Maryse never believed that she would approach Jocelyn for a favour, the two women had never seen eye to eye. Maryse always trying to prove herself as a worthy member of the circle to Valentine that Jocelyn had once accused her of trying to destroy her and Valentine's marriage with was a ridiculous accusation because Maryse was more than happy with her husband Robert who was also an integrate and important member of the circle. Maryse had sworn to never approach Jocelyn for anything yet here she was standing outside Jocelyn's bedroom listening to the frantic steps coming from inside. Maryse raised her hand to knock only hesitating for a brief second before bringing her hand down in one hard knock. The shuffling stopped then a loud bang and a dragging noise came from inside the room.
"One moment" Jocelyn said the small sound of panic laced her voice as she slowly approached the bedroom door, taking one deep breath Jocelyn flung the door open. Maryse gave Jocelyn a weak smile and return Jocelyn glared at her.
"What you want Maryse?" Jocelyn said her voice filled with irritation and anger, the last thing she needed was to be interrupted just before her big escape. She had to get away from Valentine before he caused the uprising.
"Listen Jocelyn I know we've never seen eye to eye but please put that aside for just one moment. I need to ask a favour between mothers, not circle members just mothers. I'm sure you are aware of the experiments Valentine was undertaking whilst circle members were pregnant, and you likely heard all those children died however one didn't. And I've been trying my hardest to keep him away from Valentine since he was born, Alexander is my heart and soul and I cannot risk Valentine finding out what he can do. I cannot risk the Clave finding out what he can do as well. From the sounds of it you're planning to leave and I wish I was brave enough like you to leave as well so here I am asking you for one favour please take Alexander with you and I will do my very best of keeping Valentine away from you whilst you are settling into wherever you're going. But please I'm begging you take my boy with you and keep him safe for me" Maryse begged, tears streamed down her face as she begged her only hope of protecting her baby boy from Valentine and from the Clave.
"Maryse I'm… I'm sorry I had no idea Valentine had been experimenting on you. I plan to leave tonight meet me at the edge of the grounds where I have a warlock waiting to portal me to my new location bring Alexander I promise Maryse I will take care of your son. But you have to be there at 12 AM precisely or I will have to leave without him" Jocelyn said her heart went out for Maryse it really did. Having to raise a child who has half angelic blood and half demon blood without anyone finding out must have been hard.
"I will be there I promise and thank you; you truly don't understand what this means to me" Maryse said a small smile appeared on her face as she dabbed the tears from her eyes and walked away.
When Jocelyn agreed to take Alec off Maryse's hand when she was escaping Valentine she never truly realise the implication of raising two shadowhunter children but with one of them having warlock abilities on top of all that it was a struggle to keep the whole shadowworld a secret from both of them. Alec's magic was both extraordinary and flipping annoying because she can't remember how many pieces of furniture she had to replace because of some accidental magical burst when Alec was a toddler and don't get Jocelyn started on trying to train Alec to control his magic. To this day she was ever so grateful for Dot for being by her side throughout the whole of Alec and Clary's childhood.
"Alec why you practising? Does the band have a gig on for tonight?" Jocelyn asked her adoptive son who was currently strumming some strings on his guitar.
"Yeah we have a small gig at Java Jones tonight. Maureen believes it will kickstart our way to stardom that would be if we were able to write more than just the one song we have" Alec replied whilst he gently placed his guitar down the coffee table.
"I thought you had written hundreds of song Alec you always sat with a notebook and pen what is wrong with those that you've written?" Jocelyn said as she took a seat next Alec and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Mom, the problem is with the way the songs feel or whether it sounds right. Hell even half of them haven't been finished because… I don't know, it just feels like there's a block in my mind something preventing me from being truly inspired and creative with these song that maybe writing songs isn't my forte" Alec confessed for letting out a loud sigh then he added "I can't complain specially not today it's Clary's birthday, so I'm just going to enjoy today and do the gig and spent time with our friends and try again tomorrow".
"If you sure that if you need me I'm here for you Alec you know that right" Jocelyn said trying to re-assure her son.
"I know mom".
Clary pushed open the coffee house door putting on her best sad face in hope that she could fool Simon. She couldn't believe that they had accepted her into the advance program for some doddles on her sketchpad for the graphic novel she was planning with Simon. Simon was sat at a two-seat table closest to the door. Clary had to stop herself from smiling as Simon fell for it hook, line and sinker as he instantly tried to cheer her up.
"Don't bother" Clary said putting her congratulations letter down the table which Simon instantly picked up.
"Well played Fray well played" Simon laughed handing the letter back to Clary just as their drinks arrived. The best friends were chatting amongst themselves talking about their plans for tonight when Clary noticed that her biscotti had disappeared and in its place with the very well-drawn version of it in her sketchbook.
"So how come Alec isn't here, I thought he out of all people would want to know whether you got into the program" Simon asked looking around the clary's older brother who had a habit of turning up out of nowhere.
"I already sent a picture of the letter to him plus I did ask if he wanted to come and meet us here after but he said there was only so much of your face he could handle in such a short time" Clary teased before adding "anyway you know Alec we can't take anywhere without someone flirting with him usually the baristas. Half the time I swear he's got a sign around his neck which says, 'I'm gay please flirt with me, I want to embarrass my sister so bring you're A game".
"That's older siblings for you but talking about your brother don't forget we have a gig here later. You are coming right?" Simon said.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world but please tell me you are re-changing the band name I mean I want to brag that my best friend and brother are in a band yet you have such an embarrassing band name I mean how did Alec allow you to choose Champagne Enema" Clary argued, she could still remember the day when Simon came flying into her flat shouting that the band had been renamed to Champagne enema and that they had so many gigs lined up.
"He wasn't listening to us; he was too busy messing around on his phone, so Maureen and I choose the name without telling him until it was too late. He was not impressed when he finally found out" Simon explained, clary laughed she could imagine the horrified look which would have been on her brothers face.
"Well on the behalf of my brother, I'm ordering you to change it then I can start my bragging. I have rights you know. Anyway, that reminds me. I should probably head home and tell my mum about getting into the advanced program. I'll see you later" Clary said quickly giving Simon a hug before rushing off back to the flat she shared with Alec and her mother. It was a small apartment which was above an old fortune tellers' shop which somehow was still in business when Clary swears she hardly saw anyone actually come in her expect for her family or Dot, a family friend and the only employee in the shop.
"Hey Dot" Clary greeted the employee who was flipping through her tarot cards "what's the future looking?". Clary spend a few minutes chatting with Dot about getting accepted into the advanced programme and being gifted a lovely black shirt which Clary decided she definitely wanted to wear out tonight, all she had to think about was what to go with it. Clary bid Dot goodbye and thanked her again for the birthday present before running upstairs to see her Mom and Alec.
"You did it! Yay" Her mother Jocelyn said when Clary got into her apartment, she saw Alec sat on the sofa surrounded with different types of snacks – he had a problem. All her life she knew that Alec had these magical powers which allowed him to do pretty much anything, yet he only really used it to either heal himself or Clary whenever they were hurt or summon food from any place in the world.
"I told you not to tell her!" Clary said to Alec who had stuffed his face with a strawberry lace.
"I didn't. Simon's twitter told her, if you didn't want her to find out you should have told Simon not to put anything up Frazzle" Alec retaliated before poking his tongue out at her.
"You follow Simon on twitter" Clary said a little shocked as her mother put down the laundry basket she was carrying and pulled Clary into a hug.
"he only has 92 followers he needs the retweets" Jocelyn said letting go of her daughter and grabbing a box off the table. "Happy Birthday".
Clary smiled as she took the book off her mother and opened it revealing a thin silver tube with a crystal tip covered with symbols, the same symbols that Clary had started drawing. Clary took it out of the box, she was surprised it wasn't as heavy as it looked meaning it couldn't have been a paperweight.
"It's called a stele. It's very ancient. I want you to have it. It's a family heirloom" Jocelyn explained when she saw Clary's confused expression.
"We Frays have heirlooms" Clary said a little shocked, she had grown up without any contact to any relatives. It was just her mom, Alec and herself with the occasional visits from Luke – an old friend of her mothers and the only person who might know something about her mother's past not that Luke would tell her, he was secretive of his own.
"I don't know whether I should feel offended is it because I'm adopted that I will never inherit an heirloom, I'm hurt Mom" Alec teased and Jocelyn rolled her eyes at his cheeky side, sometimes she couldn't believe that this was Maryse and Robert Lightwood's son. It made her sometimes wonder what he would have been like if he had stayed with his biological family, he would probably more uptight and would have definitely still be closeted.
"Thank you I love it and I need to get changed for the gig, Simon and Maureen are taking me out after to celebrate my birthday after the gig, so I need to get changed. Alec can you help me?" Clary asked her brother who froze with a hand hovering above his mouth holding some sort of snacks, seriously he had an strange obsession.
"I'm gay, not your fashion slave" Alec retaliated but regardless followed his sister to her bedroom.
