Chapter 37: Circles
Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter! I hope you enjoy it - I've slowly been working in things that people have requested, so feel free to suggest anything else!
Clary was the happiest she could ever remember being. She could spend as much time with all of her kids as she wanted to. She could take the twins to dance class, Jamie for play dates at Phoebe's and could sit around talking to Lucie for hours.
She was still writing for other people, and had just started writing for the show, which meant she got to spend more time with Jace. There were going to be twelve episodes of the show, which meant that she had to write one snog for each. She had decided, however, to write three or four for each episode so they could choose which one they liked the best, and which one actually matched the episode the best.
She was also still teaching Jace how to play the guitar. She knew he had gotten the hang of it now and was more using it as an excuse to spend time with her, but she didn't mind at all.
She had also slowly been making plans with Kit about producing his next album. He had a few months before his contract was up with his current record label, so they had to wait until at least then. Clary also wanted to wait for Jace to finish filming before they really started working on it, so they still had a while to wait.
As she got older, Lucie only got easier to handle. She didn't know if it was just the experience of raising three kids before her, or if she was simply a less fussy child, but she seemed to be less demanding than any of her siblings. It definitely helped that Jace was frequently, and that Emma and Kit still came over all the time to play with Lucie. The biggest struggle was having four kids under four. Her and Jace had always agreed that they wanted all their kids to be very similar in age so that they all got on with one another, but this was the possible drawback they hadn't considered.
Simon and Izzy, and Alec and Magnus still only had one kid each, who were now growing up and becoming more independent so they didn't fully understand the stress Clary and Jace were under, though they tried to help. Alec and Magnus had been talking about adopting another child so that Rafa had someone to play with, but it was all just talk at the moment. Simon and Izzy, however, had seen the stress multiple children had caused Clary and Jace and were very happy with just Phoebe.
Simon had told Clary they were sure they were only going to have one child - it was all they felt they needed. Clary and Jace both knew they wanted a big family, and four kids was definitely big enough.
It reminded Clary of being on tour; being up at ungodly hours, spending most of your time looking after other people's concerns and the constant physical strain. The difference was that Clary found all of this work rewarding, whereas being in the band literally made her dread waking up in the morning.
And she knew the work would change everyday. If felt like doing the same day over and over again before, but now everyday brought new challenges and new rewards. That didn't mean it wasn't exhausting. Clary and Jace still didn't have the confidence to go out with all the kids; not when the paparazzi were so hungry for a photo with all the family together for the first time.
They did, however, keep discussing a trip to France. Jace's parents hadn't met any of the kids yet, and his mom kept mentioning how she wanted to see them. She had offered for her and Stephen to fly to L.A. if it was easier, but Jace said he would much prefer to go to them if it was okay with Clary. He didn't want to let his dad back into this environment - especially not when the twins were around the same age that Jace started doing movies.
"We could go before you start filming?" Clary said.
"I mean, that's in a month. Are you sure you're up for that at the moment?" Jace asks.
"There's not really going to be a better time," Clary answers. "You'll film for a few months, and then I start writing and recording with Kit and you'll probably go back to working on your movie. And then who knows what comes after that."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Jace says, rubbing his forehead.
"And Lucie's slept through the night the past two nights, and Ella and Teddy are properly potty trained. I don't think there's really going to be a better time to go if you want to go in the next year," Clary says, gently pulling his hands from his head and holding them in her own.
"But you're still writing," Jace says. She could tell he was searching for excuses to not go see his dad.
"I don't have to write for anybody but the show at the moment, and I can do that anywhere - especially if I'm travelling with the producer of the show!" She looks him in the eyes and starts speaking more softly, "if you don't want to see him, we don't have to go. We can figure out a way for your mom to come here alone."
"That's not really fair on any one though," Jace says, resting his chin on top of her head.
"It doesn't have to be," Clary says, whispering now, "you can be selfish sometimes. Especially about this."
"No," Jace says, "cause he'll just come here too and that'll fuck everything up. All the work we've put into them having a normal life."
"They're never going to have a normal life," Clary says gently, "we can dream and talk about it all we want - our kids are always going to be in the spotlight. Your dad coming here isn't going to change that."
"I want them so see France," Jace says, taking a step back so he can look at Clary and she can see that he means it, "I think they'll love it. And you haven't seen it in Spring - it's the best time to you to be in Idris, really."
"If you're sure," Clary says, lightly.
"I am. We can organise it all tomorrow."
Before they went to France, however, there were a few things that had to be done. The twins had their first dance recital, and Clary had a mysterious dinner with Hodge Starwhether to attend.
Clary and Jace decide that the night should be for just the twins, so they leave Jamie and Lucie at home with Diana. After the dance recital, which as Jace put it was "the cutest thing he'd ever seen," they took the twins out for dinner.
"Did you see me spin!" Ella asks, very excited.
"It was the best spinning I saw all night!" Jace says.
"You jumped so high!" Clary tells Teddy, tickling him in the stomach, "I thought you were going to go through the roof!"
Teddy laughs back at his mom, and then goes on eating his pasta.
As they all leave the restaurant to get back to the car, a bunch of paparazzi start taking photos.
Clary and Jace quickly make a move to block Ella and Teddy from the cameras, but apparently they have different plans. Both still in their dance costumes, they step away from their parents and start posing for the photos - Ella does a few spins for them, while Teddy hops around.
Clary knew that the only reason Jace wasn't stopping them was because the paparazzi where keeping a good distance away, but the moment one comes within a few feet of either child, Jace will yell out at them and threaten to push them away from his kids. After about a minute or so, Clary picks up Teddy and Jace holds Ella's hand and they start making their way towards the car. Of course, the crowd of cameras follow them, and it's a few minutes until they are completely free of the cameras.
"And that's why we can't go out with all the kids," Jace says, still agitated by the cameras, "we can't protect them all at once."
"Ah, Clary!" Hodge Starkwhether says, standing to welcome her, "I'm glad you could make it."
"Mr Starkwhether," Clary says by way of greeting. They both sit down and a waiter takes their drink orders. "To what do I owe this pleasure."
"Well, I wanted to start by saying congratulations - I know we haven't talked for quite a while, and how much you've achieved in that time!"
"Are you talking about my career, or my personal life?" she knew he was only interested in her career, but she wanted to see how much he would try to flatter her.
"Both, of course. Both of your albums were just fabulous, and you've just got the cutest little kids. You've just had another, if I'm not mistaken?" he says, very politely.
"A few months ago," Clary admits. "Did you just want to catch up? Or was there another reason you invited me here?"
"Well of course it's great to catch up… but there have been rumours," he says, clearly eager to move onto the business topic.
"Rumours, you say?" Clary asks, amused. She had some idea of where this conversation would lead before she came, but she didn't know Starkwhether was going to bring it up.
"That Royal's For The Night, was perhaps looking at ending it's break," he says, his beady little eyes not leaving her face.
"You don't say… well if I'm not mistaken," Clary says, having perhaps a little too much fun, "and I don't think I am, we told you that we would not be resigning with Circle Records when the day did come to end our break."
"Well yes," he says, confident that she had just confirmed the rumours herself, "but that was many years ago. Times change - positions change. You've got a family to think about now, as do many of your band mates."
"Why is it just me here then?" Clary asks. That was the one thing she hadn't been able to figure out. "Surely Simon or Alec or Kit - if not all three, should be here as well."
"You were always the most reasonable," Starkwhether says smiling.
"Or the most easily manipulated," Clary corrects.
"I personally believe you've also had the most success outside of the band - it made sense to think of you as the leader," he says, still trying hard to smile.
"It appears you've been keeping tabs on us, Mr Starkwhether," Clary says, and Hodge chuckles a little bit, "so you must know that I've got my own production company?"
Starkwhether looks around the room, and then leans in closer to Clary, "I've got to admit, I was very impressed that you started that up so quickly," he leans back into his chair, "but we both know you don't have the capabilities to support a band as popular and successful as the one you were in."
Had it come from someone else, Clary might have been offended. But Hodge Starkwhether had never been a nice man. Or a patient one, so Clary decided to give him her answer.
"As a man who's started many rumours himself," Clary says, feigning politeness, "you must know that there is frequently no truth behind them. It appears what you have heard and fallen for are simply baseless rumours. As we told you many years ago, Mr Starkwhether, we are not interested in working with Circle Records again."
"Now listen her, Ms Fray-"
"It's Herondale now," Clary cuts in.
"I wouldn't want you making any rushed decisions you will come to regret."
"It's been over ten years since we first met, Mr Starkwhether," Clary says, "You may have persuaded me to make a bad decision then, but you won't be able to do it now. I won't be scared into signing to your label again."
"It is unfortunate for you then," he says smirking, "that Circle Records owns your band name - and the right to all your music."
"For another four years," Clary says, smiling. They'd had lawyers look into what legal rights they held over everything. "We're perfectly fine waiting that long. Now," she says, standing up, "if that was all you wanted to discuss… I've got to be going. I'm flying to France tomorrow!"
I guess you can figure out where the story is headed... let me know if there's anything you want to see - from general story to character specific stuff and I'll try my best to work it in! I hope you're all happy and healthy, and have a great week :)