A/N: Hey guys! I wanted to give a shout out to my beta Scared of Scars. She does an awesome job editing for me, and I am so thankful for it. We have about 6 to 7 chapters to go, and it is over. I also over estimated in something I said last time, but oh well. I hope you enjoy.
They arrived home a few days later, and Clary was exhausted from travel. She found her excitement begin to grow, as their neared home. She felt giddier than she would have liked to admit, but she knew this medicine would go a long way over the next few months.
She slid off of her horse when they entered the town, hurrying to grab a vial of medicine for Tavvy. "Clary, slow down." Jace climb off of her horse, as she ran in a different direction. She probably looks like a fool, as she hurried down the paths.
She arrived to the Blackthorn tent, where she saw Emma taking care of the sick boy. "What do you want?" she spoke bitterly, dapping the boys head with a cloth.
"I got him medicine." She said softly, holding out the vial.
"What?" She looked at the woman with confusion, as she eyed the vial in her hand.
"We got medicine for sun fever." She handed her the vial with a soft smile.
"Thank you." Her mouth a gape, as she pulled the cork out. She carefully cradled Tavvy's head in her hand, as she lifted him up. She poured the liquid into his mouth, and he gulped it down carefully. She lied him back down, pressing a compress to his lead.
"Can I sit with you?" She asked hesitantly, beginning to crouch down. Emma nodded silently, sliding her hand over the sleeping child's.
"I could never repay you for this kindness." She whispered, looking at Clary. "We thought we were going to lose him for sure." She shook her head, gazing down at Tavvy.
"You could repay me by forgiving me." She smiled faintly. "I regret what I have done, but I felt like I had no choice. There is no way I can ever make up for what I have done." She spoke quietly, as to not wake Tavvy.
"You are forgiven." She breathed, as tears gleaned in her eyes.
OoOoO
"Clary?" Jace's head poked into the Blackthorn tent. Clary quickly shushed him, as she stroked Emma's hair. She had broken out into tears, crying out all her troubles from the last few weeks. She had been so scared of losing Tavvy that when she could finally relax, all her worries caught up with her. Clary drew the girl into her arms, letting her cry. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.
"They're sleeping." She exclaimed quietly, making sure Emma was still unconscious.
"We've been looking for you everywhere. You need to distribute the medicine." He said softly, shifting inside.
"Later." She whispered, looking down at her exhausted friend.
"Clary, you need to come now, or this trip would have been a waste." He sighed softly, scanning his eyes over his wife. "You can come back later." He suggested, smiling faintly.
"Give me a minute." She sighed heavily, stroking Emma's hair.
"I'll be outside." He stepped outside.
Clary stirred Emma awake before leaving her. She went outside, seeing Jace holding a crate of the medicine that they had bought. He told her to follow him, so she did. They walked all over camp, handing out the medicine that they had bought. She had never seen so many tears of joy, and it made her want to cry herself. A few people were too far gone to be helped now, which broke her heart, but sometimes nature wins.
She was squeezed in yet another hug, as she passed medicine off to another family in need. They had half a case left, which she was overly thankful for. They left the rest with Magnus before they headed to dinner. She leaned back against her palm, feeling exhausted yet satisfied.
"You did good today." He touched her cheek lightly, cupping her neck lightly.
"Thank you." She smiled, leaning against him. "Do you normally run out of medicine?" She asked curiously, as he rested his chin on her head.
"No, but we have been growing in size, and your brother won't give us more rations." He sighed, as he began to play with her locks.
"That isn't fair." She muttered, picking up some food. "But everything my brother does is seemingly unfair." She scoffed, as she began to eat.
"Tell me a secret." He breathed softly, bumping his nose against her ear.
"What kind of secret?" She gazed up at him, wondering what he wanted.
"I spilled so many secrets and feelings to you, but it often times wasn't reciprocated. Tell me a secret." He spoke quietly, kissing below her earlobe. "Please?" He begged, stroking her cheek gently.
"I'm scared of my brother." She murmured, squeezing his hand lightly.
"I already know that." He breathed, playing with her fingers.
"You don't know why I am scared of him." She tried not to think about these fears, but they were still there, deep in the recesses of her mind. "He wants me. He…" She licked her lip, as he forced back bitter disgust. "I hear him call my name when he beds women, who look very similar to me." She whispered, trying to keep others from hearing. Jace nodded silently in understanding, as he kissing her hand. "I don't care about his games or when he hits me, but sometimes I think maybe I push him too far. Maybe he won't just settle for a slap, maybe he will want to conquer me to silence me."
"I would cut his head off before he touched you." He breathed, holding her jaw lightly.
"I know you would." She whispered, as she leaned heavily against him.
"Let's go to bed." He offered, climbing to his feet.
Clary followed her husband into their tent after the fires had died down. She started to pull at her ties, but Jace catch her fingers. She looked up at him, letting her hand fall, as he began undoing the fastenings for her. His fingers smoothed across her skin carefully, sending goosebumps along her skin. She reached for the tie on his pants, but he shook his head.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, feeling slightly confused by his actions.
"Why would something be wrong?" He stroked her cheek lightly with the back of his hand, as he slid the other hand down her waist.
"You seem odd is all." She whispered, feeling her breath become more labored. he smirked faintly, but it was a good smirk. Typically, his smirks were symbolic of his primal passion, but this was completely different. She laid her palms against his chest, feeling his heart beat under her fingers. He drew her lower half closer, pulling at the ties on her skirt. He eased it off carefully, letting it fall to her ankles. She stepped out of it, stepping closer to him. She cupped his cheek, pressing up on her toes to kiss him.
"Angel," He breathed against her mouth, as his fingers ghosted around her hips. "Sit on the edge of the bed."
"Why?" She questioned, not understanding what he husband was doing or going to do.
"Trust me, it is good." He smiled gently at her, as she sat on the edge of the bed. He kneeled in front of her, spreading her legs so that he would fit between them. "Lie back and relax." He ducked between her legs.
OoOoO
Clary's eyes were closed, as she took in shaky breaths. Her stomach clenched and unclenched, while she attempted to come down from her high. She couldn't believe he was with her like that. Ever since the discovery of her betrayal, he had been taking her with animalistic passion, but tonight was gentle. It was different from before that. Before he treated her as if she would break, this time it was like he knew when to be rough and at the same time careful. He drew out his movements, letting them both savor every lick, every touch, and every kiss.
She thought back to when she overheard him taking to his father a few weeks before. Her mind was so muttered a few of her thoughts slipped out of her mouth "I didn't think you would actually do it." She panted, inhaling a sharp breath. Her body was still quivering, sending consistently shivers down her spine. She couldn't seem to come down from her high this time, which was overwhelmingly satisfying.
"Do what?" He grunted, opening his eyes to look at her.
"Have sex like that." She whispered, closing her eyes again, as her stomach trembled.
"What do you mean?" He propped himself up slightly, looking down at her.
"I just- I overheard your dad saying that he thought that you love me and that you should be more tender." She explained, inhaling a deep breath.
"You spied on me?" He raised an eyebrow at her, seeming a little miffed at her.
"I was going to talk to your dad and I heard you talking about me. I was curious." She murmured, looking up at him under her lashes. "He said that he thinks you love me." She tangled her fingers together with his. "Do you love me?" She asked, sliding her leg over his.
"I- I don't know." He shook his head, lying back down. "Why? Do you love me?" He questioned, placing his hands on her stomach.
"I don't know." She admitted, curling up against his side. "I know that I'm not indifferent." She kissed his chest lightly before propping her head up to look at him.
"I'm not indifferent either." He rubbed her back, staring up at the ceiling.
OoOoO
Clary whimpered softly, as the sun filtered through the canvas walls. She sighed quietly, loving the feeling that was in her muscles. She's been working out and enjoying a lot of time with Jace. She couldn't believe how different it was to be with him now, and it shocked her. It was like their entire relationship turned around because they were beginning to connect on two levels. Jace's hand squeezed her stomach lightly, alerting her to his wake state. She inhaled a satisfied breath, as his lips ghosted over her neck. She crept her hand into his hair, letting him adjust her body to his whim. He ran his teeth along her pulse, making her moan softly.
"Morning." He murmured, kissing her earlobe.
"Good morning." She shifted slightly, feeling a smile across her mouth. She sighed softly, letting her body relax against the pelts.
"We need to train." He rolled away from her and onto his back.
"Can't we just stay in bed." She muttered, turning to face him.
"No, we are preparing for an invasion." He stroked her cheek lightly before getting up.
"An invasion you still have told me hardly anything about." She propped herself up.
"I know, just a little more time, my father is still working out some stuff." He pulled on his tight leather pants.
"Does he not trust me? I'm risking a lot by just agreeing to help you." She stated, hating feeling like she was an outsider.
"Do you blame him for not trusting you? We caught you spying on us." He looked at her sympathetically, as he strapped his sword to his hip.
"It's not like I can report back to my brother even if I wanted to. You killed my bird." She gave him a nasty little look, plopping back down on the bed.
"Just get up, Angel." He stood over her, ripping the blankets off. She moaned, tucking her legs to her stomach. "Get up." He chuckled, picking her up in his arms. "Put clothes on. I don't want anyone else seeing your magnificent body." He put his head into her neck, kissing it sloppily. She snickered softly, squirming to the ground. She couldn't believe sometimes how tall and thick her husband was. He was so much bigger than her, but she really like that. He could protect her.
"I hate you." She teased with a bright grin.
"No, you don't." He laughed, hugging her from behind.
"You're right. I don't hate you." She glared at him jokingly, grabbing her clothes. Jace walked over to her, lacing her top on, as she pulled on her skirt. He lifted her sword up from the ground, helping her attach her sword to her back. They didn't really practice with real swords, but they never knew what would happen. He walked out first, and she was a step behind him. The way she stood was a symbol of respect for him. Before she walked next to him, now she standing just a step back. Jace was a leader, and he was her leader. Accepting that was very difficult for her, but it has to do with respecting him. She was falling behind one day, which is when she noticed him walking a little taller. She stayed where she was, seeing him glance back with a faint smile. He never said that this was something that he wanted, but she could see that it gave him confidence to know that she was backing him, supporting him.
They stepped onto the training grounds, and she could see their heads turn. They started to ignore her after the initial shock of their marriage, but now everyone looked again. She took a shaky breath, hooking her pinky with Jace's, as they walked through the area.
He handed her a practice sword, and she gripped it in her hand. She inhaled a deep breath, twirling it around her hand, as they walked to a circle drawn in the sand.
OoOoO
She sat close to the fire that night, resting next to Isabelle. Jace was with his friends tonight, so Clary kept far away from them. She did not like his friends when they were drunk, and she did not like him when he was overly drunk.
Simon was sitting next to Isabelle, which surprised Clary. They were speaking in hushed tones, as they leaned towards one another. She wondered what they were talking about. Clary couldn't help but wonder what they would be like together.
Isabelle got bored with men easily probably because she was with the same kind of man ever time. Simon was a foreigner, who experienced place of the world she could never image. Simon had traveled across the world delivering messages to royalty from walks of life. Isabelle just might be interested in him.
OoOoO
Clary whimpered softly, as she heard Jace enter their home. She stretched her limbs, watching him strip about of what little leather he was wearing that night. He joined her under the blankets, curling against her backside.
"Oh my gosh!" She cringed away from him, feeling his freezing skin against hers.
"What?" He scooted closer to her, draping his arm over her stomach.
"You are so cold! Get off of me." She exclaimed, shivering from his touched. She pushed him away from her, and he pouted at her. "Why are you so cold? We live in the desert." She shook her head, putting her hand in her hair.
"Come on, I'll heat right up with a little help." He smirked, putting his toes against her feet.
"You are the worst. You can go sleep in another tent if you want to keep touching me with your freezing body." She snickered, as she attempted to keep him away from her.
"Fine." He heaved a sigh, lying flat against the pelts.
"Good night." She curled up, knowing that part of her warmth had disappeared the second Jace touched her. She felt something cold pressing against her legs. She turned around, hitting Jace for continuing to pester her. He busted out laughed, catching her hand in his own, as he pulled her on top of him. She giggled, trying to squirm away from him, which resulted in her falling on her butt on the hard ground.
"Oh, we are doing it on the ground. I'll join you." He rolled across the pelts, pretty much falling on top of her. She snickered heavily, shaking her head at him, as his lips connected with hers. Her fingers found their way into his hair, sliding her hand down his back. His skin was cool around her, but he warmed up rather quickly. She squeezed his backside, letting her nails lightly drag down his skin.
OoOoO
Clary sewed up the men's leathers, while Simon lounged next to her. He didn't really have anything to do while he was here, so he had just been following Clary around the past few says. "I'm so bored." Simon sighed, leaning back against his palms.
"It's your fault you volunteered to come here." Clary teased, adjusting the needle in her hand.
"Well it's not like I am allowed to leave." He huffed, flicking his eyes over to the training grounds. Jace was working on a training exercise with the newest recruits.
"It's just for insurance." She whispered, knowing it was because her husband didn't trust him.
"Right." He rolled his eyes, huffing loudly.
"I've seen you spending time with Isabelle." Clary pointed out with a smirk.
"So what?" He blushed heavily, picking at the ground.
"So, do you like her? You'd be good for her." She encouraged, nudging his arm.
"She has slept with half the men here, and I am nothing compared to them. They are soldiers. I'm a glorified messenger boy." He muttered, sighing heavily. The only reason her father let Simon do anything was because he was so close to Clary. She begged her father to give him a better position, and he final got fed up with her. He decided to make him a messenger just to shut her up.
"You are different then all of the men here. They are all the same, but you are different. Show her you're different and better than the rest of the men here." She encouraged him with a slight smile.
"Whatever." He huffed, lying on his back.
OoOoO
Clary braided Emma's hair, as she visited her in her tent. Emma had been so overwhelmed from all the children the last two days, Clary offered her sanctuary in her home for a few hours. Isabelle slipped into the tent, collapsing on the bed next to them.
"Imogen is driving me up a wall." Isabelle groaned softly, rubbing her hands over her eyes.
"What is she doing?" Clary snickered, leaning back.
"I recently began assigning everyone their jobs, but Imogen kept breathing down my neck the whole time. I love the old hag, I do, but she is driving me insane." She exclaimed, looking over at her friends. "What are you two doing?" She asked.
"'The four kids are driving me mad as well." Emma leaned back against her hands. "Before I got married, they would only come to me every once and a while, but now they always come to me for even the littlest things. I love that they are dependent on me, but I am only one person." She explained, shaking her head.
"Imogen also won't shut up about you." Isabelle snorted, interrupting Emma.
"Really? Why on earth is she talking about me?" She asked, feeling oddly surprised.
"She is practically kissing the ground you walk on. She absolutely loves you." She exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair.
"I don't think Imogen has spoken to me in months." Clary furrowed her brow slightly, wondering why she caught her mother in laws fancy so much.
"She hasn't been well." She sighed softly, rubbing her hand over her face. "The heat isn't good for many of our elderly." She explained. "Anyways, she is constantly bragging about you for the most random things. I think you remind her of home." She yawned heavily, letting her eyes close
"I don't know whether to be flattered or concerned." She began to snicker at the thought of Imogen rambling on about me.
"I'd be flattered." Emma shrugged, pulling her braid over her shoulder.
"Isabelle, stay awake. You are going to have to leave soon." Clary poked her side with her toe.
"Ugh." She groaned, throwing a pillow at her.
"Ow, Isabelle!" She exclaimed, holding her breast. "My chest has been super-sensitive lately. Don't do that!" She massaged her aching chest, trying to get it to stop hurting.
"That's no good. You're probably going to start your cycle soon." Isabelle suggested, propping herself up.
"Yeah, they have also gotten a lot more action then they are used too. I have a massive hickey like here." She pointed to an area of her chest, caressing her hand over it. It had been practically throbbing the other day, which was overly annoying, but she didn't mind it all that much.
"Hickeys are the worst." Emma grumbled, pulling the strap of the top to the side. "this one I have had for a week and half. It just won't go away." She groaned.
"That stinks." Clary giggled, shaking her head.
"What are you all doing in my home?" Jace slipped into the tent, causing Isabelle to bust out in giggles.
"Get out." Clary threw a pillow at him.
"I'm so tired." He groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "I also need you to take care of me." He smirked deviously, straddling her hips. He kissed her passionately, making her almost forget that her friends were in the room.
"Vomit!" Emma groaned, quickly slipping out of the tent with Isabelle in tow.
"You are a nightmare." Clary snickered heavily, pushing him back lightly.
"I'm your nightmare." He breathed into her ear, nipping playfully at it.
A/N: I over estimated how much time it would take for them to get normal, but that's ok. I felt like when I was writing this it was a natural progress of things. I can't for the next chapter!
Also the next few chapters involve time skips! The next chapter is a month after this. I normally state how long it has been between each scene, but if you skim through it you might miss it. Sometimes between scenes it could be two weeks, so just watch out for that.
What do you all think is going to happen over the next few chapters?
What do you think?
Please review! I love hearing from you.