A/N: in this universe, Jace didn't kill Imogen, but everything else happened as normal. She retired from being Inquisitor following Jace's possession and now lives in Alicante advising the Council while Alec has taken her place.
When Jace wakes up, it's to his favourite view in the world. Clary is curled into his side, her head on his chest.
She's been home a few months now, and has slowly gotten back into the swing of things. She's living at the Institute again, where she belongs. She and Izzy have been training to become parabatai, but Jace knows it's a formality more than anything else. They're closer than sisters. They're ready.
And Jace is ready, too, for what he has to do today.
He hopes he is, at least.
Simon is already in the training room waiting for Jace when he walks in, wearing jeans, a T-shirt and his leather jacket. The only weapon on him is a seraph dagger, tucked into his holster by his stele. "You're on time," he remarks. "You're improving, bloodsucker."
"Yeah, and you're clearly not. Where's your gear?"
"I'm taking a personal day. Just stopped by to let you know who my substitute is."
"Who?"
"Me." Clary saunters in, twirling a bo staff in each hand. She tosses one to him.
"Oh, this is gonna be awesome." Simon grins. "Finally, someone I can beat."
"Hey!"
"I'm just saying, you've been gone a year. Your rusty skills are no match for this master."
Jace scoffs. "Master? You've been training for four months and it took two of those for you to land a decent punch. Clary's gonna eat you alive." He kisses the side of her head with a murmured goodbye and a 'behave' hollered at Simon on his way out.
Clary wastes no time in aiming a well-placed hit to Simon's stomach. He fights back, but it's clear he is no match for her. They spar for a good twenty minutes before Simon declares he needs a break.
"Hey, you're pretty good for someone who's only just started training again. I mean, you're no match for Vamp Jackie Chan over here, but. . ."
"Tell that to your bruises," she smirks, before her expression turns serious. "Um, I got attacked and robbed, about a month after I lost my memory. I tried to fight back, but there were three of them. I woke up in the hospital the next morning and I promised myself that I would never feel that powerless again. So as soon as I recovered I signed up for an MMA gym. I've been going every day since."
Simon drops the bo staff. "Oh, Clary."
"Eh. Not the worst thing that's happened to me."
"As far as you knew, it was. You must've been terrified." He pulls her into a hug. "Hey. I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry you had to go through it alone."
Her gaze drifts to some point in the distance. "I didn't sleep for days. When I did I'd have nightmares." She shakes her head, almost as if to rid herself of the memory, and smiles. "But I'm home now, and I'm kicking your ass. Ready for another round?"
Meanwhile, Jace has asked Catarina to make him a Portal to Idris. He doesn't have Clary do it; his task today is much too secret, and the days of obtaining Clave permission for those are long gone - if Alec is too busy to officially approve it, Magnus will - so Jace steps through the Portal and into the heart of Alicante. He could've gone directly to his destination, but Alicante will always be his first home, and he likes walking through its streets, if he has the time.
Soon, he has arrived at Imogen's apartment. They still don't know each other very well - Shadowhunter duties do not leave much time for family reunions - but he does call her every now and again, and whenever she is in New York she makes a point to have dinner with him. It is only polite that he tells her of his plans. He nods at her security team and knocks on the door.
"Jace," she says. She stands to give him a hug. "So good to see you. How are you?"
"I'm good. Yeah. Uh, I actually came here to tell you something."
"Is everything all right?"
"Everything's great." He fiddles with his stele for a moment. "I want to propose to Clary."
Imogen Herondale may not be the Inquisitor anymore, and hasn't been for over six months, but she has not lost the formidable stance that has terrified so many rogue Shadowhunters in the past. Her expression shifts into a knowing smile. "That's why you're so nervous."
"What? I'm not-"
"Your father acted the same way when he told me he wanted to propose to Céline."
Jace's fingers grasp at the Herondale ring, the same way it always does when his family is mentioned. "He did?"
"Oh yes, he was terrified." She chuckles. "He had nothing to worry about, of course; your mother loved him with everything she had. You don't have anything to worry about, either."
"Really?"
"Clary's a smart girl, Jace. She knows what she wants. If you weren't it, you wouldn't be together."
He smiles, almost to himself. Clary does know what she wants. It's one of the things that drew him to her in the first place. "Thank you, Im- Grandma."
Calling Imogen 'Grandma' is a recent development, and one that still makes Jace feel a little awkward, but the soft smile on her usually imperious face is worth it. "I have something for you." She disappears into her bedroom for a moment before returning with a thin velvet box, which she opens. Inside is a delicate silver chain, at the end of which sits a pendant; an iridescent opal, carved into a delicate teardrop.
"Your father gave this to your mother as an engagement gift," Imogen says quietly. "I had offered him the bracelet that had been passed down in our family, but he told me no. He said he wanted to give her love, not custom." A tear rolls down her cheek. She closes the box and offers it to him. "I know he would love nothing more than for you to give the same to Clary."
Jace's voice trembles. "Thank you."
When he is finished with Imogen, he takes the short walk to the Council building, where he knows Alec will be in his office. Alec grins when Jace comes through the door. "I knew you were nearby," he says, getting up from his desk to give his parabatai a hug. "What's going on? I've been getting some weird feelings from you."
Jace smiles wryly. "I'm gonna propose to Clary."
"What? That's incredible, congratulations!"
"Hold on, she hasn't said yes yet."
"She will." Alec hugs him again, almost as if he can't help it. "I'm so happy for you, Jace. You two deserve this, after everything you've been through."
"You don't think it's too soon?"
"You realise you're asking the guy who got married less than two days after he got engaged."
"Fair point."
"Look, you and Clary aren't normal people, even for Shadowhunters. You have fought off her evil family, Lilith. . . Hell, you defied the will of Raziel and won. You guys are as grown up as it gets. You're ready."
"Thanks, man."
"Of course. FYI, I'm expecting that suggennes invitation any day now."
He grins. "Can't you let me ask her first?"
Next, he goes to Luke, who is staying in Alicante for a few days between assignments. He heads to Luke's sister's house and knocks on the door. He's glad that it's Luke and not Amatis who answers it.
"Jace." He appears happy, if a little puzzled, to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Luke. Can we talk?"
"Sure, come on in."
Jace and Luke sit down in the living room. They make small talk for a few minutes before Luke stops. "Okay, you look like you're about to wet yourself. What's going on?"
"I want your blessing," he blurts.
"What?"
"I want to ask Clary to marry me. And I am asking for your blessing."
Luke pulls out his stele, fiddles with it for a moment. "Jace, I have known Clary all her life. I have watched her learn, and grow, and you know what I've seen?"
"What?"
"You. Ever since you met her, you were there for her. You were there when I couldn't be and when I should've been. Even when she didn't know who you were, that didn't stop you. And seeing her now, I know she is happier than she's ever been. That's thanks to you." He smiles widely. "I can think of no better person for her to spend the rest of her life with."
Finally, he leaves Alicante, courtesy of Magnus, and heads to a bench in Central Park. It isn't anywhere near Jocelyn's grave - that's back in Alicante - but it is where Clary goes to remember her. She's told him stories of her mother taking her there to feed the ducks when she was little. He sits down, glamoured of course, and talks. It turns out he has a lot to say to Jocelyn Fairchild. The woman who he once thought was his mother. Who died thinking he was her son. But the most important thing that he needs to talk to her about is her daughter, and how much he loves her.
When he gets home, it's midafternoon. Clary is lying facedown on his bed, sketching. She smiles when he comes in. By the Angel, he loves her smile.
"Hey, you." He sits beside her and presses a kiss to her cheek. "How was Simon?"
"Good, he's learning a lot. He's still not ready, but it's kind of nice that he doesn't have to go straight into the field like I did, you know?"
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure Alec had an aneurysm when you went to a vampire den twenty minutes after learning how to use a seraph blade."
She chuckles. "How was your day off?"
"Good."
She shifts her weight so she can lean against him as she draws. He peers over her shoulder at the sketch, smiling softly when he realises it's of Pandemonium, with himself, Izzy, and Alec gliding through the blurred crowd. He takes a second to appreciate the domesticity of the moment.
Domesticity they can have for the rest of their lives, as soon as he figures out how to ask her.