Here's a lil Christmas gift to you all (or a regular happy friday gift to some) (: Not much action, but the next two will be coming very soon and they'll be well worth the wait and action-packed! More and more will be revealed as we bring this baby to a close, and hopefully finish off what LuminousFishy started! (:

( Unbetaed like my other holiday updates, so I don't bother my beta! Plus, it was a spring of the moment idea (: )

Thank you guys all for your support! Happy Holidays :D

Clary

For the next few days, everything is pretty calm. Jace and I resume our normal routines, mainly helping my father with odds and ends, and training. Of course, we kept up with our meetings on the roof, our only real time to be alone together. Whether we used it for planning or other things, well… That's not important. Isabelle would be proud of me, though, that's for sure!

I occasionally ask about my mother, and Valentine seems to be opening up to it little by little since I've 'become loyal' to him. It's all so fake, but I think he's actually falling for it. I know that she's fine and far away from him, but if he believes that me thinking she's a captive is making me compliant, then, well…he's in for a big surprise.

Jonathan is a completely different story, though. He's always been suspicious of Jace and I but he puts up with it most of the time. On occasion he's extremely rude to us, though, but that might also be because he really doesn't like me. Oh, well. I don't care too much for him, either.

It's been six days since the last gala, and everyone is buzzing excitedly. Preparations for the big event are being made all around, and Valentine has scheduled me a dress fitting. I'm sure you could imagine my surprise when I walk into my suite to see a very familiar girl dressed in a sleek black business suit, her curly dark hair tucked back behind her ears.

"You must be Clarissa!" She says with a wide smile. She has an arrangement of garment bags laid on the couch and a tape measure around her neck. "I'm Felicity, I'll be helping you with your fitting."

I raise my eyebrows at Maia, but play along. She's obviously pretending to be a designer of some sort, so I guess I'll have to roll with it. Hopefully she has more information on tomorrow night, more than what Simon told me. Which is very little.

"It's nice to meet you, Felicity," I beam, shaking her hand. Her sigh of relief is barely audible, but still there. It's so nice to see a familiar face- well, other than Jace's.

What I want to know, though, is how the hell she got in here. She's a werewolf, and I would assume that Shadowhunter's would be able to tell that she's not just a mundane stylist. For her to be able to slip by The Clave without detection is something else altogether.

"I have a few different gowns laid out for you to choose from," she says, gesturing to the garment bags. "Let's just take a peek at each of them. Do you have a date to the event? Perhaps it would be best to have his opinion as well? Oh! Then we can coordinate his tuxedo, how does that sound?"

I'm sort of baffled by the girly-tendencies that Maia is exuding, but I guess it fits her alias. The Maia that I know would probably hate dressing up and talking about fashion. Isabelle, on the other hand; well, that's a whole different story. But, she's recognizable—she's as much of a spitting image of Maryse as I am of Jocelyn.

"I can call his room, I suppose," I say and walk over to the wireless phone sitting on the coffee table. I dial the number for his room, just like in a hotel, and wait patiently for him to pick up.

"Hello?" I hear him say.

"Jace! It's me. I'm about to be fitted for a gown, and I want your help picking one out. Felicity says that way we can coordinate our outfits much easier. Will you come to my room?" I ask, keeping my voice light and cheerful. I'm actually extremely nervous.

"Who the hell is Felicity?" Jace asks skeptically. I can almost imagine the cautious look on his face paired with raised eyebrows.

"She's my stylist."

"Alright, I guess. I'll be there in a few," he groans. The line goes dead and I roll my eyes; he is such a guy, as if it's going to be such a burden to watch me try on gorgeous red-carpet-worthy dresses.

"So, can we take a look at the dresses?" I ask, kicking off my shoes. Mai- ah, Felicity, smiles and nods, taking up the first bag and unzipping it with a dramatic flourish.

"This baby here, is a classic Versace. The waist would be taken in here," she gestures to the midsection under the bust, "to fit your body. Super classy, and a timeless piece for any occasion. Well, any black tie occasion."

The bodice is a gorgeous, pastel pink lace with a small train and wide shoulders; they'd probably sit right at the edge. It's absolutely gorgeous, but I'm pale enough as is.

"I think that I would look a bit too pale and sickly in that. Don't get me wrong, it's gorgeous, but…"

"I completely understand, darling. Don't sweat it, there are plenty more! This one would suit you much better, and you fiery hair would look uh-maze-ing with this Tom Ford."

The next dress is pretty; it's a teal color, floor length and long sleeved with a deep "V" in the front. My hair would look great with it, that's for sure.

"What do you think?" Maia asks, her eyebrows raised.

"I love it, it's so pretty!" I say, running my fingers over the soft fabric. It really is gorgeous.

"Let's get you into this bad boy, why don't we?" She says, picking up the bag and a shoebox. "Where's your bathroom?"

I lead her to the spacious bathroom, closing the door and turning to her with my arms crossed. She hangs the dress up and sets the shoes on the counter, before turning to me and pulling me in for a hug.

"That's from your mom and Isabelle," she whispers into my ear. A smile spreads across my face and I look Maia up and down.

"Felicity, huh?" I ask with a laugh. "A famous stylist. I wouldn't have pegged you for that, honestly."

"Yeah, me neither," says Maia. A loose grin finds its way onto her face for a moment before tightening back up again. "Someone's gotta do the dirty work. Let's get you in this dress, yeah?"

I quickly get down to my underwear and bra before Maia helps me get into the dress and zips it up my back. "Fits me like a glove!"

"Of course, only the best for a Morgenstern," Maia scoffs. I frown and go towards the shoe box.

"Easy, there! Wouldn't want you to… hurt yourself," she says, holding me back.

"I know I'm clumsy, but I'm not that clumsy! You're so rude."

"They're practically daggers. You'd go in grabbing them and end up slicing your hand, and you know it," Maia explains, carefully taking the shoes out. "Let me; you can go ahead and sit down."

"So, any news on tomorrow night?" I ask, my voice whispering.

"You wouldn't believe it, Clary. First, we needed a way to communicate with you guys. Plus weapons, since I doubt they're giving you much more than plastic utensils in your private little kitchen."

"That is true." If I want a knife, I have to call down for one and have it brought up; it's a pain in the ass when all that I want is some sliced apples.

"I know. Anyways. These shoes are deadly. Like, seriously. They're super sexy, but you'll be able to cut any one down with the swipe of your leg," she says, stamping the heel down on the counter and ejecting a little blade. She's totally right, too, I could mess someone up badly with that.

"That's sick," I whisper, wide eyed. "Jace better keep his shit in check, huh?"

Maia laughs and we hear a knock on the door. Maia taps the shoe again the blade retracts, then she hands me the pair to put on. The fit nicely, and the heel itself isn't too thin, so I should be able to balance my weight pretty evenly.

"I heard my name, what's up? I just let myself in," I hear Jace say from the doorway, where Maia let him in. I laugh and get up from the chair, testing out the heels along with the dress. It feels right; I just hope that I don't ruin the dress too badly tomorrow.

"Wow." Jace's golden eyes are sparkling and dancing with light, scanning over my body like a laser. He doesn't even notice Maia standing there. "That dress looks perfect on you, Clary."

"Thanks," I blush and pull my hair around to hang over one shoulder and showcase the other. "Like the shoes?" I hold up the hem of the dress and hold a foot forward for him to see.

"Uhh, yeah. They don't look very comfortable, though," Jace says, looking confused. I give him a wicked grin and look over to Maia who just laughs. I lift up my foot and drop it with a sharp click, and out comes the blade.

"By the Angel. That is awesome!" Jace looks over to Maia. "You did this?"

"I only smuggled them in, but yes. I did that." She looks so smug and happy with herself. I think that Isabelle would have really liked these shoes. Will. She will like these, there's no doubt about it.

"What about anything else? Simon said to be at the lowest level possible, and far away from the ballroom," I ask Maia, lowering my voice. She nods.

"Do what he says. The less you know, the better, but by 8 pm this place is getting lit up. Literally," her brown eyes are wide and serious, ready for war.

"Wait, you're setting this place on fire?" Jace whisper-yells. "What if that portal can't open and we die of smoke inhalation?!"

"That's what this is for," Maia sigh, going and grabbing another bag that has thin bone supports throughout the midsection of it, making the dress look stiff and uncomfortable. Maia unzips the back and reaches inside the dress, carefully ripping it with her nails. From that small little hole, she brings out a stele.

"Maia…" I mutter, understanding where this is going.

"Just listen to me. This is also a part of the package," she says, handing me a piece of delicately folded paper. On the front in the beautiful script I know as my mother's is my name. Just like before with the little note that Simon gave me, my heart surges and beats blindingly fast with happiness and hope. "I can give you a whole pep talk on how you can totally do it, but I think that this will be much better."

I smile and bow my head, fiddling with the paper.

"We'll give you a minute," Jace murmurs. Maia leaves, but Jace pauses and leans down to kiss me on the forehead, making me smile softly down and my feet. It fills me with warmth and strength and unity, just like hearing from my mother gives me hope. With them both in my life, along with my friends, I know that anything's possible.

So, I open up the note and flatten it out over my thigh. With a deep, steadying breath, I read.

My sweet, fiery little girl. You're nearly a woman now, but you will always be my little girl, and I'll be here for you as long as I'm well and able to. Part of being a mother is being truthful with her child, so I will try my best now to make up for what I've failed to do in the past, and that's telling you the truth.

I'm so sorry that I never told you about your father, or your true bloodline. It goes deeper than what you currently know about him. He may seem kind, and even caring, but he's a snake, Clary. He always has been, even before I met him and fell in love with him.

Yes, I loved him at one point in time. But what I loved about was completely fictitious, it was a façade. I wish I could tell you that he's not so bad, that he cares, but I would never do that to you, despite my past discrepancies with the truth. He will try to manipulate you to his best fit his needs, as will his son Jonathan.

Jonathan is not entirely human, as you may have figured out. I knew the second he came out of my womb that he was not abnormal. He's an abomination, Clarissa, and he must be taken down with his father. Valentine drugged my food and drink when I was pregnant. He slipped me demon blood whenever the chance presented itself, and it's ruined what could have been my son, and your brother. I wish that I could have taken him and perhaps changed him, but I know that it would be futile. Try to stay clear of him, please.

My chest fill with air as heavy as lead, aching and burning with what I know to be the truth, weighing down on my chest and making me gasp for air. I knew it. I knew that he wasn't human, and now I have confirmation from my mother. From his mother. I suppose that I'm lucky that he hasn't been especially nasty with me, but I can feel the heavy burn of his gaze when he glares, when his stare lingers in places that family shouldn't be staring. It makes me uncomfortable and sick, and eternally grateful that Jace is always by my side and that I'm never alone with Jonathan.

I love you, sweet girl. Remember that, and use my stele to get yourself and Jace to safety. You have great abilities, and I know that you can use them to your advantage. Let the runes come to you. Draw it like you sketch when you're alone—just listen to yourself and it'll come to you, I promise.

Stay safe, Clary.

Love, Mom.

I have tear streaming down my face, and my nose is all stuffed up like a bad sinus infection. I'm trying to keep the sobbing to a minimum so that Jace doesn't come racing in and seeing me all snotty and tearful.

As I sit on the covered toilet, I can hardly help but to think to myself: what have I gotten myself into?