Chapter 35: Ten Years
Hello everyone! Welcome back to another chapter. Thank you for all your kind reviews and great ideas on the last chapter - I'll be sure to work them all into the story! If you have anything you want to see (big or small) be sure to let me know and I'll try to work it in! Anyway... onto the chapter.
It's been a few busy weeks since they had gotten Alfie. Clary, Simon, Alec, Kit and Magnus had been busy arranging everything for their ten year reunion since Royal for a Night's first album. Each year they had been doing a video together to celebrate the occasion, but because this was their ten year anniversary, they knew they had to step it up.
Clary and Jace had also had their hands full with all the kids and animals, and Clary was steadily growing more pregnant. Her stomach had 'popped' a few days ago, but she had managed to hide it from everyone so far. Jace was also working on his new movie. He wanted to get it into a good condition before putting it aside to focus completely on his family once Clary really started to struggle. He was cautious however, to remember that he all the time he wanted, and his family was what was really important. He had also really started to realise that his kids were like little people, with their own personalities that were quickly developing, and he didn't want to miss it.
Jamie seemed to be a lot more athletic than the twins. He started walking well before either Ella or Teddy had managed to, and he loved playing this game with Clary where they would roll a ball backward and forward, and he'd recently started throwing it back. He also loved playing outside with Alfie, or following Honky around the house.
The twins, on the other hand, seemed to be much more into music. They frequently went into Clary's music room while she was writing, sometimes just to listen, but sometimes to 'help' her write. Jace loved how patient she was with them, and how she would slowly teach them about the piano and let them play.
They also both loved to dance. Whenever Jace or Clary would play music with a beat - it didn't really matter what genre, they would start bopping to it straight away. Clary had brought up the idea of sending them to dance class, but they both decided to wait until they were a little older to actually sign them up.
Clary was watching the twins dance one day when Jamie came up and tried to join him. In the beginning, they'd both turned their back on him, but after a little while, Ella actually pushed him away. Clary thought this may be the reason Jamie much preferred to play with his parents or the pets, but Jace insisted it was just because he didn't like music as much.
Ella really seemed to be the dominant twin. She had walked and talked first, but was quickly followed by Teddy. She also seemed to take the lead when they were playing or interacting with other people, but Teddy didn't seem to mind, so Clary and Jace left it alone the time being.
Clary knew that Jamie may have been a lonely kid if it weren't for Phoebe. Because she saw Simon almost everyday to plan the reunion, they were together almost everyday. They were frequently joined by Rafael, and the three seemed to get along like peas in a pod. Clary didn't know how the new baby was going to fit into the mix, but hoped that Jamie would let them into the little club.
Eventually the day came for the ten year reunion. Throughout the day they released music that had been last minute cuts from albums, video clips they'd decided not to release and deleted scenes from their documentary. There seemed to be a really good build up to their live video, and it all would have been absolutely perfect, if Clary's morning sickness hadn't taken a turn for the worse today.
It's not like she could even tell the guys, because Clary and Jace had decided to not tell anyone until after today, so no one could accidentally let it slip.
"Just so you know," Clary tells all the guys as they sit down around a table on the back deck of her and Jace's office, "I have really bad food poisoning. So if I run off at one point, don't be alarmed - but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention it."
"What, did Jace cook last night?" Kit asks, smirking.
"He's a better cook than you," Clary says, smiling back at him.
"The distinction is that I recognise my failures, and have chosen to simply have other people cook my food for me," Kit says matter of factly.
"I don't see how you think that's helping your case," Alec says, sitting in between Magnus and Clary.
"And anyway, we ate out last night - so it wasn't Jace," Clary adds.
"As riveting as this conversation is," Magnus says, "we've got to go live now."
"I'll cover for you," Simon says, just before Magnus turns on the live stream.
"Thanks," Clary whispers back.
For the next hour or so, they all answer questions that have been sent in by fans. Questions range from when the band will get back together - "we're all individually in a good place right now. We don't have a date set yet, but don't worry - it will be one day!" Alec answers, to how they've managed to stay so humble. "I think," Clary begins answering, "that we all had moments when we got a big head, but luckily the reason was different for each of us, so we had everyone else around to tell us to stop being stupid and get on with it."
This question is quickly followed by asking what made each of them get a big head.
"I think it was just getting signed for me," Kit answers laughing.
"Unfortunately, his head has remained much larger than average," Simon says, and then quickly gets punched by Kit.
"My head is a perfect size, thank you very much."
"He's just so modest," Alec says, "I don't know how he keeps it up."
"My time was after our first big concert," Simon says, "it's hard not too when you're sixteen and there's an arena full of people screaming for you and singing along with you."
"Mine was after our first time as Madison Square," Clary says.
"Mine was probably when our first album went to number one," Alec says, "and we had all of these people I'd admired for so long congratulating us."
They then get asked about their favourite tattoos.
"I've got a bumble bee on my arm," Simon says, "for my daughter. That's probably my favourite."
"Yeah, I've got 'Raf' on my forearm in Raf's writing," Alec says.
"Mines an oldie - I haven't gotten a new tattoo in a while," Clary says, "but it's on my ribs - I think I've shown it before, but it's just a nice little list of all my families - I've been adding my kids to it as they're born."
"Well show us," Kit says, wiggling his eyebrows.
Clary is about to lift her shirt, when she remembers that she's pregnant and it'll be pretty obvious if she lifts her baggy t-shirt.
"You show us your belly," Clary says defensively.
"Fine, but only because I want to," Kit says, lifting his shirt - "oh, and that's my favourite tattoo," he points at his ribs to a simple drawing of a crescent moon with stars around it, "because my girlfriend has a matching one."
"I hope they were all sappy enough for you," Simon says, laughing.
Someone then asks how involved they all are in each other's lives.
"It's almost like we're still in a band," Kit says, "if no one's on tour then we'll see each other every couple of days - we have dinner together every Friday. And even if we are on tour we Facetime all the time."
"They're all Godfather's to my children," Clary says.
"And they're Godparents to B," Simon adds.
"Excuse me! I'm Godparent to nobody!" Kit says.
"Just wait," Clary says. Her and Jace had already decided that Kit and Emma were going to be Godparents to their next child. But then she realises that nobody, including the guys, knows that she's pregnant and quickly adds. "I'm sure there are hundreds of people out there who would happily have you as their child's Godfather."
They answer a few more questions when Clary feels that familiar nauseous feeling, and rushes off to the toilet. When she comes back outside a few minutes later, Kit is talking about how she has food poisoning.
"I thought we were going to keep that a secret!" Clary says, sitting down again.
"You left and people wanted to know why," Kit says. "And only Simon said he'd keep it a secret."
"Well, you could've just said I went to the bathroom," Clary says.
"You were gone a while…" Kit says.
"Moving on," Magnus says, who had been asking them the questions, "I think we've got time for one more question…"
"Is it about you?" Simon asks.
"You know I would've brought myself up much sooner if there had been any questions," Magnus says.
"Okay - are you having fun?" Clary asks quickly.
"It's been alright," Magnus says. "For the last question - what do you all have coming up in the next few months?"
"I've got no plans!" Kit says, "it's possibly something I should be concerned about, but I'm choosing to be optimistic!"
"I'm slowly working on some music - probably won't be released for a few months at least though," Simon says.
"I'm just going to hang out with my family - Jace is working on some stuff, so I'll be happy to support him with that," Clary says.
"And I'll continue writing music for other people, and just hanging out with my family as well," Alec finishes.
They have a few closing remarks, thanking everyone for their continued support, and everyone who has been involved with the band, and a promise to do something again next year.
"I think that went well," Kit says, slowly getting up.
"I've gotta go to the bathroom again," Clary says, rushing back inside.
When she comes back from the bathroom, Simon asks, "how bad is that food poisoning - and how come Jace is fine?"
"It's not good," Clary says matter of factly, "and Jace and I ate different meals… so I guess it was just something in mine.
"I don't buy it," Magnus says, and after a look at Clary he smiles, but just gets a water bottle out of the fridge, not saying anything.
In the following few days, Clary and Jace come clean to everyone, and Magnus and Alec admit that they had already figured it out.
There's also a bit of public speculation following the video. People seemed to notice that she only wore baggy clothing, and they were suspicious that she kept rushing out of the video, but more people seemed to be talking about all the new content, which was good news.
The next people she had to break the news to was Ella and Teddy. James was still too young to understand what was really going on, but Ella and Teddy were bound to notice her stomach soon, and they seemed concerned each time she rushed off to the bathroom.
"Ella, Teddy," Jace says kindly, "you're going to have a new brother or sister soon."
"Where?" Teddy asks, looking around.
"They're in mommy's tummy," Clary says, running her hands over her small bump.
"Baby tomorrow?" Ella asks.
"It's going to be a while - they're too small to meet them yet. But in a few months you'll be able to meet them."
"No!" Ella calls out, laughing.
Clary gives Jace a concerned look - she'd been worried she would have this reaction.
"You can be friends with your new brother or sister," Jace tells her, "I know you'll be a good big sister just like you are to Teddy!"
Ella runs into Jace arms, and Teddy wraps his arms around his leg, and they appear to not want to discuss the topic any further.
I hope you liked that - a nice little band moment which we haven't had in a while, and some progression of the kids and pregnancy! I hope you're all happy and healthy, and I'll see you next week :)