IMPORTANT: Please realize that I updated twice at once, there's the chapter before this... ASCENDING, and this one "MERRY CHRISTMAS, ADAM"
Chapter 16: "Merry Christmas, Adam!"
Alec and Magnus left Jace and I to explain everything. After Jace and I put Adam to bed of course.
We both sat next to each other on the couch in the living room, while mom and Luke sat across from us. I explained everything down to a T! I even finally told the truth that I wandered inside the abandoned place, not taken. Of course that earned a very curious look from Jace.
"Clary!" My mother was leaning against one hand against her forehead. "You can't keep this child."
"And where do you think he can go? Huh?"
"Clary! He is not a pet!"
"I never said he was! I rescued him, mom! Jace and I have been raising him for the past two months! We have been through hell and back with him!"
"The answer is no! End of story."
"Shhh!" I shushed her.
"Don't shush me young lad-"
"You'll wake Adam! He's been through enough for one night!"
"Clary, I don't know what else to tell you. Maryse was right, he is an eleven-year-old boy. You two aren't even old enough for a baby, what makes you think you can raise a young adolescent that's barely five years younger than you!"
"We've been doing an excellent job so far. Compared to others.." Jace muttered. My mother shot him a glare, but didn't speak to him.
"No! I understand you felt sorry for him, but he's better off with mundanes!"
"He wont be raised by anyone if you do this!" Jace was the one to snap this time." He is far too old to be adopted. Children of his age are rarely adopted! All parents want a.." Jace changed his voice to a mocking cutesy tone. "They want a cute little baby who has just barely got off potty training and says lines that come from the fucking Cosby show!" I tried not to chuckle as he continued. "Nobody wants a damaged pre-teen. And you know why? Because they don't want to deal with the years of struggle, frustration, the agony, and sadness of trying to raise a destroyed child. They don't want to fucking deal with what we've been dealing with for the past two fucking months! And for only two months we've gotten pretty damn far. You didn't see him when Clary first dragged him in bleeding half to death. Because the son of a bitch who raised him for the past five years, the same son of a bitch who destroyed his whole life when he was only six, stabbed his hand into the fucking kitchen table and nailing it there! He was completely soulless if we send him off now, you will only be ruining his life even more. I know! I am no fucking different than he is! You have no right to make this decision against him! Until you know what it is like to go through psychological trauma, shut the fuck up!"
I stared at Jace in full shock, Luke was completely speechless, but my mother was fuming. Figures she wouldn't understand.
"Don't you dare tell me I don't understand psychological trauma, boy! When the man in your life destroys your unborn son right underneath your nose, you can come speak to me! When the love of your life turns into a murdering nightmare, then you can speak to me that way!" She may have been right, but Jace wasn't having it.
"When that same man you married, that you ran away to hide from raises you to hate, and hurt, and destroy others while you have absolutely no control over that! When you're a helpless child, who can't control his surrounding environment. When you had an escape, when you were an adult and was much more stronger than I. When you wear my fucking shoes… for one fucking day! Than you can fucking treat me like shit, bitch!" That was when Jace stood up abruptly, still glaring at my mother who was now shocked. As so was I. "You know, maybe if you didn't run and hide from your problems, maybe I would've been raised by my real parents, instead of raised by a psychopathic fucking monster! Maybe my life was fucked because of you! I'm tired of walking on eggshells around you. You are no fucking better than me."
Suddenly Jocelyn was on her feet, getting in my boyfriend's face. Luke followed her to hold her back. "I did what I did to protect my child!" She yelled. I was getting nervous that Adam could hear.
"I understand that…" Jace said softly. "But keeping this whole world a secret from her was by far the stupidest fucking thing you could have done for her safety. Why would she ignore a distress call from her mother? I know I wouldn't! She went home, where a demon waited her, where if it weren't for me you wouldn't even have a daughter right now! Actually on more than one occasion I am the reason why she is still here. So If I were you, I would treat me with much more respect!"
My mother stood speechless, her eyes glossy, and her hands were shaking. Jace went to leave, but I noticed that he had stopped in his tracks. There standing in the doorway was Adam. I stood up, next to Jace who was standing in shock. I saw tears fall from my baby's face.
"You're sending me away, aren't you?" He sniffed. "I'm sorry! I promise I'll do anything, just please don't send me away. I don't wanna go!" He ran to me, and wrapped his arms around my waist, sobbing into my chest. "Please, I am so sorry for what I did! I will do anything! Please!" I held him back, and eyed my mother over the top of his head.
"I promised you that I would never leave, and I intend to keep that promise!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"What room would you like, Adam?" I asked him as he ran up the hall, and ran into one room and jumped on the bed.
"This one, mommy!" I went into the room, and leaned against the doorframe as he jumped up and down on the bed. We were looking for our own place so Adam could have his own room. We weren't sure if we could afford it, but it was worth a try. Maryse would be a nightmare if we moved back in to the institute, and there wasn't enough room at my house. But we weren't going to move until after New Years.
"Are we gettin it?" He asked.
"We'll see. Wont you love having your own room?"
"Oh yeah!" Jace came up to us, and kissed my cheek.
"C'mon we have to get home." He said to us. "Jocelyn is baking cookies."
"Yes!" Adam jumped off the bed and darted down the hall. "I wanna help her!" My mom came to her reconcile, her and Jace were tense now, but at least she didn't force us to give up Adam. I would've forever hated her if she did. I must say, Jace's harsh words are probably to thank for that. I wasn't going to give up Adam, but I don't know what lengths my mother would have went….
0o0o0o0o0o0
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Adam was jumping on our bed. "C'mon guys it's Christmas, I wanna open presents!" I sat up, and he leapt from the bed, and decided to go to my parent's room and drive them crazy as well. Jace and I groggily got up and out of bed and made it to the living room. Soon after Adam was pushing both my parents from behind down the hall.
"Okay, boy, okay!" Luke chuckled.
"Well, I got all you guys presents, and I want you to open them!" Adam ran out from behind them and pulled out two presents from the tree, and handed them to mom, and Luke, who opened his first. At the sight of his present, Luke's eyes widened, then a goofy grin appeared.
"Dog shampoo?" He held it up.
"What?" Adam said. "You always smell like wet dog, at least that's what Jace said." He chuckled.
"He he he… shut up!" Jace smacked him upside the head.
"Didn't hurt!" Adam taunted.
"Well… he definitely picks up from Jace, very funny, boy." Luke laughed. My mom finished unwrapping hers, she pulled out a very beautiful hat with ribbons that flowed from it.
"Oh my!" She gasped.
"Magnus said you'd like it." Adam said while pulling out one for me and Jace."
"Oh it is gorgeous, Adam!" She put it on her head. Jace opened his to find a nice digital watch.
"Oh thanks!" He said while putting it on.
"I know yours broke, so I got you a new one." I opened mine next to find the most gorgeous drawing of me, holding a boy. I was in shock… a drawing… of me… and Adam.
"Adam… did you do this?" He slowly nodded and came over to me.
"I've been working on it since you guys brought me here, and I saw that you draw too." I looked up at him, trying not to cry.
"Why didn't you tell me you drew?"
"I wanted to surprise you. Jace knew." He looked at Jace and smiled, Jace looked at me, and chuckled. Tears fell from my eyes, as I use my fingers to follow the patterns. He was fabulous for his age. I couldn't of asked for a better present.
"Thank you." I whispered. "You should open yours- this one." I said handing him a small package.
"What is it?"
"Open it." Jace said. "It's from Clary and I." He quickly tore open the wrappings, revealing a picture frame with a very beautiful memory contained in it. Adam's family. His father, his mother, and little sister.
"You told me you couldn't remember their faces anymore." I said. "So we thought this would help." He slowly brought the picture to his chest, hugging it closely as tears fell from his eyes. "I miss them." He said softly.
"We know…" He looked back up at us after a moment of silence and smiled.
"I love you guys!" He said.
"We love you too." Jace said while ruffling his hair.
"Merry Christmas, Adam… now go you have so much more presents!" I said.
"Yippeee!" He jumped up grabbing a thin long wrapped present. "I think I know what this is!" He said while tearing it up, revealing.. "A SKATEBOARD!" He cheered and hugged it to his chest. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" He squealed before opening up more, while Jace, my mom, Luke and I watched with such greatness that he was finally happy. I didn't care to brag about how I saved this boy's life, I was just glad he had one.
I said one more time… "Merry Christmas, Adam."
Just to make it clear, we STILL have a quite a few more chapters to go. This isn't the end. I don't know if anyone remembers me saying the clave will get involved, but they will. Sadly enough. Their happiness will only last so long. Jocelyn and Jace will have a talk, and to make one thing clear... which it will be explained soon, and later. lol. But Adam does not call Jace Daddy, Adam will explain why. I hope you have have a Happy Holiday, and Merry Christmas. =) This chapter was just a happy go lucky one to give these poor guys a break. I updated a million and one banners on a lot of these chapters. The banners are bitchin I recommend you all go look at them =) just go to my profile, and click the links, and make sure you click on the images to make them bigger =) other than that...
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
P.S. please realize that I updated twice at once, there's the chapter before this... ASCENDING, and this one "MERRY CHRISTMAS, ADAM"