Disclaimer: I do not own mortal instruments, the character names are owned by Cassandra Clare. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by lily fierce, 2011-2012. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.
I am so sorry since I know this is pretty late but well, there have been so many things just piling up lately. With thanksgiving and college finals and what not I just haven't had time to write this and I'm just really sorry since I am like totally in love with this story and well Jace and Clary and general. Ok well, I lied; just Jace but you know what I mean.
Oh… there I go again talking about stuff that you guys don't care about. Well I'll stop now and let you read. :) hope you like it.
5. Dining with the cat
Clary's high-heel clad feet carried her gracefully down the long aisle stretching before her. Looking to her sides she saw the familiar faces of several of her family members, all dressed in white with large smiles adorning their expressions.
She was confused for a split second, not comprehending in the least why her family was gathered until she felt the large white dress and bouquet of flowers in her hand. Her gaze shifted to the flowers and with a pang to her chest, noticed several white roses all tipped in red. Clary gasped and looked ahead to the one thing she had yet to take in. At the front of the very white room stood a man. No, not a man she thought, a thing.
Its profile was human-like enough, but its hands were not fingers but razor sharp talons and the smile on its mouth didn't hold teeth, instead, in their place stood two rows of shark-like incisors. Clary's breath caught and a scream lodged in her throat wanting nothing more than to be released. She tried to move, to stop her steady advance toward the aisle but her feet wouldn't obey her desperate pleas. Instead they continued off of their own accord, toward the aisle and the demon awaiting her at the front.
She tried to scream once more, to alert her family that still sat oblivious to her distress, but once again she couldn't speak and she couldn't stop herself from moving forward. Suddenly a loud thud reverberated throughout the room causing everyone in it to look around the broad space in search of the source of the noise. It sounded once again and finally Clary was able to stop her walking and began to step back but before she had the chance to run and flee, the creature in the front opened its mouth and an ear piercing shriek escaped as it flung itself forward. Clary screwed her eyes shut and tried to hurl herself away from the thing only succeeding in tripping over the white dress she wore and falling on her back. She hit her head but felt no pain.
Her eyes flashed open and once again she was laying in her bed, gasping as thin trails of sweat slid down her back and her hair clung to her neck.
"It was just a dream." She muttered, trying to comfort herself and calm her erratic heartbeat.
A knock sounded at her door and Clary heard Aline's voice through the wood. "Jesus, Clary," she said "Open the door it's an emergency."
"Coming" Clary got up from her bed and headed for the door, opening it and seeing Aline standing just outside "what happened… who died?" she mused.
"Ha, very funny. Dad called a family meeting. Be down in 20, he says it's of utter importance." she mocked their father.
Clary laughed a bit "fine, be down in a few."
"That means no hour long showers Clary." She said just before Clary closed the door. She was very well known for her extensive showers. But it wasn't her fault, the hot water felt pleasant against her skin and stopping was so hard. But Clary knew how to control herself so she would be fast just for today. She began stripping down and walked to the bathroom located just inside her own room.
After stripping down she entered the tub and rinsed all the sleep and thoughts of nightmares from her mind and body. Thankfully it was Sunday so she was free from work but the family meeting with her father was worrying her more than she thought it would, or should for that matter.
Anxiety bubbled in her chest as she stepped out of her bathroom wrapped in a towel and began getting dressed. She's known for some time, especially with some of the things going on lately, that a meeting with her father was unavoidable. But she wasn't expecting a family meeting. What could be so important that he had to involve the entire family?
Pushing the thought aside Clary walked over to the mirror attached to the wall of her walk-in closet, fully dressed now, and turned around in front of it. She stepped closer and checked her face lifting her nose to peer underneath; then she furrowed her brows contorting her features and making the most ridicules faces before the mirror. She was so stupid. There she was stalling once more, trying to avoid the inevitable. Every meeting, conference, hell, any reunion period, seemed to stress her out. Why? They could have killed her just then and she wouldn't have been able to answer that question.
Calm… calm…calm she thought to herself. Worrying was pointless, besides it was probably just to discuss something useless and inane like what cereal they would be buying or how their new shampoo was giving Aline dandruff. Yeah that was probably it.
With that thought in mind Clary walked down the stairs to their immense lavishly decorated foyer that her mother had personally designed, to the family room where everyone sat on the couch. Her father sat in a large loveseat while everyone else: Aline, her mother, her aunt, and Isabelle and Simon, who had just returned from their honeymoon in Rio all sat in the sectional waiting for Luke to begin speaking. Clary quickly sat just beside Aline who scowled.
"Well it was about time you got down. What do you do in the shower anyway that it takes you so damn long?" she asked, sounding more than a little annoyed.
"None. Of. Your. Business." Clary made it a point to enunciate every syllable.
Her father cleared his throat catching everyone's attention. "I'm sure you all know the recent events we've been facing." he began, his voice immediately switching into business. His posture gave no indication that the people sitting before him were family. No, this was serious. "Therefore with Clary's impending marriage" more like impending doom Clary thought "and the men who have given us no other choice but to go through with this process or relinquish the company, I have decided to invite them to stay in the manor with us for the next few months until the wedding day arrives."
"What?" Clary's voice came out louder than she had planned for it to sound. All heads turned to face her. "This man is trying to take everything away and you invite him into our home! Have you lost your mind?" she was losing it, she knew, but the thought of having Jace a few doors down was amazing and terrifying all at once.
"Clary if anything strange is going on I want it to be where I can see and control." He stood up and began pacing around the room; Clary settled back on the couch, it was useless to argue when his face clearly showed that that topic was dismissed. "Onto other matters, tonight Raphael, Clary's fiancé, and his family will be coming over for dinner. I expect us all to be in our best behavior. Furthermore, Mr. Morgenstern and his son will be coming by with their things tomorrow morning. We should all be there to greet them." He finished and looked around the room signaling for questions, when no one asked any he made a sweeping gesture with his hand thus dismissing everyone.
They all nodded and stepped out of the living room going their own different directions. Clary was about to leave when Isabelle grabbed her arm, yanking her back and nearly tearing it off.
"Yeesh Isabelle, you nearly ripped my arm off."
"Sorry but there is no way I'm going to let you fix yourself up when your future husband is coming to meet you for the first time."
"I dress myself every day; I can do it today too." Clary tried pulling her arm free from her grasp to no avail.
"Yeah, I know, and that's exactly why you need my help."
Clary narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, what exactly do you mean by that little statement?"
"Um… I plead the fifth?" Isabelle raised her brows, a smirk spreading over her lips.
"Yeah, that's what I thought" Clary laughed and allowed Isabelle to pull her up the stairs and into her room.
Row upon row of makeup littered the expanse of her dresser as she sat Clary down in front of the large mirror. Spinning her away from her refection, Isabelle quickly got started, looking at Clary and completely absorbing the view of her face. "Girl when I am done with you, you won't even recognize yourself."
"Oh god." Clary squeaked "Should I be scared?"
Isabelle cackled with fake evil laughter and smirked at Clary "Oh, you should be terrified."
Clary's eyes widened as she surrendered her face to Isabelle. Yes, she was definitely terrified.
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Three hours and two pounds of makeup later Clary was heading down the stairs on her way to the dining room, just when the doorbell rang echoing loudly throughout the foyer. Susan, the maid, strolled to the door and held it open. A man, not much older than her father, stepped over the threshold followed by a woman and a younger man maybe a few years older than herself. He was handsome, Clary thought. His dark eyes went well with his tan features and dark hair and while his build was lean it was nothing compared to that of the one person she was trying so hard not think about.
The younger man, whom she assumed was Raphael, stood by the door as his eyes roamed the room finally landing on her where she stood on the last step of the broad staircase. His eyes trailed down her body, over the knee length skirt and tight blouse she wore and his lips twisted in a diminutive smirk, barely even discernible. She was not appreciative of the way he ogled her. She had none of the tingles, no butterflies, no sparks or fireworks, not anything was present as she stood before the man she would be marrying in but a few months. Oh boy, this would not be as easy as she thought it would, but if she planned on making it work Clary, I-don't-need-a-man-to-complete-me Clary, would have to tough it out.
She stepped forward and held out her hand, purely for the sake of manners, and shook Raphael's.
"Clary Fray" she said "nice to meet you."
"Raphael Garcia." He smiled back just the same and when he spoke Clary noticed a bit of an accent. He was definitely Hispanic; she wanted to ask him where he was from but her father strolled up to the two.
"I see you've met. It's best you get to know each other as much as possible since you will be getting married in a few months." Clary nodded and Raphael offered her his arm. She smiled politely as they both moved over to the dining room. Her family had already sat and she went to grab her seat when a low sound drew her attention. A cat, she thought. But that wasn't possible her mother was allergic and her entire family had a very deep rooted hatred for cats.
Clary moved away from her seat and toward the sound. Just next to her future mother in law's seat there was a large pink pet carrying case and inside she found a fat white cat. Its neck held what was, quite obviously, a very expensive diamond necklace and in-between each diamond laid a small ruby. The cat got one look at Clary and it nearly broke through the cage.
Clary gasped and moved away. Going back toward her seat she tried smiling as kindly as possible at her soon to be mother-in-law but she was pretty sure that she probably looked like a stick had been shoved up her behind.
"I see you've noticed Mr. cuddle-bunny." She said, signaling the cat and its sparkly diamond necklace. Clary was pretty sure that thing could've fed an entire neighborhood of starving children.
"Yes. Mr.… um-cuddle-bunny is a very," Clary paused, trying to find the right word to describe the cat and not offend its owner. "He's a very elegant cat."
The lady beamed "oh honey, he's very talented too. Aren't you Mr. Cuddles? Yes you are, yes you are." She moved her face towards the cats and cooed at it like a baby as the kitty purred. "We can show you some of his tricks."
"No!" Clary thought she'd been the only one nearly shouting to keep that atrocious cat in its cage until she noticed that Aline and Isabelle had the same horrified expression she was pretty sure she wore on her face.
For god's sake, Clary really hoped this little- problem was not inheritable. Oh god! What if her children turned into cat loving freaks? She had to force herself to push the thought away before she started hyperventilating. Instead Clary kept quite throughout most of the night only speaking when she was being addressed.
Most of the talking was done mostly by her father, and Raphael, and they just talked business and numbers that Clary brushed aside. She had memorized most of the rates regardless and really didn't feel like discussing why they should do business with this one or stop doing plans with that one. It was, in all its complexity, a very tedious conversation to her. She just talked with her sisters about the newest developments in what they now called "the Jace-case."
Since he had started at the office all of the women were practically drooling over him. Clary thought they were so stupid. Sure he was good looking and god knew he was an amazing kisser, but I mean some of the looks they gave him were just pathetic. She'd had to calm herself more than once to avoid attacking the skanks at the office. However none were worse than Kaelie. Clary had heard her talking about asking him out. The best part though, was what she had overheard just a few days ago.
"So," Isabelle started "you guys have got to fill me in on the newest office gossip, I hate feeling left out." Isabelle had worked at the corporation for some time. Mostly just filing or at the front desk, but the entire time all the women would crowd around her at break time just to hear all the juicy information she had gotten on everyone and their mothers.
"Girl," Aline's voice was slightly hushed in an effort to keep their conversation from the others at the table "you know that guy who's trying to take the company from Clary?" Clary narrowed her eyes at this statement. "Well turns out he's like totally sexy… like I-wanna-lick-him sexy."
"No way!" Isabelle responded with a very loud irritating squeal.
"You guys should hear yourselves," Clary interrupted their talking, a slightly mocking edge to her voice "you two sound like teenage girls."
"Oh come on Clary, you were thinking the same thing." A knowing glint shown in Aline's eyes. "Especially, judging by the fact that you were totally making out with him in the copy room closet."
Clary gasped. What the hell? No one was there but them. "How do you know that?" her voice was shaky but god knew she just had no control over any of her reactions at this point. "Who told you? Do they work at the office? Have they told anyone else?"
"Relax" Aline held her hands in front of her face as if she meant to calm her down. "Magnus told me and that was just because I threatened to ruin all his glitter if he didn't."
Clary visibly relaxed. Her shoulders releasing the tenseness they held and her hands, which were clutched in fists under the table, loosened.
"There, you see. Well, as I was saying, you know Kaelie right? The skank at the front desk."
They all nodded but Isabelle spoke up. "Oh my god, I can't stand her. She nearly stole Simon from me."
Aline nodded, knowing all too well what Izzy meant. "Well that whore had asked Jace out and after much flirting he had said no."
"What?" Clary asked, not understanding in the least why he would say no. "Why would a perfect man-whore like him, say no to a whore like her?"
"Get this. He said that he was just not interested because he already has his eye on someone else."
"Ooooh." Isabelle said looking at Clary. "He likes you."
Clary poked her arm "Shut up. I can't afford to fall for him. Remember…" Clary pointed at Raphael who was still animatedly talking with her father.
"Yeah, yeah. But Clary," Aline's voice lowered to a whisper "you don't love him and I can tell you care for Jace, at least it's obvious he cares for you."
Clary sighed but before she could respond her mother interrupted. "Come on girls, let's say good bye to our guests."
Clary hadn't even noticed when her father and the others at the table had gotten up. God this boy had her wrecked and if she was truthful with herself she had no idea how she would handle having him in her house. Let's just say that Clary was pretty sure that the next few months would be anything but easy.
But at least she had one night of saneness, tomorrow though, was a completely different story.
Well there you have it. You finally met Raphael and Jace is moving in in the next chapter. Oh and sorry for the lack of Jace sexy-ness in this one it really sucked for me too. ;)
Anyway please review. I usually don't beg but I'll make an exception just this once. So pretty please with a naked Jace on top;)