My dear little broccolis💚💚💚

💚 Give Me The Daddy, I'll Give You The Sugar 💚

"The best investment I ever made, was when I lost fifty million dollars and met the love of my life as a result of that."

‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️

‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️

‼️Clace/The Waylands/OGs/Magnus Bane/‼️

💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚

Chapter 6: Muffins & Mulled Wine (10,0K)

It was the end of January when Clary finally received the results for her exams. She had been nervously waiting for the ten past days, only refraining to bite her nails off because of the manicure she had done for the New Year's party. Magnus had tried to take her out to take her minds off things, but she had deflected all his attempts, sulking in her flat and pacing like a lion in a cage. In fact, she had only gone out when Jace had needed her, and even then, it had been difficult not to think of her upcoming results.

She was pretty sure she was going to pass, but the more she had to wait, the more she doubted. What if her brain and her hand did not connect properly and she had written utter rubbish instead of the correct answers? What if she had not read the instructions correctly and ticked the wrong boxes for the couple of MCQs she had? What if she had innervatedly offended her professors who recognised her handwritings and failed her on purpose? What if she had understood and learnt nothing, and just made a complete fool of herself?

The possibilities were infinite and driving her mad. She didn't share any of her insecurities with anyone, with the sweet dream that, if she were to fail, she would comfort herself with a nice bottle of wine and a pint or two of Ben & Jerry's.

But that idea would never come to be for she woke up a Tuesday morning with the best email she had ever received. She had passed. And with top grades. For ten minutes, all she did was stare at the screen on her laptop, looking again and again at her grades to be sure she was not dreaming, and it was only when she had assured herself that she had done well that she noticed the little note at the bottom from her professor advisor, congratulating her for being major of her promotion for this semester.

As she read those words, she let out a loud screech of happiness and hugged herself with glee. She had achieved her goal, she had aced all her exams. She had A in every single one of her class, which gave her an average of 4.0. And still, though she was over the moon, there was a pinch in her heart as she realised that she couldn't share this news with a family that would care for her.

She rarely thought of her past anymore, or the fact that she never had a family, but it still overwhelmed her from time to time, and this was no different. Had she had a family, they would cheer her up and congratulate her. She would have been hugged by loving parents, instead of by herself.

But she didn't let that little thing depress her. On the contrary, she focused on the fact that she knew she had at least one person who cared about her in this world and went through her emails on her phone so she could take a screenshot and send it to Magnus, with tons of emojis translating her emotions.

Then, she quickly got ready to go to her university, so she could get her schedule for the next semester. After all, now that she knew that she passed all her classes, she knew she wouldn't need to double any for this coming semester. Before leaving, the smug and proud part of her decided to send the same picture to Jace, with a witty text accompanying it,

See? Even low-rated unis manage to produce amazing grades😎. Clary

She smirked at her phone, imagining Jace's reaction as he would read the text. Though he didn't try to push her per se, Jace had been more than clear on his thoughts concerning CUNY and how he felt that she was wasting her potential in there. Especially after his lawyer, Valentine Morgenstern had emphasised that she would do so much better in one of those big-name schools such as Columbia. But Clary had also always been clear that she had paid her year there and would definitely finish her year there.

As she thought of Jace's lawyer, a bold part in her decided to forward to the man the text she had just sent Jace. So she copied and pasted it and sent it to the lawyer who had been so quick to look down on her University. Then, she walked to her school, listening to Lawyerist Podcast on her way, and all wrapped up in her warm coat and her big scarf. It was still snowing, and twice, her heeled boots gave her a fright as she wobbled on some hidden ice.

When she finally got to the school, she waited outside the admin's office, taking her phone out and beaming when she saw that Magnus had texted her.

Whoop whoop! 👏 We need to celebrate!🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 Magnus

I can't tonight. I'm seeing Mamma Mia! With Mary and Ann. Clary

In truth, she had had half a mind to cancel if she hadn't had her results by midday because she felt that she would be too focused on knowing whether she had passed or failed that she wouldn't have paid much attention to the musical. But now, she didn't need to ruin anyone's fun, and could just appreciate her nice night out with her favourite two old ladies.

It's okay because I can't tonight, anyway. But I'm off tomorrow and I don't care what are your plans, I'm taking you out. There is this place that opened just by the end of last year, and I guess we'll check it out together. And we will definitely get drunk since I will have to wait a whole other semester for you to really loosen up. Magnus

Tomorrow night it is then. I can't wait! I still can't believe I'm top of my class. This is surreal. Clary

You're probably the only person on this planet who is surprised that you aced your exams. You've been working so hard, and I know you'll work even harder as the years will come. But it's all worth it in the end, because, though I can't see you, I KNOW that your smile right now shines bright like a diamond💎🎶. Magnus

Of course, Magnus was right. She hadn't been able to stop herself from smiling since she had seen her results, though the reason she was smiling even more at the moment, had nothing to do with her grades, and everything to do with her friend. He had said almost word for word what a loving family member would have told her. And this little text, this simple message that just showed that he paid attention to her when she shared her dreams and hopes, this mundane proof of care, it made her happy that she had Magnus in her life, and even happier that, to her, he was and always would be more than a friend.

They kept on texting for a few more minutes, deciding when and where to meet up for the next day, until Magnus had to get ready for work, reminding her that they should keep their night out rather casual. Her eyes fell on her ridiculously fancy (but classy) new bag that Jace had given her for Christmas.

"Merry Christmas," Jace told her, handing her a suspiciously light box, given the big size of it.

They were on their way back to New York, a couple of days after New Years Eve, and of course, they were in his private jet. Because since when did Jace 50MIL Wayland did things as normal people did? When she had shown how appalled she was that he used a private jet, knowing how often he flew in a month, Jace had assured her that he rarely used it. It was more when he was making last-minute trips, and couldn't wait for the next commercial flight. So he wasn't destroying the planet much, after all.

She glanced at the box, though she did not make a move to open it, and let Jace know, "You didn't have to."

"You gave me the truffles."

She rolled her eyes, explaining, "I gave truffles to the whole wide world."

"In that case, it's not a Christmas present, it's a bribe for more truffles," He grinned, a sparkle of innocent playfulness playing in his eyes. For a moment, he didn't look like a powerful man, but like a kid trying to get sweets.

"Or, you could just ask. I'm very amiable when it comes to cooking for others," She let him know. She loved cooking and even more baking, and she had to admit, doing it just for one was no fun.

"I'll keep that in mind," He said, still nodding at the box for her to open it.

She was tempted to argue again, knowing that Jace would have probably gone overboard with something that would make her feel like she would be wearing a student loan, but she sighed and opened the box. And of course, her instincts hadn't wronged her. It was a designer bag, and though she did not recognise the logo of the designer, she was pretty sure the bag was worth more than what she paid for her whole year in Uni.

"I've been told that it is standard boyfriend 101 to give a bag to your girlfriend."

"I thought you didn't have any friends," She pointed out.

"Aline told me."

She nodded, taking the bag out of the box as she thanked him with a small smile. She didn't have to take it as a personal gift, it was all part of their little show. So she would make sure to use that bag as often as possible, so the world could see what a considerate boyfriend she had.

"Have you been to see your family?"

"That was part of our deal, remember? So of course, I went. They were quite shocked to see me, to tell you the truth. Maybe I should have called ahead."

"Jace ..." She shook her head, wondering how he could be so bad at human interactions when he seemed to have a rather normal life (if she forgot the billions in his name). "They weren't shocked, just not expecting you. You've been a Scrooge for such a long time that, when you showed up, just like when Ebenezer Scrooge showed up, they were surprised but happy."

"You have a romanticised idea of what my family is like," He said, his eyes boring deep into hers as she looked down, feeling that he was probably right.

She had nothing to really based on how a family should act on a daily basis, all her references were from movies and books, and they were probably not an accurate representation of reality. And though she liked to consider herself as a rational person, she knew she too often picked what she liked about fictional families. She never lingered on the bad moments represented, and put emphasis on the good moments.

She opened her laptop, hoping that Jace would not try to make her talk once again about the family he assumed she had, and just as she was waiting for the little apple to disappear to give her her home-screen, Jace let her know, looking at papers in front of him,

"My mother spent a whole hour moaning that I did not bring you along. It was rather annoying."

"Why?"

"Well, the last time I brought someone home, I was still in high school. She's convinced that the fact that I've been single and 'isolated' for so long makes me miss important things in my life. But that's just her being a shrink and obviously bringing work at home."

"Your Mom is a psychiatrist?"

"Yes. And my Dad is an ob-gyn. Which, to this day, I still don't understand."

"He's just a doctor," Clary said, rolling her eyes.

It was a conversation that always had turned into a fight with Henry. He could not understand why she needed to 'spread her legs to another person' and she would tell him over and over again that it was no different than her opening her mouth widely to the dentist. This was the one thing she never caved to Henry, and she was sure that he had always resented her because she did 'not listen to his needs and wishes'.

"I know he's a doctor. I just don't understand how one would want to look at vaginas all day long. And I understand even less how Mom can stand it."

"Because he's a doctor," Clary insisted looking at Jace with big eyes.

She had always thought that Jace was a modern man who would understand that some professions could be done by both men and women. After all, his second in command was a woman. He had never made a sexist remark in front of her, and never assumed that because she was a woman there were things she could not do.

But it seemed that Jace Wayland thought that only women could be ob-gyn. Now, she couldn't quite tell if it was a sexist point-of-view, or a jealous point-of-view, or simply a mix of both. She watched him shake his head, as if he didn't want to linger on the matter, but what he said next contradicted with that idea,

"Is your ob-gyn a man?"

"Well, that escalated quickly," She stated, not quite understanding what her doctor's gender had to do with talking about Jace's family. Or, she understood but would have rather keep on talking about Jace.

"Yes, Jace. My doctor happens to be a man. I trust him, and to be fair, I like him a lot more than his occasional replacement when he goes on holidays. His substitute is a woman, and because she is, she expects me to have the same threshold of pain and discomfort as hers, so she doesn't really listen to what I tell her. My usual doctor, on the other side has always been gentle and understanding, doing his best to make this awkward experience as comfortable as possible."

Jace did not reply a thing, a slight frown creasing in his brows as he turned to look through the window. Clary focused again on her laptop, opening certain documents that contained the notes of her lessons through the past semester when something about what Jace had said earlier finally fully sank in.

"Wait a second ... You haven't told your parents about the true nature of our relationship?" She mused, recalling how Jace said that his mother was eager to see him as his girlfriend. She looked up, her eyes probably so big that she must look like an owl at that moment.

"We have a contract, Clary."

"But ... they're your parents."

"I know," Jace calmly said. "And neither does my mother or my brother know how to keep a secret. Which is ridiculous when you know that my mother's profession is to literally keep secrets for her patients. We've never had a single surprise in our household because, besides my Dad and myself, no one knows how to keep their mouth shut."

"But ... I don't know, I thought you would have told them."

"No," He simply said, and she didn't push it any further. It was quite obvious he was not eager to go further in that conversation.

She once again looked at her laptop, hoping with all her heart that she would never get to meet the Waylands. It was one thing to lie to the world, it was a whole other thing to lie to Jace's family.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Two hours after waiting in front of the admin office, Clary was walking out of the university with her new schedule. It had been a long and tedious task to do with the less than cooperating Mrs Norris, but in the end, she had her schedule. A few of her classmates had come to her, trying to make small talk with her, but she was wary of people ever since the article about her and Jace had appeared.

She had to say that Jace's PR team must be very good because there hadn't been a single thing more about her in the media. Sure, there had been a couple of more pictures of Jace and her, each had been planned by Jace, but no one mentioned her as just her. She felt a bit more safe to be herself, and even Seb had told her that no one came back to make them talk ill about her.

As she was walking away, eager to go home and be warm again, she listened once again to Lawyerist Podcasts and jumped out of her skin when someone tapped her shoulder. She twirled on herself, ready to strike down when she recognised the friendly face of Valentine Morgenstern.

His brown eyes were carefully looking at her hand as he was showing his own as a sign of peace, and she removed her headphones, stunned to see such a lawyer around a university he obviously despised,

"What are you doing here?"

"I called you out, but you obviously didn't hear me," He said, clearly making an opinion about her and what he thought of her earlier gesture.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated.

"I was in the neighbourhood," He said, shrugging with a charming smile.

Clary squinted her eyes at him, showing her disbelief and he chuckled a little, putting his hands in the pockets of his coat, telling her,

"Jace was right, you already have some lawyer instincts and you do mistrust people a lot. Not that I personally mind. Mistrust is a very good quality on a lawyer, no matter how much we like to pretend otherwise."

Clary did not say a word, keeping her eyes on Valentine as he was subtly telling her that Jace had been talking to him about her. She knew that, as Jace liked to point out to her, she had trust issues, but it had never brought her prejudice before, on the contrary.

"It is quite cold out here. How about a coffee?" Valentine offered when Clary remained silent to the point of awkwardness.

For a moment, she still kept her mouth shut, almost refusing the offer. After all, no matter how friendly and patronising Valentine seemed, she didn't know him. She had only seen him once in her life. But on the other hand, Valentine was exactly one of the reasons why she had accepted Jace's offer. He was a mean to expand her network to more than just her professors.

She glanced around, and though it was a very grey day, the sun was still up, and the streets were very busy. So she agreed, a part of her curious to know what Valentine wanted to talk about. There were no doubts in her mind that he had meant to see her, and that he was not in the neighbourhood by pure luck.

Valentine grinned and walked them to Bluestone Lane where they each ordered a coffee and sat in a corner. As soon as they were sitting, he finally let her know why he was there,

"Congratulations by the way, for passing and being top of your class. Your professors are most impressed. Especially Pr Black. He said that you were very ... argumentative."

Clary repressed a smirk, fully aware that she was probably Pr Black least favourite student. She was the one who always had her hand up, and always pointed the loopholes she found either in already existing laws, or in his own lessons.

"I thought you didn't like CUNY," She remarked, mostly because she had been expecting Valentine to make a subtle remark on how she probably would have had better opportunities if she had been in an IVY league school.

"I don't. But when I have a young woman texting me and letting me know that she aced every single one of her exams, you bet that I am definitely going to poke my nose around."

"So, that's what you're doing here. Trying to poach me so I would go in fancy Columbia?"

"Amongst other things," Valentine said lightly, as if there was nothing reproachful in his behaviour. Clary squinted her eyes at him, and he sipped on his coffee, before asking,

"Have you registered yet for your second semester?"

"Yes."

"And I'm guessing that there is no chance that I can persuade you to come to Columbia?"

"Nope. My year is already paid for, and I happen to like the school, anyway," She said, though this was only half a truth.

She didn't really mind the school, she hadn't bonded with people enough for her to actually have any sort of fondness over that school. But she wanted to prove that coming from a big IVY league school didn't mean anything.

"Have you found an internship, yet?" Valentine asked, not at all deterred, as if he were on a mission and Clary was his price.

In all truth, there had been a couple of firms that she had applied to that had answered to her with a position as an intern in their firms, but she was being picky. They were not her first choices and she was waiting to see if a firm specialised in children Laws would call her in. So she simply let Valentine know,

"No."

"I could offer you one ..."

She remained silent, carefully studying his face, waiting for the other boot to drop. Valentine was watching her with the same intensity, both of them making opinions on the other until he said,

"What branch would you like to specialise in?" He asked, apparently understanding that there was more than just the school issue to her lack of enthusiasm to his proposition.

She hesitated a moment, remembering that Valentine seemed to have understood from their brief moment together at the gala that her desire to pursue a legal career had to do with what happened in her life, and she carefully said, her eyes never wavering from his brown ones and her tone cold enough so he wouldn't even think of trying to go where she didn't want him to go,

"Children."

For a moment, there seemed to be some sort of silent understanding between them. Valentine knew now that Clary's childhood was tainted and not as bright as the people he hung around, such as Jace Wayland, but he also understood that she was neither ready nor willing to talk about it, and especially not to him.

So he looked down on his coffee cup and told her as he brought it to his lips, "I can help you get there. The only field that could be tricky for me is Martial Law. They are a bit too different for my taste."

"I can do it on my own. Thank you," She said, her tone colder than she intended.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I have no doubts about that. Rare are the first years who manage to make it to second year, and even rarer are those who do it acing every single one of their classes, starting with the first semester.

And yet, here you are. I am sure that you have the dedication, and ... motivation to achieve that, and I am not here to take that away from you. But if you go with the normal regular way of doing it, it will take you, what, six, seven years? If all goes well. And even then, you'll struggle to really work for the cases you want to work in.

What I'm doing here, is not belittling what you can do, but acknowledging it, and giving you a shortcut because of it. I can make sure that you are a skilled lawyer in less than five years."

Clary looked down on her hands, trying to quickly make a decision about what Valentine was proposing her. It was more than she could have ever hoped for. She had always known that she was entering a hard territory by doing law, especially when she was older than most of her class. And now, she was offered the proposition of a lifetime, the perfect shortcut that any of her classmate would dream of getting.

So she looked back at Valentine, and though she did not say a word, she showed him that he had her full attention and that she was waiting for him to explain further what his proposition was all about.

Valentine barely hid his small satisfied smile as he said, "Columbia has a few courses that CUNY doesn't have ..."

"Well, good for them. But I can't afford Columbia."

He slightly furrowed his brows, and for a moment, Clary was sure that he would mention Jace and the way he could definitely afford paying for her studies. But he didn't, and whatever made him hold his tongue, she was grateful for it. Though, his next words took her aback,

"We have excellent scholarships."

"'We'? Are you a patron of the school of something?" He proudly smirked, and she muttered, more for herself than for him, "Well, that explains a lot."

"Yes, and I have no shame in telling you that I'd much rather have a student like you in a school I sponsor than in CUNY. I am sure you can do great whether you are at either, but as I said, we have more courses, and you graduating from Columbia will definitely look good for the school."

"I understand, but I can't accept it. I'd rather see this scholarship go to someone else. Someone who really needs it."

After all, if she really wanted to go to an IVY league school, all she had to do was tell Jace and he would be more than happy than to pay for a 'much more respectable school'.

"Didn't you say that you need it? I thought you couldn't afford the school."

"And in any way, I already have a school."

"How about those courses I mentioned? Would you agree to have a few extra classes, whilst staying at CUNY?"

"Trying to keep Columbia's rates up?" She mocked, but he grinned in agreement, clearly not ashamed that he was trying to play with the system.

"My family has been funding Columbia for almost three hundred years. We all have been there, from generation to generation. So yes, if I can help keep the status of the school up, I will."

"I am just one student, Valentine," She said, rolling her eyes, and he wisely replied,

"A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat."

She frowned, asking herself if the respectable lawyer that was Valentine Morgenstern had just quoted a Disney movie to her. But she quickly shook the feeling away, assuming that the saying was probably real, and silly implemented in the cartoon.

She thought about it, trying to figure out if she could add extra lessons to her schedule, but with the free time that being Jace's fake girlfriend was giving her, she would have no problem. And, in her heart of heart, she knew she wouldn't refuse any additional help. Especially if that help made her a lawyer sooner than she thought she would be.

"So, how would me taking those extra classes help me become a lawyer that much sooner?"

"You give me three years of your life," Valentine simply said, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

"Excuse me?"

"You finish this year, and when September comes, you take an apprenticeship with me. For three years, you follow me and I promise you, I will make you the lawyer you want to be. I know I am in business and it is not the branch you want to thrive in, but give me three years to show you everything I know, and when those three years are up, I will make sure that you will be working for the firm of your choice.

And in the meantime, I will introduce you to the right people. The judges you need to be in good terms with, the lawyers you could learn a thing or two from, the ones you absolutely need to avoid. I will make sure to show you more than school ever could."

Valentine gave her a little time to think, getting up to use the bathroom, and she couldn't say that she wasn't happy about this golden opportunity presented to her. It wasn't unheard of to have a lawyer pass the bar, even though they didn't graduate from university. After all, Lincoln and Jefferson were the most famous of those cases, and they went all the way to the top and ended up presidents afterwards.

And yet, it seemed too good to be true to Clary for her to blindly accept this shortcut that was presented to her. So when Valentine came back, and expectantly looked at her, waiting for an answer, she asked,

"Did Jace put you up to this?"

"No! He doesn't even know I'm here, trying to seduce his girl into working with me." He paused for a moment, before admitting,

"I'm actually playing a very dangerous game, to be fair. Jace is my biggest client, and his money is definitely paying for my cosy and peaceful retirement. But, as you know, Jace can have a temper, and if he feels I'm stepping over the line by poaching you, I can lose him as a client. But ..." He hesitated, looking deep into her green eyes.

"My wife would never forgive me if I don't give you a chance."

She looked at him, startled and not understanding what Mrs Morgenstern had to do with her. She had never met the woman, and she was pretty sure that the lady didn't even know about her. Valentine smiled, though there was sadness on his face whilst his lips went up, and he explained,

"Like you, my wife has had a ... unconventional life as a youngster. And now that she's been blessed with an easier life, she always tries to help those who need it. Especially when they are determined to pull themselves up. She just wants to give people the same helping hand she's had in the past."

Though it sounded a lot that she was a charity case, Clary knew it wasn't the case. She was pretty sure that if she had the same kind of money and resources as the Morgensterns, she would do the same.

"Who's —" She started to ask, but was cut off by Valentine, who was now glowing with love.

"Mine. I helped her when she needed it, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. So, now, you understand that I'd rather lose a lot of money than unleash the wifey's wrath upon me."

They both laughed and seeing for the first time the more human side of Valentine was what helped Clary make her decision. She would take him up on his offer, though she was still determined to ace her second semester, even if she already had a place for next year.

Even if it wasn't for her ego, it was to prove Valentine that she was worth taking the risk he was betting on her.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

The very same night, Clary met her two favourite ladies in Broadway, so they could see Mamma Mia! together. It was an experience like she had never had before, and she couldn't wait for the next time she would get to feel so many emotions just with one singing.

Mary and Ann already planned on coming back the next month to see Wickedonce again, promising Clary that she would cry when she would hear and see Defying Gravity. They were also adamant that she shouldn't try to listen to the songs beforehand since she had never heard them, because it would lessen her experience, then.

The three of them were in a bar, not far from the theatre, and once they were done talking about the musical, Mary asked Clary about her exams. The redhead beamed as she smugly explained that she was top of her class and that she had aced every single one of her exams. Which, obviously, lead to another round of drinks.

Then she let the two older women know about Valentine's proposition, and how, deep down, she was excited about it, and once again, they all cheered with a new set of drinks. Ann was really happy about it, giving Clary her opinion on the matter,

"How do you youngsters say it? YOLO? How many times in your life you would get an opportunity like that? Especially from a big shot lawyer like Valentine Morgenstern. I think this can only be beneficiary for you, Clary. Though remember when you'll have kids, don't send them in CUNY, that would be very bad forms."

Clary laughed with Ann because though she never thought of it, she could see where the old lady was coming from. It would be as if she was spitting in the face of her benefactor if she didn't try to convince her kids to go to Columbia later on. Though she needed to have the kids first, which Mary did not hesitate on letting her know,

"Jace needs to top up his game first, Ann. He's a bit too shy if you want my opinion. What kind of man kisses his girlfriend on the cheek, nowadays. This is so two centuries ago. Even when we were young, the peck on the lips was acceptable for two people publicly involved together."

The two ladies snickered, clearly oblivious of what was really happened between Clary and Jace. Though Ann came into Jace's defence, and wisely pointed out, looking at Clary,

"Though a man who treats you right from the start is a man worth keeping, Clary. And what you need to make sure, is that he never loses sight of that. Too many men get complaisant once in a relationship and will take us for granted. Don't let any men treat you like that. And don't let the fear of the unknown keep you in that sort of relationship. We deserve to be cherished every single moment of our lives. Don't let anyone make you believe otherwise."

She smiled, nodding, though her brain was elsewhere. How she wished she had met Mary and Ann earlier in her life. Maybe she wouldn't have wasted three years of her life with Henry. If she had had the wise old ladies to help her see clearer, maybe she wouldn't have stayed in her unhappy and unhealthy relationship.

Henry never made her feel fully loved. Needed, for sure, appreciated at most, but she always felt that she gave more love than she received. She didn't use to care, because she always thought that it was how it was supposed to be, but since she had been out of this relationship, she realised how terrible that way of thinking was.

Not that love was a matching contest on who loved the other most, but it was still an exchange. She couldn't give her heart fully to someone who would only use it when convenient. The only person who deserved that kind of blind and unconditional love were the children she would have. No one else.

She blinked back to the present moment when she heard Mary mention something that made her heart miss a beat,

"And if Jace wants to build a family with you, make sure he never has any sort of power over you. Jace is a rich and powerful man, and often, those kinds of men forget to dissociate home and work. They give orders, day in, day out, and expect the same thing when they get home. Don't let him dictate how things should be for you. It's not good for you, and it's setting a bad example for your kids, telling them that the richest is the only one who can talk.

Don't make the mistakes I made to stay with someone who didn't deserve my time and efforts, and keep on staying with them by giving them excuses. If, for one second, you feel truly unhappy or unloved, make the right decision."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Clary loved celebrating with Magnus her good grades, as well as the job opportunity that Valentine had offered her. Magnus, like Mary and Ann, was praying the fact that Valentine was a well-known lawyer, and that it could only do Clary good, but he was also praising the fact that she would get to be the lawyer she wanted sooner.

During the whole time they got ready at his place, they talked about the thousands of possibilities this arrangement with Valentine could work (or not) for her, and she very skillfully avoided talking about the reasons why she wanted to be a lawyer for children, rather than stay with Valentine afterwards, where she knew she would definitely have a job.

The curious part of her, and the gossipy part of Magnus speculated on what happened to Mrs Morgenstern in her past to make her such a kind soul now, and it ended up with the two of them laughing as they concluded that, no matter what, Valentine was clearly not the one wearing the pants at home. Especially when Magnus added that this was how it should be anyway, quoting the famous rhyme, "Happy wife, happy life."

Jace had been mentioned very briefly during their preparations when Clary let Magnus know that she did not intend to keep that sort of secrets from him, and would tell him when she would see him the next day. She was not supposed to see him before Saturday night where he wanted to bring her to a business dinner, but he had asked to 'steal her for the night', though he did not let her know why, and he had left her with the planning of the evening, saying that they would do whatever she wanted as long as they could talk.

For a moment, Magnus had argued that maybe they shouldn't go out just the two of them, in case a paparazzi was following them, and a tabloid would concoct a story out of a telenovela about the two of them. But Clary, who had already seen this issue coming, had talked to Jace about it shortly after that article about Jace and her came out, and he didn't mind.

"So, about those leeches, do I have to worry every time I go out that I'm going to be photographed? I mean, I need to know if I should stop picking my nose in public."

Jace laughed, shaking his head, his golden eyes sparkling with mirth, "You shouldn't pick your nose, period. Didn't you hear that it will make your nose like a gorilla?"

"Gorillas can be sexy. I mean, have you see Tarzan?"

He shook his head once again at her joke, and answered her initial question, "You shouldn't have to worry about any leeches on your back from now on."

"Good. Because that would look bad on you if a picture came out of me holding Magnus's hair whilst he throws up on the pavement."

"Can't Magnus hold his liquor?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he can, but I'm pretty competitive, and even more stubborn. If we have a drinking contest, I will win just out of spite."

Once again, Jace laughed as he lightly said, "Good thing I know where Magnus stands, then. Tabloids can publish a thousand pictures about the two of you in the most compromising positions, but I know where he stands."

Clary narrowed her eyes, not because she wanted to see him more reactive, but because she wanted to make things clear between them, "You do know that Magnus is bisexual, right? He's not just gay."

"Oh, I know. Trust me, I know. But I know the way he looks at you, and I know no boyfriend of yours should be threatened by it."

Now, it was well into the night, midnight having struck hours ago, and she knew it would soon be time to go home. Magnus and she had planned to go back to his place together since it was closer, but as she was watching her friend dance with another guy, it seemed that she would have to walk back to her apartment alone. She didn't feel sober enough to take a cab on her own.

She was lost in her thoughts, sitting at the bar to give her feet some rest, when she was startled back to reality by a blond guy standing in front of her and offering her a cocktail with a benevolent smile. She suspiciously took the glass, not liking that he seemed to know that Magnus and her had only drunk Cosmopolitans all night long, and she put the drink on the counter, her eyes never leaving the golden ones of the stranger. He reminded him of Jace, but she pushed the thought aside. She didn't like thinking of Jace whilst drunk, it made her ... horny.

"I am with someone," She explained when he seemed disappointed that she was not taking his friendly offering. The guy glanced at the dance floor and leaned closer than necessary for her to hear his reply,

"I think your date is playing for the other team."

Clary looked again, though she knew what she would see. Magnus was dancing sensually with the same guy he had been dancing with most of the night, his lips caressing the neck of the other man every now and then as his hands were dangerously disappearing beneath the stranger's shirt.

"He's not my boyfriend," She replied confidently, never having been so happy of her arrangement with Jace. She had always thought he would be the one in need of her for this kind of situation, not the other way around. Still, she used her 'girlfriend' status, and made Jace much scarier than he probably was,

"My boyfriend is out of town at the moment. But he's the really jealous type who will not take too kindly if you don't stop annoying me."

"Well, he's not here, is he. And I won't tell if you don't. I can make you see the stars way better than he ever could," The guy said with a wink that made Clary wrinkle her nose. What she wouldn't do to simply punch him in the face. Now that she was started to think of it, maybe he had spiked her drink.

"I didn't make myself clear enough. I am not interested. Now, leave me alone before I start screaming at the top of lungs for sexual harassment. In today's climate, I don't think you'll like it."

The guy sulked away, clearly not interested in being the centre of a scandal and Clary couldn't help but victoriously grin. She didn't mind a guy trying his chance, but some guys needed to understand that no was no, not maybe.

Magnus was by her side barely ten seconds later, looking at the back of the guy with his brows so deeply furrowed they seemed to only be one,

"Biscuit?"

"Oh, don't worry. Just some ass who needed a sick rather than a carrot to understand I am not interested."

"You sure?" He asked, scanning the crowd, probably to find the offending guy, but Clary shook her head for him to let it go. He gently enclosed an arm around her, bringing her close to him, and proposed,

"Let's go home."

"What about that guy you were dancing with?"

"Well, if he remembers me tomorrow, I got a date on Saturday," Magnus brightly said, his face enlightened with happiness, and the two of them went back to his place, only to collapse out of exhaustion there, not even taking the time to remove their clothes and makeup.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

I should be in New York by 4 pm. So when and where do you want me to pick you up? Jace

How about 6:30 by the kitchen soup I volunteer in. That's the time I finish. I have a surprise for you as well 😉 Clary

More truffles? 😋 Jace

Haha, nope. Truffles are for special occasions. Don't try to guess and spoil the surprise 😝 Clary

After sending Jace the address of he kitchen soup, Clary put her phone back in her pocket, determined not to look at it again. If there was one thing she was sure about Jace, he was just as stubborn as her. So he was probably going to have a few more guesses before giving up, and she didn't want to give clues.

Since she had made muffins for the kitchen, she had decided to make an extra batch for Jace. He seemed to have a sweet tooth, and it was always nice to have someone who appreciated her cooking skills. Though he only tried her baking so far. Magnus had declared in the morning (well, beginning of the afternoon) that he would marry her if she promised to cook for him every single day.

Her volunteering went, as usual, Seb cheering for her concerning her exam results, though she did not tell him yet about her apprenticeship. They were not close enough. And anyway, she was more interested in what he had to say. He had managed to get a spot to do some standup comedy, starting February, and the two of them were really excited for him.

"Are you going to see me perform?"

"Of course! If I can, I'll be front row, laughing and clapping really loud so people know when to follow."

"You shouldn't go front row. That's where we chose people we're going to pick on."

"I don't mind. If it helps you going to the top, I'll even wear an ugly outfit if needed."

The two of them laughed, as he walked her out of the kitchen soup. She had started earlier today, and he was staying longer than her. She scanned the street, and when she spotted an expensive looking car, she hugged Seb goodbye, making sure she had her muffins in a small basket with her.

She checked her phone, and saw that she had been right, Jace had tried to guess, his fantasies going as wild as three stories cakes. Well, he seemed to have guessed that he would have baked goodies, she should have tried to lead him astray. She saw the text telling her what car he would be in, and she climbed in, surprised to see Kyle with Jace. Usually, he hired a private chauffeur whilst in New York.

Jace must have understood her confusion, because he explained, "I am going to Dubai on Sunday, and Kyle always accompanies me when I go abroad."

She nodded, and leaned so she could be at Kyle's level, proposing him some muffins, "Since the last time, your boss didn't share properly, you get the first pick."

Kyle glanced through the mirror with a mocking smirk spread on his lips, and took one, making sure to say loud and clear, "I'm taking the biggest one, since I know I won't get any more."

Clary chuckled, but Jace full-on glared at his driver. She sat back, and he expectantly held his hand, ready to get his muffins,

"Na-ha. Those are for desert. You need to learn patience."

"Why did Kyle already get one then?"

"Because some people in that car have been naughty in the past, and now, the distribution of the goodies needs to be regulated."

Clary glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing that Kyle was doing his best not to openly laugh at his boss, and when their eyes met, he cleared his throat, and asked her,

"Where to, Miss Fray?"

She gave him the address of where she wanted to go, though she was sure Jace would have something to say about that. It wasn't far from where they were, and so, during the whole ride, Jace tried to argue his way into having a muffin.

"Well, it seemed you're not that great of a businessman if you can't even convince me into giving you one muffin," She teased, and for a moment, she considered pushing it even further by having a muffin herself. But she refrained herself, thinking that he was suffering enough.

When Kyle parked in front of the Rockefeller Plaza, Jace rose an eyebrow at her, his muffin quest momentarily forgotten, and she simply shook her head and got out of the car. Jace followed her, and she brightly smiled when she saw that there was no cue in front of her favourite burger van. She walked in its direction, Jace short on her heels, and when she stopped, he told her,

"Clary ... I had something else in mind."

"Have you ever tried their burgers? They're to die for. I'm so glad I don't live nearby, or I would be here every single day."

Jace opened his mouth, but Clary cut him off, ordering three specials, all in menus. The guy told her that it would be ready in twenty minutes, and she beamed at him, before walking to another street vendor, asking if she could have mulled wine in twenty minutes.

Jace was still looking at her with scepticism, not convinced at all by her reassuring words, and she simply smiled. She was sure he would change his mind after his first bite into the deliciousness that they were about to eat.

"Do you think you could survive an hour without your phone?"

Jace looked at his phone and asked for five minutes so he could make a call, which of course took longer than predicted, and she paid for the burgers and mulled wine, and knocked on Kyle's window. She gave him one bag with a burger, fries and onion rings, and when he opened his mouth, she stopped him,

"You'll thank me after you'll have tried the food."

Then, Jace got out of the car, and she walked him inside the tall building. They went all the way to the rooftop, where a security guard was positioned. He squinted his eyes at them, before brightly smiling,

"Oh, Clary! How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Do you think we can enjoy the view."

Roger looked at Jace, recognising him in an instant before looking back at the redhead with raised eyebrows. She innocently smiled and proposed a muffin as a bribe, which was immediately accepted. As soon as they were outside, overhanging the City, Jace seemed to relax, and Clary smiled, all smug.

She knew that Jace liked having a view, and she was so proud of herself for giving him one he never had before, along with peace and quiet. Silently, she walked to the corner she knew was best sheltered against the wind, and she sat on the floor, curious to see if 50MIL and his three-piece suit would the same.

But he elegantly sat down next to her, frowning at the paper bags harbouring the burgers as he pointed out,

"I was supposed to take you out, tonight."

"You said, we would do what I want. This is what I want."

"You want to pay for dinner."

She shrugged, opening the paper bag so it could be an improvised tablecloth. "I don't really care. I just want to eat good food with a friend."

Then, she bit down on her burger, moaning of delight when the flavours exploded in her mouth, and she indicated Jace to do the same. She watched his face morph from sceptical to awestruck and she grinned at him, though her mouth was full.

"Oh my God! That's the best burger I ever had!"

"I know."

They ate in silence, too absorbed appreciating their food to talk, and when finally they were done, up until the last fry, Clary poured them each a glass of the hot wine and proposed a muffin to Jace.

"You know, usually, I would have complained that you shared part of my surprise with the security guy. But since it allowed me to eat with this view, I will let it slide for this once."

"Well, I never said all the muffins were for you. I think I will actually give the rest to Kyle."

Jace glared at her, before shaking his head and bringing his glass up, "To your first semester and its amazing results."

She smiled and clanked her glass, though she was surprised that this was the reason Jace had wanted to see her for the night. He could have congratulated her over the phone or the next time they would see each other. But she was far from complaining. She enjoyed Jace's company, and knowing how much he worked, she deeply appreciated that he gave her a bit of his time.

"Thank you, for tonight, Jace. I am really grateful that you sacrificed an hour of your time for me."

He frowned, as if not liking her choice of words, but this was not the topic on which he bounced,

"So, are you going to ever tell me what kind of lawyer you want to be?"

"Children," She simply said, because she couldn't avoid this conversation forever. However, she quickly stirred it away, by mentioning Valentine,

"By the way, Valentine proposed me an apprenticeship in his firm, and I said yes. I'm starting in September."

"Valentine doesn't deal with familial Law."

"I know. But we have a deal about that. Law is Law, then you just need to specialise. Like a doctor needs to specialise whether he wants to be an eye surgeon or an ob-gyn. Valentine proposed me a shortcut where he would show me the basics, and then make sure I can do what I want."

Jace nodded, though his facial expressions were guarded, and she frowned, "You don't mind, do you."

"No. It's your future, Clary. I have no say, in it."

"But ..."

He hesitated, looking at her whole face before bringing his hand to her hair, playing with a lock that had escaped her now messy bun. For a moment, she thought he would never tell her, before he lightly said, as if not to worry her,

"I am just curious about his motives, that's all. Business has made me wary of people being nice out of nowhere."

"Look who's having trust issues now."

"I just ... hope he won't try to deter you from what you want to do when the time comes."

Clary simply smiled, aware that nothing would make her change her mind on what she wanted to do. Valentine had given him his reasons, and he seemed genuine enough when he told her. But since she didn't know what Jace knew of Valentine's wife, she didn't say anything and kept Valentine's motives to herself.

Jace's hand was still in her hair as his eyes travelled once again on her face, and she let her hair down before serving them each another glass of mulled wine so they could finish the bottle whilst it was still hot. Jace looked at her as her hair flew in the faint wind around them, and she teased him,

"So you don't mess my hair even more."

"Do you know how beautiful you look with your hair down?" He asked after a small silence, and she couldn't help the blush coming to her cheeks.

His free hand cupped her cheek, his fingers buried in her mane as his thumb caressed her cheek, and for a moment, Clary forgot all about the rest of the world. It was just Jace and her, on the top of the world. She couldn't look away, mesmerised by the golden intensity of his eyes, but the moment was broken when he deeply breathed through his nose and cleared his throat,

"So, did you celebrate with Magnus?" He asked, removing his hand from her hair. She briefly shook her head, to rid herself of what she was feeling a few moments ago, and smiled as she told him,

"Yes, we went dancing and drinking until dawn. I think Magnus found himself a date as well. He's quite happy about that."

"I missed you being drunk, that's a shame."

"I don't think I was that drunk. And maybe I'm one of those awful drunks who get really violent when they've had the one too many drink."

Jace carefully studied her face, before he said, "No. I think you're the happy drunk. Maybe ever the horny drunk. But I don't think you're a violent person with or without alcohol. Though. You must be one of those calm ones who shouldn't be pushed too far, or you could end up killing someone."

"Well, if I do, will you be my alibi?"

"I'll help you get rid of the body if I must. But I demand payment in baked goods."

She laughed with him and when their moment of glee was over, she promptly got up, knowing that her hour was almost up. She gave her hand to Jace and helped him up, all the while mocking him for his old bones. They left the rooftop and took the lift down.

Unlike the way up, they were alone, and Jace couldn't take his eyes off her, making her slightly uncomfortable. She felt as if she was surveyed by particularly strict professor and about to do something worth punishing. As the lift got closer to the ground floor, Jace took a step closer to her, and his hand travelled down her arm, all the way to her wrist where he played with her elastic band,

"I told you, Clary. I'd rather be one of the rare men who get to see you with your hair down."

She rolled her eyes, but still tied her hair up, mostly because this was the hairdo she was used to.

"What about Roger? He saw me with my hair down on our way back to the lift."

This seemed to annoy him, though he quickly hid his thoughts by concealing his expression, "We'll pretend otherwise for this once."

She repressed herself from rolling her eyes once again, and they walked out of the building, Jace's hand on her smaller back. They went back to his car, and he asked

"Do you want me to drop you off?"

"No, thank you. I need to burn all those calories I've eaten."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You can have the rest of the muffins, though," She said, with a teasing smile.

She started walking away, when he called her out, "Don't I get a hug goodbye, like your other friend?"

She looked at him, wondering if there was some sort of condemnation in his voice. After all, he had told her more than once that he was a jealous man, and though they were not in a real relationship, he still expected her to act a certain way. But on the other hand, Jace never shied away from telling her what he wanted or didn't want, so she stopped overthinking and simply went to hug him as well.

As soon as she was in his arms, he held her tight against him, and whispered in her ear, "You've made me like New York more and more, Clary. Now, I look forward to coming to the Big Apple, when I used to always dread it. Thank you."

She gave him back his embrace, and once they parted, she kissed his cheek before walking away.

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.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

Okay, so many people asked for the questions at the end of the chapter, so here they are.

💚 I'm always curious about your favourite part, and what you think will happen next, so let me know.

💚 We had a small glance of Jace's family. What do you think about it?

💚 What do you think of Valentine? And of Jace's question concerning his motives? (and did you recognise his little quote?)

💚 What do you think of Jace so far? I am curious about that?

💚 Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.

Love, Mina💚💚💚