Chapter Sixteen: Finally, I Do
"Knock, knock, you four, it's time to get up and get yourselves ready!" Maryse calls to us from the other side of our doorway. I start trying to wake up a little.
"Mmm, I can't believe it's already time to get up. I feel like I just closed my eyes." I whine. Jace begins kissing me furiously to wake me up.
"Then it's a good thing you have me to make sure you get out of bed. Cheer up, grumpy you're getting married today." He laughs. Isabelle is already up and drinking a glass of water. Jonathan, much to my surprise wasn't even in the bed.
"Where's Jon?" I ask, a bit worriedly.
"I'm over here." He says, staring intently at the screen from where he is apparently seated at the computer desk. He looks like he hasn't slept at all. I decide to get up and go see what the matter is.
"Jon, are you okay?" I ask, tentatively.
"Why are you doing this, Clary?" He huffs.
"Why am I doing what, asking if you're okay? I'm obviously worried about you." I sigh, not wanting to have a fight today of all days.
"No, Sweety. That's not what I meant. I mean, why are you doing this?" He asks gesturing between the two of us. "I mean, do you understand what's about to happen today? Can honestly tell me you're prepared for this?" He asks. "That you're really intent on marrying your own Brother?" He glares at me and I have no idea what he expects me to say.
"Jonathan, look at me. I mean really look at me. I am in love with you, Jonathan. I am head over heels in love with you and no, I don't care that you're my brother." I say, willing him to see my heart and know how I feel.
He swipes at a single unshed tear before he speaks. "You realize that by marrying me, you'll be condemning yourself to an entire lifetime as a social pariah. That there will be many places and people in the world who won't welcome us, that there may even be those who will try to hurt us? And that's no even taking into account what could happen if we ever decided to have children!" He cries.
"Look at me, Jonathan, look at me! Yes! Jonathan, I do realize all of those things. I realize them and I know to expect them and I will tell you again that I. just. don't. care. Okay? I don't care if bad things happen as a result of our love; I AM NOT TURNING MY BACK ON YOU, ON THIS, ON US! Okay? Now do you feel the same, or are you trying to get rid of me because you don't want this?" I ask. Jon is silent for a moment.
"Oh little Sister… that's all I wanted to hear." And as he pulls me into a passionate lip lock and begins kissing me furiously, I see both Isabelle and Jace breathe a sigh of relief from where they are cuddling together on the bed, watching Jon and I. After our emotionally wrought kiss, Isabelle and I say goodbye to the boys as they go off to start getting ready.
"You both look absolutely stunning, Clary, Isabelle." Jocelyn smiles as she and Maryse help us with our veils and we finish getting ready.
"Thanks Mama." I smile, trying not to cry. This day along with everything that has happened lately has me all emotional.
"Don't you dare, Clary!" Izzy warns me "I worked damn hard on your make up and if you smudge it crying, I will not hesitate to spank you in front of all of our guests."
"So you're saying I should cry then? I mean, that might be kinda hot, baby!" I say, pulling her in for a kiss.
"Now, now, you two, you'll have plenty of time for that on the honeymoon. We're running late and we need to get you out there, before your boys think they've been stood up." Maryse laughs.
"You're right, it's time!" I smile.
Just then from behind us, someone who has just entered the room clears her throat. It's Beatrice. And she's so beautifully dressed, with her remaining bruises covered; you almost wouldn't know she's been through such an ordeal. I walk over and throw my arms around her. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you up and walking around. And you look so beautiful! I hope you aren't in much pain?" I ask, trying not to worry.
"No, Clary, it's not too bad actually. I'm healing well. Thanks to you and Magnus and all your help. I apologized to him, by the way. I was pretty rude considering he saved my life. He said he can see a change in me, in my attitude about things. And he said all is forgiven. And I also spoke to Elias at his cell in the Silent city this afternoon. And that was surprising therapeutic, although that's another story for another time. I'm not meaning to keep you, I just came up to bring you your bouquets in person." She says, holding up our flowers, which are even more beautiful than Jonathan made them sound.
"Thank you, Beatrice! They're lovely!" Isabelle says as we both gush over the beautiful flowers.
"You're very welcome, ladies. I'm going to go find my seat now!" And she heads back downstairs, leaving us to finish getting ready.
The bridesmaids have already walked the aisle, when Izzy and I hear our song playing. The song the boys chose for us to walk down the aisle to. They wouldn't tell us what it was because they said it counted as a part of their vows to us and so it was meant to be a surprise. But the second it came on, Izzy and I both knew this was it. So, as Jace's guitar music drifts through the room playing 'I Can Love You Like That' Izzy and I both link arms with Dad and our mothers join us, both of them trying not to cry. And we begin the walk down the aisle to meet two gorgeous men, dressed in handsome blue tuxedos; whom we will be spending the rest of our life with.
"Welcome, to all of you who have come to the union of these four Shadowhunters. As we all know, love knows no bounds. Sometimes we don't choose it but rather, it chooses us as is the case in the lives of these four wonderful people. Often people are draw together for various reasons and sometimes, the circumstances aren't ideal. But if I've ever known anyone to overcome their circumstances and persevere, it's these four. And it is through their perseverance that their love has prevailed, which is the reason we are here today.
"At this ceremony, runes will be drawn, of course, but they have also chosen to have rings made, because of the boys' upbringing within mundane culture. These rings signify each of the families involved in this union. The band is made up of three kinds of gold intertwined in a threefold chord. It is then backed onto yellow gold, which is, hilariously enough engraved with a hippie bus. So I'm sure you can all guess who that gold represents. The chord itself is made up of white gold for the Heron; symbol of the Herondales, red gold for the Flame; symbol of the Lightwoods and Black gold for the Morning Star; symbol of the Morgensterns. Chelsea, Aline, Alec, Magnus, do you have the rings?"
The four of them nod and come forward with the little ring boxes, which they all open at the same time. "The brides and grooms will each begin by placing their own ring on their own finger, to symbolize their willingness and their desire to enter into this union. As they do so, I will read a passage from the Bible. After this, they will exchange runes and recite their vows. Let us now begin.
"Izzy, I've been in love with you since the first time you pranced into my bedroom in your bra and panties and said 'Clary, can I borrow your clothes?' and I always will. You've always done everything with a flourish, your presence is enough to liven up a room and your presence in my life has livened up my heart. Girl, it's always been you and me against the world and I pray it always will be. I take you, Isabelle." I smile.
"Clary, I've been in love with you since the very first time that you brushed a lock of hair out of my face and I always will be. You've always been the one that's understood me, the one to take care of me. You've always put my needs before your own. You taught me how to love and how to cry and how to know what I wanted out of life. Well, what I want is you, always and forever. I take you, Clarissa." She says, between tears. We both turn towards the boys who are facing each other.
"Jace, there are no words for what you mean to me. I have loved you always and I always will. I can't express how you make me feel. It's like you are the better part of me. You balance out my moodiness with your lively, fun loving nature and best of all you've always put up with me, even when I didn't deserve it. I take you, Jace." Jonathan says biting back tears.
"Jon, I can't express it either. This wonderful thing we've always had, it's like a lifeline. Preserving me and fixing me whenever I get broken. Your quiet strength has meant so much to me over the years. You bring me down to earth and yet you lift me up. I love you and I always will. I take you, Jonathan." Jace smiles and switches positions with Izzy so that he's standing across from me and Izzy is standing across from Jon.
"Clary, my smutty little Spitfire. You know how to have fun and I like that. You took what was supposed to be an ordinary New York vacation, and you brought me home. Without you, I wouldn't know that I was a Herondale and I wouldn't be a part of that rich legacy. I wouldn't be in Idris and I wouldn't be a Shadowhunter. I owe you so much. And I'm so grateful that you allowed us into your lives. I love you forever more. I take you, Clarissa." Okay, now I'm full out crying.
"Jace, I fell in love with you doing shot of Tequila at the kitchen counter, nursing a broken heart. You made everything so easy. Being with you was like being at a party. And waking up next to you is like waking up to find out that the party never stopped. No one can cheer me up like you can. No one else is as reckless as the two of us are. But it's a good kind of recklessness. We know how to have fun. And I plan on having fun with you forever. I take you, Jace." Jace and I turn to see Izzy and Jon as they face each other.
"Iz, I don't know if you understand how much you mean to me. In the beginning, I know Clary dragged you along on this wild ride and you were only here because of her. But I also know, that it soon became much more than that for you and for us. I remember one of the first times you spent the night in my room. You turned to me and said 'you are my peace' I didn't really know what you meant until a few weeks later when I was watching you sleep. You are my peace too. I love you so much and I take you, Isabelle." Jon says softly.
"Jon, I think when I first realized you were a catch, was when Clary told me you had brought her chocolate cake and ice cream. I thought to myself if he takes care of her like that, he's got my vote. Of course, it wasn't until you were bringing me to orgasm for my very first time that I fell in love with you. I don't mean that to sound shallow, it was the tender way you touched me that made me love you. I take you, Jonathan." Izzy says and then changes places with me, so that she is standing with Jace and I am standing with Jon.
"Izzy Baby, you had my heart from the moment that you had the balls to ask Clary if she was going to put us all on a schedule. I thought; anybody who can take charge of my little spitfire like that must be a dragon in bed. Well, I suppose I'll find that out soon enough. I couldn't take my eyes off of you after that. I've always been a sucker for a take charge woman. So, I hope you'll take charge of me for the rest of our lives. I love you, Iz. And I take you, Isabelle." Jace smiles at Izzy.
"Jace, you've always a knack for making me blush. I fell for you that first night when you slept on the floor. I knew you were dying to lie down in the bed beside me but it was so gentlemanly of you to not risk making me uncomfortable when things were still so new. So you kissed me good night and took your pillow and blanket and I'll admit, I thought surely you'd break down sometime in the night and come and join me but you were still on the floor in the morning, to your credit. That was the moment I knew I loved you. And I always will. I take you, Jace." She grins as they turn to watch Jon and I.
"Clary, you know I've worried over this. I've had my reservations about whether my beautiful little Sister, with the Angel's blood running through her veins, would truly have use for a demon like me. And yet, you have redeemed me, in oh so many ways. Your kisses refresh me. You breathe into me the breath of heaven. And I know, without you, I would be a shadow of the man I am today. I love you, my Sister, my Bride. And I take you, Clarissa." Jon cries.
"When I first saw your silver hair in Pandemonium the day we met, I thought, this one's gonna be trouble. Little did I know it was exactly the kind of trouble I needed. You've given me so much Jon. Paris. My mother. You know if you hadn't dragged Jace to New York in the first place, we never would have even met the two of you. And I would never have had the chance to get to know Jocelyn. And seeing our parents back together, that was all because of what you started when you decided to use part of your savings to see the Big Apple. We owe all of this to you, Jon. I am grateful that you came into my life and I am grateful for our love. I take you, Jonathan." And we all turned toward the officiant.
"Let these runes and your rings be a reminder of your love for one another. Let every passing day strengthen that love. And let no one and nothing come between you. Jace and Jonathan, you may now kiss your brides." And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. We've practiced this kiss so much, because we wanted it to look beautiful and not sloppy. We decided on one, four-way kiss rather than separate kisses because we want to show the world our unity and that we are a family, not four separate couples. We've come a long way from being what Jace once referred to as 'one big cluster fuck'. We function as a unit working together for the good of all of us. Yet we honor our separate relationships within the family as well, as is evidenced by our vows.
After the kiss, we wait until everyone is silent before performing one last tradition. One that is unique to us.
"Together forever?" I ask, placing my hand in the middle of the circle.
"Whatever the weather." Jonathan nods, placing his hand on mine.
"Together is better." Isabelle smiles, adding her hand in.
"Whatever shall be." Jace grins, adding his hand. And the four of us stand like that for a while, enjoying the moment. After a time we head outside to form a receiving line for the guests that want to shake hands, hug or visit. And then we head off to what is bound to be a phenomenal reception, considering who all planned it (Jocelyn, Maryse and Magnus), complete with what I'm told will be a delicious cake, courtesy of Chelsea and Fredrick.
"What are you thinking about?" Jonathan asks me.
"The cake" I laugh. "How about you?"
"The future." He smiles. "Our future together."
And the four of us exchange a look that says everything we are feeling right now and tells the world that we simply couldn't be happier.