Chapter 2: A Change Of Heart!

I threw myself to the left, sending myself onto another beam and landing like a cat in a crouch. I then jumped to my feet and tossed a dagger over my shoulder before I could catch my breath. I smirked when it went to the hilt into the two-by-four we had placed as a target on the other side of the factory.

"Jace, we're going to be in huge trouble if we don't head back," Alec hissed from twenty-feet below the beam. "The Morgenstern's are-"

"I know, Alec! I know," I interrupted his panicking, as I looked to the ground and saw a pair of familiar blue eyes looking up at me.

I had dragged Alec to the old factory after a few patrols, for some fun and to avoid home. I knew what was waiting for me at home, and I wanted to avoid it as long as I possibly could.

"What does it matter if we're late?"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER?" He shrieked, almost on the verge of hysterics. "THIS COU-"

I ran across the beam, leaping onto a ledge and shimmied my way down a large pipe. I rushed over to my best friend and covered his mouth with my hand.

"If you scream like that, you could very well wake the dead," I murmured, with a cheeky grin, and released Alec's mouth.

"I'm not joking!" He snarled, at a much lower volume. "Jace, this could be your life! Your future! It's a big deal!"

"Oh. Don't remind me!" I grumbled.

"I have to, since you seem to have forgotten." Alec turned to me, looking me dead in the eye. "The Morgenstern's have a daughter, and she could possibly be your wife in the future-"

"She won't," I argued. "I'm not interested in settling down, and I don't think I ever will be."

"It doesn't matter if you're not interested. You either find a girl for yourself, or the Clave and your parents will choice for you," he told me as if I hadn't heard it before.

"They can't make me marry anyone. Unless they chain me to the altar and glue the ring to my finger," I growled angrily.

"It's the law-"

"It's my life," I reminded him. "I freely fight for and defend the Clave, and I am willing to die for them. But, I will not let them decide when or who I spend my life with."

"Jace, please… For once just follow the rules, before you do something our parents can't fix," Alec pleaded with me, reminding me of the many times I had gotten into trouble with the Clave and my parents had helped me out of it.

"What fun's that?" I questioned.

Before Alec could say anything else, I yanked the dagger out of the wood and tucked it into one of my many pockets. I then hurried back to the Institute with Alec complaining the entire time, and I had trouble holding back my anger, since he wasn't in the same boat as I was.

Alec had turned eighteen before the new law had been enforced, and so it didn't apply to him and he was able to stay single for as long as he wanted. Anyone who had already turned eighteen or was older, before the law was enforced, weren't a part of it, and so Alec had nothing to worry about.

Which was lucky for Alec, considering they would have forced him to marry and breed, whether he was gay or not. It doesn't matter whether the law stays or is deleted, he can be with his warlock boyfriend, Magnus either way.

When we arrived home, my mother was waiting just inside and she wasn't thrilled. She had her arms crossed, a scold on her face, her golden eyes were burning and she kept tapping her foot.

I wondered how long my mother had been waiting for me, as Alec rushed down the hallway and disappeared. I knew that I'd find no help with my mother, since she could become quite frightening when angry.

"Where have you been, Jonathan?" She demanded, using my proper name as she only did when she was very upset with me.

I turned away from her face, looking towards the front-door and preparing for a quick escape if I needed it.

"The patrol took longer than we had thought," I mumbled, with a shrug of the shoulders. "I'm sorry. But I didn't want to half-ass the patrol and miss something-"

"Jonathan, don't lie to me," she growled. "Every time you lie, a nerve twitches under your eye and you can never look me in the face when you lie."

I gave a heavy sigh, as I turned back to my mother.

"I wanted to be late," I confessed. "As I've told you and Dad before. I am not looking forward to the new guests and I am not willing to marry anyone any time soon."

My mother nodded, liking the fact that I was being honest. Her shoulders sagged and her eyes softened.

"You may not be willing. But you have no choice," a voice grumbled from the hallway, and I recognised the voice as my father's.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing my father watching us like some kind of predator. His eyes were guarded, analysing the scene before him and hiding all weaknesses. His face was both strained and calm. His demeanour was cold and his body was rigid, as if ready for battle with hated enemies.

Although, I knew him well enough to realise that he was only locking his softer emotions aside, since he didn't like the new law either and knew there was nothing he could do to fight it.

"Valentine and his family will be here soon. You better get ready," was what he said aloud, when his eyes told me how he understood my reluctance and felt as grumpy as myself.

"Your clothes are on your bed," my mother informed me, as everything from her eyes to her voice relaxed.

I knew that it wasn't the time to argue with my parents, because they were only doing what the Clave commanded and what they believed was best for me. But that didn't mean I would marry anyone.

I nodded, as I left the front area and travelled down one of the many hallways in the Institute. I ran a hand through my hair, as my stomach churned and the dread grew in my mind.

The one thing I wanted to do was avoid this family and all others. However, I knew that I couldn't do that no matter how much I wanted to. I also knew that even if I could, it would be the worst thing to do being a Shadowhunter who was a year from adulthood.

"Thank the angels!" Someone called. "I was beginning to think you were running away!"

I saw Izzy, as she stuck her head out of her bedroom and grinned at me. She was one of the few females who lived in the Institute permanently, and was the second youngest Shadowhunter here. She also happened to be Alec's younger sister.

Izzy was as stunning as ever, which was no surprise.

She wore a sparkling blue dress, which stood out with her pale skin, her dark hair and dark eyes. The dress was as tight as all of Izzy's clothes, and was shorter than her mother would have wanted, ending at mid-thigh. The fabric was quite thin, and very expensive. The collar was low and I knew she wore no bra underneath, since the straps of the dress hid nothing.

She had on her usual black knee-high boots, with the tallest heels I had ever seen on the back, which only added to Izzy's incredible height. The boots had many clasps and seemed more trouble than they were worth. Yet, they had the boyish touch to her sexy style that Izzy enjoyed.

Her long, straight black hair was out and all over her shoulders. Her black eyes were framed by thick mascara and blue eye-shadow. Her pale skin was perfect, even with all of the healing rune-scars. Her figure was thin and still quite muscular for a woman.

Izzy was similar to a super-model and put most women to shame. However, I only saw her as a sister, since I had grown-up with her and her family for my entire life.

"I couldn't leave you and your brothers. What would you three do without me?" I asked. "You'd all be lost without me. I make all of your lives better-"

"Now I'm beginning to wish you had run away," she muttered, with a roll of her eyes, before going back into her room.

I found myself smirking and chuckling the rest of the way to my room. I kept seeing Izzy in my mind, as she rolled her eyes at me, and the image improved my mood immensely.

Although, as soon as I shut the bedroom door behind me and saw the clothes left out for me on my bed, my mood went back to where it had started. I was bitter, nervous, upset, dreading, angry and regretting that I had ever come home.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed heavily, hoping that the angels would save me from this moment and erase the new law completely. Yet, I knew that was an impossibility.

"This is childish," I hissed angrily to myself, knowing that I was just being stupid over the arrival of the Morgenstern's and all the other families.

I decided I would met the families, help them around the Institute, be friends with them and even go on missions with them. But that didn't mean I was marrying anyone, until I decided myself that I wanted to marry and who I wanted to marry.

I couldn't see that the Clave could honestly force me into marriage. I knew they could stop me from marrying someone, and so could my parents because Shadowhunters my age needed their parent's approval for such things. Although, I didn't believe there was anything the Clave could do to force me to marry someone I didn't want when I didn't want to marry in the first place.

That helped my nerves.

I went over to the clothes my mother had prepared and groaned, since they looked like something I'd never wear. I liked to be prepared for anything, and these clothes were only suited for humans at the office.

There was a baby-blue shirt and navy tracksuits lying on top of my bed, both were freshly ironed and newly bought. On the floor were black, leather shoes which seemed to have been polished recently. Lastly, my mother had grey socks, white underwear and a black belt bundled beside the shirt, as if I was a little boy again.

"Did she forget the suit jacket?" I demanded, sarcastically.

I shook my head at the clothes. As I entered my bathroom, I knew that I wouldn't be wearing exactly what my mother had planned.

I stripped down to nothing, as I tossed each weapon onto the bathroom counter. I dumped my dirty clothes in the laundry basket, before diving into the shower and cleaning all of the sweat off my body from my trip to the abandoned factory where I liked to 'free-style' my training.

In only a few minutes I was out of the bathroom with only a towel around my waist. I had towel-dried my hair until it was as dry as it could be, and my hair was now all over the place. My entire body was spotless, dry and clean.

I knew my mother wouldn't be impressed with my hair-style, since she was always trying to tame it along with myself. However, I liked my hair to be messy.

I turned to my bed, looking once more at what my mother had prepared for me. I ruffled my hair and gave another heavy sigh, deciding what I would wear and knowing that my mother would complain, since she knew this new law was her only chance for grandchildren.

First of all, I took off the towel and slipped on the white underwear. There was no point in deciding to wear a different pair, since underwear was underwear and only I would see them.

I then decided to wear a pair of black pants, which were easier to move around in, instead of the navy tracksuits that my mother would have preferred. The pants were one of the many pairs that I used for training and patrols, and such.

I put on the black belt, since I had learnt that belts were quite useful for carrying weapons and all other objects I might need. Belts were often more useful than pockets.

I then threw on the blue shirt, doing up each white button. However, I stopped at my collarbone and left the other buttons undone, since I wasn't used to anything so tight around my throat and it felt uncomfortable.

I put on the grey socks, noticing how warm they were. They were quite soft and surprisingly thick. I actually liked them, and decided to get some more, probably in black like most of my clothes.

Lastly, I forced on the only shoes I ever wore, which were a mix between sneakers and boots. They were black to blend with the night, leather for protection, and almost older than myself. They were easy to lace up, since the laces were similar to ropes. The shoes were great for running and all other activities, which was why I only ever wore them.

I quickly left my room, after tucking my stele and my 'lucky' knife into the back of my belt. As Shadowhunters we were taught to carry our steles with us always, and my lucky knife was a Herondale family heirloom.

I frowned, since I wasn't used to wearing anything with colour. All Shadowhunters wore black for almost everything in life. Mainly just missions and such.

I was still full of dread when I got to the front-area, where everyone else was waiting for the new arrivals. All five of the Lightwoods, both of my parents, the old Hodge Starkweather and Church, the only cat in the Institute.

"Took you long enough, Jace," Alec greeted.

"I wanted to be fashionably late," I replied, noticing that Alec had similar clothes to what my mother had set out for me. "Why are you dressed like that? The law doesn't apply to you."

"Just because Alec doesn't have to marry, doesn't mean he has to look like the homeless in front of guests," Izzy muttered.

"Yes. We would like to have more Shadowhunters staying in the Institute, and looking like savages won't do that," Maryse agreed, looking forward to the chance of more occupants in New York like she has wanted for years.

I reminded myself that the Institute could hold more than two-hundred people at once, and there were only ten inhabitants at the Institute for the past decade, including myself and the cat. It was basically empty.

Izzy leaned into me, pulling on my shoulder and placing her mouth to my ear. She did it subtly so that no one would realise that we were whispering together.

"Mum still hopes to encourage Alec into becoming straight-"

"Jace! That isn't what I had out for you!" My mother shrieked, finally noticing my clothing. "What happened to the new shoes? Where are the pants? Why is the suit all rumpled?"

"I didn't like them," I mumbled, with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Jace, it was to make an impression," she huffed, as she rushed over to me and Izzy was shoved aside. "Those clothes were new, and I had just ironed that shirt."

"Yeah. Well… The clothes made me feel like a mundane…"

My mother started to pat down my shirt and tried to straighten it out. She even went to tuck in the shirt, and would have too, if I hadn't stopped her. She began to scold at my face, telling me how upset she was through her expression. Her eyes flickered to my hair and her face turned to utter horror.

"Your hair looks as if you just got out of bed!" She screeched.

My mother than threw her hands onto my hair, patting and stroking my head to try to flatten it all down. Before she made any progress, I quickly stepped out of reach.

She absolutely hated my hair being messy, and that was one of the reasons I loved it that way. It was a slight rebellion.

"Mum, don't," I told her, as I ruffled my hair once more to fix whatever she might have tidied. "I like my hair the way it is, and I'm wearing what I have on now."

"But this will be the first impression, which is the most important," she argued. "Valentine has a daughter your age, and from what I've heard she's quite-"

"I don't care!" I snapped. "I will marry when I'm good and ready, and not any sooner!"

"Jace-" My father began, only to be interrupted by voices outside. "They're here." With that, my father opened the front door and we all piled out to meet the family.

The adults, - both sets of parents and Hodge, - went down the steps to the grass, while all the kids stayed at the top step with the cat. I stood to Alec's right and Izzy stood on his left, while Max – their younger brother – stood beside me with Church in his arms.

Max was only nine, and so he was too young to be married off anytime soon. But that didn't stop Maryse from dressing him in a little outfit that almost matched Alec's.

We all looked as if we were attending a wedding, or some kind of formal occasion.

I watched the family, as they exited the portal, one at a time. We had been expecting the portal, since they had hired a warlock in Idris to take them to New York.

The first person had already exited before we walked out the front door. He had white-blonde hair, pale skin and black eyes. He was built more than my father and over six-feet tall. He was dressed in black and ready for a day at the office.

He was obviously Valentine, the father of the family.

The second person was a woman with curly red hair, pale skin and incredible green eyes. She was really thin and quite tall, and very pretty. She wore a green dress that was suited for some kind of formal dinner-party.

She was clearly Valentine's wife, the mother of the family.

The third person was almost a carbon-copy of Valentine, only younger. Same hair, same skin, same height, same size and even a similar suit. But when Valentine had black eyes, the other had green, like the woman.

He was the son.

When the next person came through the portal, I let my eyes flicker back to the portal. The person was five-foot and tiny, with a hoodie over the face. All I could see was that the person wasn't wearing anything formal and carrying a duffle-bag. Just sneakers, jeans and a leather jacket.

Must be a younger brother, I thought.

I frowned, as the portal vanished behind the person. I was confused and wondered whether it had malfunctioned, because I had been told many times that Valentine, - my father's friend, - had a daughter near my age.

"It's good to see you again, Valentine… Jocelyn," my father said, as he shook the man's hand and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek. "It's been a long time."

"Yes. It has, Stephan," Valentine agreed, with a smile, before kissing my mother's cheek.

"Anyhow, you've met my wife and I yours," my father cut right down to business as he often did. "That's my son, Jace." He pointed at me, and the Morgenstern's looked up to my face.

I smiled and gave a small wave.

"That's Maryse and Robert Lightwood. Their children, Alec, Izzy and Max. Here's Hodge Starkweather," my father introduced everyone, before looking to the cat. "The feline is Church."

Valentine and his wife shook hands with the other adults and they mumbled greetings, before moving back to the two boys. Jocelyn stood behind her husband and between her two children.

We just stood on the top steps and felt as awkward as possible.

"This is our son, Jon." She then turned to the smaller boy and sighed, before yanking the hoodie down to reveal the face. "And this is our daughter, Clary."

I had to stop myself from gaping or gasping. Instead I only stared and froze at the face until the hoodie.

To my utter surprise, what I had first thought was a young boy had turned out to be a gorgeous girl. She was very similar to her mother, and she was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on.

She had long curly hair that was the colour of flames and as wild as anything. She also had the most stunning pair of eyes that I had ever seen, which were jade-coloured. Her skin was like a dove and she had a few freckles over her face, which I found to be cute. But she was similar to a porcelain doll, and stunning in every way.

I couldn't look away from her, and I didn't want to.

For some reason the new law seemed like a miracle, since it gave me the chance to marry someone so perfect. The girl changed my whole opinion of the new law and my situation.

Before I knew it, I had decided that I would marry that girl if it was the last thing I did.