also fun to place a little bet on when we thought they would stop.
We had 9 beautiful girls, and 8 pretty cocky boys, but they were all the best of friends, and loyal beyond measure to the family. Of course the boys found it fun to go out and make all the human girls swoon at the mere sight of them, but when it came to their sisters or Clary, they were the most protective boys in the world, and they made sure nobody ever hurt them.
"Okay kids, we have a lot to get done, so we all need to work like a well oiled machine." I said as they all gathered in the living room.
"When don't we work like a well oiled machine dad?" Danny asked. Being the oldest, he always thought he the wisest of his siblings.
"I'm just making a point Daniel." I said. "Aunt Izzy can keep mom occupied for a long time, but when your mother wants to leave, she leaves."
"We all know that." Olivia laughed. "She's a stubborn vampire."
"That she is." I agreed. "Which is why I would love to get this house ready sooner rather than later."
"Just tell us what you need from us, and you got it dad." Aubrey said.
"Okay, Danny, I want you to take Aria, and Spencer to go get blood. Lots of O Positive; it's your moms favorite. Sydney already knows you're coming to the hospital, so meet her round back like always." I said, they nodded and headed out. "Wyatt, Tyler, and Collin Uncle Alec and Uncle Max need help bringing stuff over. Go help them." I said and they nodded and left. "Madison, Aubrey, and Piper since you three are master chefs/bakers, why don't you start on the desserts for the party." I said and they headed into the kitchen. It may be Clary's party, but I didn't want Izzy, Alec and Max to have to drink blood all night. "The house needs to be cleaned, so Olivia, Emma, Lucie, and Hudson get cleaning." They nodded and split up to get down to work. "Silas and Lydia decorations. Decide how you want the house to look on the inside, and do your thing. Henry, and Cora outside needs to be cleaned as well. Make sure it looks nice."
"Nobody is going to be looking outside." Henry said and Cora elbowed him.
"It doesn't matter if nobody is going to be out there. It's mom's birthday, and cleaning the outside is the least we can do." She reprimanded him.
"Thank you Cora. And if you don't want to do that, I can always find a worse job for you to do." I said and Henry growled.
"Fine." He mumbled and they headed out.
Meanwhile, I went up to our room and continued to work on my gift to her. Clary wasn't a material person, so I decided to go more sentimental for this special birthday. In the last 80 years I've been with Clary, we've had many amazing moments. And Clary liked to take a lot of pictures, so what better way to let her relive all of the amazing moments than with a giant family album. It gave Clary a way to remember the past, while being able to look forward to the future. Being immortal was tough, but having this amazing family, and being reminded that we were always going to be together was amazing.
Clary POV:
I've been shopping with Izzy all day, and I was ready to head home. Thankfully so was Izzy, but she insisted on coming home with me. Something about wanted to talk to Jace about something. To be honest, I wasn't really paying attention because I was so exhausted from our shopping excursion.
When we got back to the house, I couldn't wait to get into bed and sleep. Jace says that I'm the one vampire in the world who loves and values sleep, but it's not true. Emma and Olivia picked up on my sleeping habits as well, and were often found in their beds. When I opened the door though, something felt off. I continued my way in and when I flipped the light switch, I was stunned.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone cheered as they jumped out, and if I had a beating heart, it wouldn't be beating any longer.
"What the hell!" I shouted and they all laughed.
"It's your birthday." Jace informed me as he made his way over to me.
"We stopped counting after I turned 50." I reminded him.
"But you're 100. I told you it was a milestone." He laughed and I couldn't help but smile.
"You spoil me." I said. "You all do." I looked at my beautiful children and they all smiled.
"You do everything for us." Danny spoke first.
"Yea, and you're stuck with us for literally an eternity." Lydia smiled.
"If we didn't do something nice for you every couple decades, you'd stake us." Spencer said and everyone laughed.
"Well, it's appreciated. Even if it is just to keep you all alive." I teased.
"We love you mom." Madison said. "You've given us the gift of an immortal life, and you've always provided for us. The least we could do is celebrate you being 100 years old, and a century of this life."
"Technically I haven't been a vampire for 100 years yet." I reminded them. "I still have 19 more years until that day comes. And no, you don't have to throw a party for it."
"Oh but we will." Lucie laughed. "We threw one when dad turned 1,000."
"And what a party that was." I faked happiness. "You broke the ceiling."
"But we fixed it." Hudson chimed in. "And you let us drink for 24 hours." He pointed out.
"I thought vampires couldn't get drunk." I defensively pointed out.
"You gotta stop getting all your information from books mom." Aria said.
"Well, I'm going to track down every single author who wrote a vampire book and yell at them for the inaccuracies." I said pointedly.
"Good luck with that." Silas laughed. "They're all dead."
"You are 100. Remember that mom." Wyatt chimed in.
"And I'm still your mother and I'll ground you for that comment." I chastised.
"But you don't look a day over 19." Tyler winked.
"That would be such a sweet compliment if I wasn't immortal." I pinched his cheek.
"Come on everyone, we made cake!" Aubrey cheered. We all made our way in to the kitchen. The cake had candles and everyone started singing. I couldn't get the smile off my face as they finished singing and I blew all the candles out. Izzy, Alec and Max all of course started eating the cake while Jace got me a glass filled with my favorite O Positive blood.
Immortality. Immortality. Jace used to tell me that he didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. But in this moment, looking at my children, and enjoying an amazing night with friends, and family, I knew this was definitely a blessing, and one that I was going to have forever.
Authors Note:
Okay, so I'm back. Sorry it's taken me so long, but I've been in a funk, but I tried super hard to get you something! Someone requested that I do one that has Jace and Clary as vampires, and I did not want to do a cliche vampire story of JAce being a vampire, who can't control himself and ends up biting Clary, and I didn't want to have a story like Twilight (although, some of the elements in this story I was inspired by Twilight because it just made sense to me) I wanted something original, and I wanted something that wasn't about war, or lying, or cheating, or anything like that. I wanted a story that was an easy read and had a lot of content, and a future because they are immortal. I made a lot of stuff up, and I decided that these vampires were going to have their own characteristics and if you don't like the direction I took this story in, I'm truly very sorry, but I like this story, and I feel as though it got me back into the groove of writing, and for that, I am very proud. So leave me a review, and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer - I know I mentioned it before, but I just wanted to put it here that I don't own Twilight. I just used someone the ideas as inspiration because it made sense to me!
Also, listed below are descriptions of the kids (I know there are a lot of kids, but hey, they are immortal, so they can have a lot of kids. I made this world up, and in this world, vampires can have an infinite amount of kids, and that's exactly what I did.) I put descriptions of them if you want to know, but if you don't, feel free to skip over it. I know it's a lot to read, but some people like descriptions (I know I do) so I gave descriptions for those who were curious. Hope you all enjoy! :)
KIDS:
1.Daniel – (Danny) – stopped aging at 23 – born two years after they got married – blonde hair, gold eyes, 6 feet tall
2.Madison – stopped again at 19 – born two years after Danny – red hair, green eyes – 5 feet 5 inches tall
3.Aubrey – stopped again at 19 – born one year after Madison – strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes (recessive gene) – 5 foot even
4.Aria – stopped aging at 19 – born three years after Aubrey – blonde hair, green eyes – 5 feet 7 inches tall
5.Lucille – (Lucie) – twin – stopped again at 19 – born a year after Aria – red hair, gold eyes – 5 feet 2 inches tall
6.Hudson – other twin – stopped aging at 19 – born a year after Aria – red hair, gold eyes – 6 feet 1 inch tall
7.Henry – stopped aging at 23 – born two years after Hudson and Lucille – blonde hair, green eyes – 5 feet 8 inches tall
8.Wyatt – stopped again at 23 – born a year after Henry – blonde hair, hazel eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall
9.Emma – twin – stopped again at 19 – born three years after Wyatt – blonde hair, blue eyes (recessive gene) – 5 feet 4 inches tall
10. Olivia – other twin – stopped aging at 19 – born three years after Wyatt – blonde hair, blue eyes (recessive gene) – 5 feet 4 inches tall
11. Tyler – stopped aging at 23 – born two years after Olivia and Emma – red hair, green eyes – 6 feet 2 inches tall
12. Silas – stopped aging at 23 – born two years after Tyler – blonde hair, gold eyes – 6 feet 4 inches tall
13. Piper – stopped aging at 19 – born a year after Silas – red hair, blue eyes (recessive gene) – 5 foot even
14. Lydia – stopped aging at 19 – born two years after Piper – brown hair (dyed) green eyes – 5 feet 9 inches tall
15. Cora – stopped aging at 19 – born one year after Lydia – burgundy hair (dyed) gold eyes – 5 feet 3 inches tall
16. Collin – stopped aging at 23 – born two years after Cora – strawberry blonde hair, gold eyes with hints of green – 6 foot even
17. Spencer – stopped aging at 23 – born three years after Collin – strawberry blond hair, gold eyes, - 5 feet 10 inches
