Chapter Seven: Homecoming
We spend the last day of our Paris trip touring museums and galleries. My favorite is definitely Musée Rodin because I love his sculpture 'The Kiss'. All in all it is a pretty wicked last day and the artist in me totally rejoices and revels in it.
All too soon, it's time to say goodbye to the Mandarin Oriental and with it, our beautiful penthouse suite. We take a taxi to the airport and go through all of the necessary security and customs and are finally waiting to board our plane and head home to the Big Apple. This will be the last couple of weeks we can even call New York home, given our imminent move to Idris. We've decided not to announce the engagement right away, as we're going to host a special party to tell all of our family and friends.
Dad and Maryse are supposed to meet us at JFK once our plane lands in New York although we still have many hours in the air before we land. Jocelyn is also supposed to be coming to stay in town for the next couple of weeks to see us before we leave for Idris, attend our going away party & help us pack. And Alec and Magnus will be coming to Idris to get us settled in. We are blessed to have such helpful family and friends.
I am listening to music when Jace pulls my ear-bud out to talk to me. "Hey, earth to Princess Sexy Pants! What are ya listening to?" He smiles his cute, cocky grin at me.
"I'm sorry, what did you just call me?" I shake my head in confusion.
"Princess Sexy Pants, no?" He asks, as if he seriously thinks I might let him call me that.
"Um, no, thank you though, I think that was supposed to be a compliment, but no, It sounds like something you ought to name a Barbie doll, not a Shadowhunter, sorry." I say, slightly exasperated.
He just laughs and ruffles my hair. "Oh Clary, you're too cute for words Babe! I love you." He croons, smushing my face with his. I scrunch my nose up at him.
"Jace Herondale! Have you been drinking?" I sigh, starting to understand his mood a little better once I notice the airplane bottles all over his tray.
"Just a lottle bit." He says, attempting to measure a small space of air with his fingers, gradually widening it until it's somewhat more accurate, by which point he has both arms stretched way out.
"Jace, why!?" I groan, placing my head in my hands. His sense of humor is questionable at the best of times. Normally if he's been drinking, so have I, so it doesn't bother me but this time, I haven't had a drop.
"Shhh, don't yell at me! It's how I deal with airplane flights, truth be told, they make me a little nervous." He sighs.
"Oh. Really? I mean, with all of your bravado, I guess I wouldn't think anything could make you nervous, Jace. I'm sorry I was critical about it. It's just weird being sober when you're drinking, that's all." I said rubbing his shoulders.
"Well there's nothing that says you have to stay sober, you know. You are legal now, Clary." He smirked.
"True." I smile, flagging down the flight attendant.
"Yes, Miss?" She smiles.
"May I please have a Coffee with Bailey's?" I ask.
"Sure, and I will have to see some ID." She asks.
"Not a problem" I say and pull out my passport.
"Thank you." She smiles and pours my coffee, handing me the little airplane bottle to add myself.
"Perfect, thanks!" I grin.
"Bailey's in Coffee is your idea of a woohoo I'm eighteen on an airplane drink?" He snickers.
"Nah, I had planned on getting a coffee anyway, so I wanted something to go with." I say as I kiss him and sigh. "Even when you're drunk, you're still damn sexy Jace."
"Why thank you little lady!" He says in his best John Wayne voice. I giggle and suppress an eye roll then put my ear-buds back in. Jace steals one and we sit together, snuggling and listening to music.
After a few hours, Jace is fast asleep and Izzy and I have been talking across the aisle for some time. "Why don't you just change seats with me Clay?" Jonathan asks. "Then you girls can talk without being interrupted when people walk by."
"Okay, think anyone would mind?" I ask.
"I don't see why they would. Its first class and we're all travelling together." He says.
"Yeah okay, thanks Jon!" I smile and give him a big hug and a smooch as we do the seat shuffle.
"No problem, Sweetie." He grins and takes my seat.
"Hey Izzy Baby!" I say, joining her.
"Hey Clary! How's my little Honey-Bunches-of-Oats?" She grins.
I laugh. "Ugh! What is with everyone and silly nicknames today? Jace called me Princess Sexy Pants earlier." I must've raised my voice a bit because Jonathan heard me.
"If you want, I can start calling you Carrot Top?" He laughs.
"Do it and I'll make you go without sex for a month!" I threaten. I know, I know, you're not supposed to use sex as a weapon but I'm sure he knows I'm kidding.
"Meh, I'd still have Jace." He shrugs.
"Yeah but a whole month with no pussy? Come on Jon, I know you're into finding your center and focusing on your chi and all that jazz but even you couldn't handle that!" I laugh.
"It's not as if you could go a whole month without me either Clay." He retorts.
"Like you say, there's always Jace." I smirk.
By this point the aforementioned Jace is awake again. "May I interject? If the two of you plan on boycotting each other and using me as a replacement I think I'm going to have to invest in some damned Viagra!" He laughs.
"Hmm, now I just have to figure out if getting Jace on Viagra would be worth going a whole month without Jonathan!" I say contemplatively to Izzy. "Decisions, decisions!" I laugh.
"Oh you're all too much with your dirty innuendos and sexual candor, my poor virgin ears!" She laughs, pretending to faint. Then sits up abruptly, looking out the window.
"Oh my gosh! I think I just saw Lady Liberty! I think we're home boys and girls!" She nearly squeals.
Sure enough, just appearing on the horizon is the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor! I hadn't actually realized I was homesick until now. Now I just want to get home and see our parents and our brothers and all of our friends. It's been an amazing two weeks, but it'll be nice to see everyone back home.
"Mom!" Izzy yells. We are standing in the luggage area waiting for our bags and Izzy just spotted Maryse in this sea of people and is frantically waving her over. I see her motion to Dad that she's found us.
"Izzy! Clary! Oh, we've missed you so much! You too boys!" Maryse laughs, hugging us each.
"Darling, let them save a little attention for dear old Dad too would you please?" Our father laughs. "It's good to have you back" He says, taking his turn at hugging us.
"Max has been following your adventures via social media and has shown us some pictures of your trip that you've posted. We can't wait to hear all about it!" Maryse gushes; subtly casting glances at Izzy's and my ring fingers and wiggling her eyebrows knowingly. I forgot that the boys spoke to them beforehand, so the Rents are already expecting our announcement before we even give it.
"In good time, Maryse, let's let them get settled in at home and maybe sleep off some jet lag before we ambush them, okay?" Father, always the pragmatic one, insists.
"Oh fine, spoilsport!" She pretend pouts. I never thought I would have missed their banter. This two weeks have been the longest Izzy and I have ever been away from our parents before. We've always been inseparable as a family. It's only recently, in our teenage years, that I've even started saying 'Dad and Maryse' and Izzy saying 'Mom and Valentine' and I think we only did that to make ourselves feel less like sisters as we started developing more than sisterly feelings toward one another. Before that, we always called them Mom and Dad. (And they're still Mom and Dad to their face anyway.)
They're both uncharacteristically chipper on the drive to the Institute, which I attribute to them being glad to have us back. "Did Jocelyn get into town yet?" I ask Dad.
"Yes, she's all settled in. She would have come with us but she wanted to make you kids a home cooked meal because she doesn't trust the airlines to have fed you properly, so there will lots for you to eat if you're hungry." He says.
"Yummy, we get Jocelyn's cooking!" Izzy cheers. "No offense, Mom." She amends, timidly.
"None taken, I know you love my cooking, Iz. However, Jocelyn has the market cornered on the organic, free trade, holistic, hippie foods, that's for sure." She smiles.
"She sure does. Although I must admit I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I am enjoying all of this newfangled hippie food." Dad smirks.
"Um, guys, when did actually Jocelyn get here? I was under the impression she'd be arriving shortly before we did?" I ask, since it sounds like she must've been cooking for them for a while now.
"She actually came down a week earlier. We've been busy making up for lost time." Maryse informs us as we pull up in front of the institute. "Jocelyn and I haven't seen much of one another since the days of the Circle, so we've had a lot to catch up on." She smiles.
We all head up in the elevator and as we walk through the hallways, we begin hearing laughter and smelling the aromas of fresh cooked food wafting through the air.
"Give it back, Maxwell!" Alec huffs, chasing our brother around the kitchen.
"Nope, shouldn't have left it on the counter if you didn't want me touching it, Alec!" As we round the corner its pretty obvious what's happened. Alec left his stele out; Max swiped it, now Alec is chasing him trying to get it back.
"Here Max, throw it to me!" Izzy calls.
"Izzy! Clary! You're back!" Max laughs.
"Yep, we're back, Midget Max." I throw my arms open and he runs at me full force, while simultaneously throwing Alec's stele to Izzy.
"Think fast Iz!" He laughs as I catch him up in my arms and twirl him around. Izzy is now playing keep away with Alec and his stele.
"Whoa Buddy! You've gotten heavy, what have they been feeding you around here, bricks?" I tease him.
"Nope, Aunty Jocelyn's been making us Vegan food!" He laughs. "Which tastes about as good as bricks!" He stage whispers.
"I heard that!" Jocelyn calls, carrying steaming bowls of food to the table. "You said you liked your breakfast today, that's progress isn't it?"
"Yes Ma'am. I actually don't mind your cooking, although you could use a little less green stuff if you wanted." He asked hopefully.
"Oh but Max, green stuff helps you grow up big and strong so you can be a rough and tough Shadowhunter one day. Isn't that worth eating it?" Jonathan asks ruffling his hair.
"Maybe but meat would too, you know." He nods emphatically. We all laugh, heading to the table. Over dinner, we tell stories of Paris and our adventures there.
"Clary, could you please pass the Hummus?" Jocelyn asks. She is sitting to my left hand side and as I hand it to her, she takes a peek at my ring.
"Say, those came out pretty well!" She nods in approval.
"Yeah, I had trouble with one of the knots you showed us and Jon had trouble with the other one, so we alternated the pattern and just took turns tying them off." Jace says between mouthfuls.
"No, I like it with the two knots alternating. It's more personalized especially since you collaborated on them. And your clay beads are a thing of beauty boys. You've done well with these." She smiles.
"Well, I guess that since three quarters of the room is in on the secret we may as well tell the rest of you." I grin. "We are going to have a party to announce it officially though, so you all have to keep this on the down low until then please."
"Oh my gosh! Are those…" Magnus begins exchanging looks with Alec as they realize what it is that we're saying. "Engagement rings?" Alec finishes, eyes bugging wide.
"They sure are!" Izzy smiles as we hold our hands out for everyone to see. "And not just any old engagement rings. The boys made them. From scratch, even the beads are handmade!" She exclaims.
"Wow, you guys are getting married?" Max asks. "But then you'll be, like, old people!" He says in disbelief.
"Hey now!" Dad chimes in, chucking a pea pod at Max. "I believe our son just called us old, Maryse."
"Oh Valentine, let's be realistic here. If the shoe fits…" Jocelyn laughs. "Anyway, I think what we're all trying to say is; Congratulations, you four!" She smiles and they all echo the sentiment as rounds of congratulations are passed around the table along with hugs, followed by a champagne toast. I guess they must've known we couldn't wait to tell them!