Panting, Jace fell back on the bed. All of a sudden he could feel the thin layer of sweat over his skin. He was breathing harder than he'd realized as well, but now that he was lying still his breathing began to calm. They usually hung out at his apartment. Jace only lived with Jon now, so it was usually the place with the least people around. Jon often spent time with Paige at her place, though sometimes Annika and Jace had to share the apartment with those two love birds which Jace decided is what doors were for. Either way Annika rarely wanted to go to her place since she had more roommates than him.

"I think I'm just gonna lay here until I can feel my legs again," Annika said, breathing hard.

Jace couldn't help grinning a little. A sentence like that in this context did great things to the male ego.

Even if parts of it were familiar, this set up with Annika was new to him. It wasn't a one night stand, yet it also wasn't a relationship. There was no love, affection, or cuddling. The closest thing he'd ever had like this before had been with Trinity, but even that hadn't been the same. Trinity had been older than him, and had often acted like a therapist for him, not that he'd ever asked her to. While Annika was just out to have fun like him. Friends hanging out making each other feel good.

"So while I lay here, what are your plans for today?" Annika asked.

"Hanging out with Will," Jace shrugged.

"Who is?" she inquired.

"Family," Jace answered. "Though kinda distantly. His uncle's my dad. Not that I ever met the guy or anything."

"Sorry," Annika said sitting up. "That sucks." Jace just shrugged and she laid back down again. His daddy issues were neither here nor there.

"What about you?" Jace asked, as he was getting dressed to leave. "Plans today?"

"I think I have work later," she said. "I should probably check my phone."

"Might be a good idea," Jace chuckled.

There were a few moments of quiet as Annika finally got up to find her clothes. When they were both ready to leave his room, she broke the silence. "Have you talked to your mother about Will or your dad or any of it?"

"I'm not really talking to my mother these days," Jace replied.

"How come?"

He thought about how to explain it simply before speaking. "She's helping someone I can't forgive."

"If you don't mind me giving my opinion," Annika began. Jace nodded to indicate it was fine. "Parents aren't around forever. If you don't make up with her while she's here, you will regret it the rest of your life."

"What makes you so sure?" Jace asked, though kindly. He didn't understand the certainty in her voice.

"My dad passed away," she said. "About five years ago now. We were really close, but then we had a falling out and I never got to make up with him."

"I'm sorry," Jace said. "I didn't know."

"Don't be sorry," Annika smiled at him. "Everyone is always sorry, but sorry doesn't help. Not making the same mistake. That would help."

"Thanks," Jace said. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," she said, then looked down at her phone again. "Shit," she exclaimed. "I really am due at work." And with that she got up and started scrambling in a hurry.

Laughing lightly, Jace bid her farewell. Once the door was closed behind her he began gradually organizing himself to leave. Since Will had a truck and was a very nice type of human, he'd offered to pick Jace up today. Jace was actually really looking forward to it, as Jace hadn't seen his cousin or little Lucie in quite some time. Though she wasn't as little now as he remembered. In just a few months, Lucie would be three. Really, where did the time go?

Just then he saw Will's truck out the window and headed down to meet him.

"If you see a blonde bimbo around here anywhere," Will said teasingly, "Tell him his rides here."

"Oh shut up," Jace laughed, hitting Will playfully on the shoulder as he got into the passenger seat.

"Oh are you the blonde I'm here to pick up then?" Will said in mock surprise. "It's been so long I hardly recognized you."

"Yeah yeah I know," Jace sighed. "Your not so subtle way to remind me I'm shit at keeping in touch."

"Just so long as we both agree," Will laughed, as he changed gears and began moving the vehicle again.

"Just for that you're buying buddy," Jace sniggered.

"What do you think this is? A date!" Will scoffed. They both burst out laughing so much that Will almost had to pull over.

"Cut it out kid before you'll kill us both," Will added, "I have a family to think of."

"How is the family doing?" Jace asked, sobering up the conversation so they drove more evenly.

"Great," Will said. "Lucie is talking all the time now and usually demanding princesses, clothes, or tiaras. Tessa's been great. Her coworker is gonna go on maternity leave in about five months, and Tessa has been chosen to cover it. Which means her volunteering hours will become an actual job. At least for a while."

"I bet she's excited about that," Jace replied.

"I think so yeah," Will agreed. "How are things with you?"

"Oh you know, still nursing a broken heart," Jace answered with a shrug.

"Yes but what else?" Will prompted. "Cause that won't ever go away completely, but that doesn't mean life stops."

"Been hanging out with a girl from the gym," Jace said. "Somehow I am living with Clary's brother which is only a little weird."

"Girl from the gym who?"

"Annika," Jace said.

"And?" Will inquired.

"And what?"

"And how's that going?" Will asked as he turned left into a parking lot. "I mean really getting information out of you is like pulling teeth."

"If you weren't driving right now I'd hit ya," Jace grumbled.

Will scoffed. "You'd try." Jace rolled his eyes.

They parked near the back edge of the lot, but as Jace went to get out the doors locked. He turned to glare at Will who laughed, but let go of the automatic door lock button. Jace got out of the truck and made his way around the vehicle, determined to prove he could hit Will. He was on the wrestling team after all. He was stronger. He was younger, and he wasn't gonna lose to anyone.

Jace thought Will hadn't seen him and made his move, but instantly knew he'd made a mistake as Will swerved out of the way.

"I ducked," Will said, sniggering. "Get it."

"You cheated," Jace argued.

"Don't lie to your elders," Will added, still grinning.

"Why I outta," Jace began, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh shut up," Will laughed, wrapping his arm around Jace's shoulders. "Haven't you always wanted a big brother to mess with you?" He paused then added, "Well I guess in our case it's a big cousin."

That gave Jace pause. Then a smile spread over his face. That really was the kinda relationship they had here and Jace was glad.

It was all laughter, hugging, and friendly punches as they made their way into the park. The conversation was light for a while, and Jace enjoyed the beautiful summer weather. Despite August usually meaning that school was coming again soon, Jace couldn't help but like the month. It was always the best part of summer when the sun and wind agreed about the temperature. And now that he wasn't facing school in September he could appreciate August all the more.

It was probably about an hour later by the time they talked of more serious things. Both of them were holding what remained of their lunch from the food truck. At this point it was mostly just the wrapper, and a half empty drink container.

"Tessa dropped a bit of a bomb on us last month," Will sighed. "And we still haven't given her an answer."

"What happened?"

"She wants to know if we want more kids," Will replied. "After what happened last time with her postpartum depression I'd already decided it wasn't possible, but she says that won't happen again and it's no reason to stop if we all want the same thing."

"So do you?" Jace asked.

"What?"

"Want the same thing?" Jace clarified.

"I love my daughter," Will said, his eyes held a deep genuine affection Jace could easily identify as love. "I quite literally can't imagine my world without her in it. Still I also can't imagine what another child would be like? Would that child take away from what I have with Lucie?"

"How does Jem feel?" Jace asked.

Will threw his arms up in clear exasperation. "Oh just his usual BS. How it's not his choice since he can't conceive and kinda believes he's just on the sidelines when he does the majority of the childcare these days!"

"That hit a nerve," Jace chuckled.

"Sorry," Will said with a sigh. "A three way marriage is a tricky thing."

"Did you get married?" Jace asked, confused. "Cause I feel sure I'd have noticed that even if I am shit at communication."

Will laughed. "There is no official marriage license for the likes of us," he said. "Jem thinks Tess and I should get married, but we don't want to leave him out."

"Well that sounds like quite the confusing domestic you got going on there," Jace chuckled. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks," Will added sarcastically. "Great help you are."

"Oh, you actually want my advice?" Jace laughed. "Well in that case I say you wait till Tessa's new job covering maternity leave ends then give it a 50/50 shot."

"What does that even mean?" Will asked incredulously.

"Well you guys are all on the fence right?" Jace continued, "So if you use birth control only half the time you can leave it up to fate."

"You know," Will laughed. "That isn't a half bad idea. Where the hell did you come up with that?"

"Oh just, you know…" Jace said trailing off.

"Hey I bared my soul," Will reminded him. "Your turn."

Jace took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before speaking. "When Clary and I were together, sometimes I'd think of ways to try and convince her to have kids," Jace admitted. "Something with a chance but not a guarantee. Like a compromise."

"Ah but kids or no kids isn't really something that can be compromised," Will said.

"Hey I said they were only in my head, didn't I?" Jace reminded him. "It wasn't like I ever actually started the conversation with her."

"Not to be mean or anything, but-" Will began. "Do you think that was part of why you guys broke up?"

"It's possible," Jace sighed. "If things had been totally good with us when she left for Paris it probably wouldn't have fallen apart. Wanting different things from life is not something you can work through easily."

"No it is not," Will agreed.

"She didn't want kids," Jace continued. "And I never would have realized I wanted them without her entering my life."

"Unfortunately a bit of a doomed combination," Will sympathized.

"Yeah," Jace sighed.

They passed a garbage can just then, and both deposited their lunch wrappers in it before continuing walking down the path.

"Knowing what you want, and being able to find it isn't all that easy," Will continued.

"Yeah," Jace sighed. "I mean I knew I wanted kids with Clary when we were together, but without her I can't even imagine it. Maybe I won't ever have kids. Maybe there's no one else out there for me but her, and I made a huge mistake breaking things off with her."

What if he had made a mistake? What if he was meant to try and work things out with Clary instead of giving up the way he had? Then again hadn't she given up first by ignoring him the whole time she'd been in Paris?

"Only you know the answers to those questions," Will told him seriously. "All I can say is if you are thinking about those kinds of things there is probably a reason for it."

Jace made a frustrated noise and buried his face in his hands. Why life sucked so much sometimes he would never understand.

"One day at a time, my friend," Will said, wrapping his arm around Jace's shoulders again. "You never know what life has in store for you."

"Ain't that the truth," Jace sighed. "Sometimes I think my life is too ridiculous and the only explanation is that there is someone out there stringing it together like some kind of word smith or like a writer or something."

Will laughed. "Certainly would explain a few things," he said.

"Right!" Jace chuckled with him.

Guest Review:
Are Jace and Clary ever gonna get back together? Love your story but just want this to happen!

My Reply:
Now what kind of writer would I be if I released that level of spoiler. What I will say is this: if you're read a couple of my other stories you might notice a pattern and if you've read them all you will definitely figure it out. I write happy endings. Sometimes things get bad in the middle but I always end on a good note. Take from that what you will. :)

(UPDATE: Back edited by Connie Brown)
(UPDATE: Re-uploaded once again after editing by CoffeeandLiterature)

Sneak Peek Chapter 171

But now was a time for listening, not smiling. Paige sat down in the chair she'd likely end up sitting in all semester despite the fact that there wasn't assigned seating and tried to pull her mind back to the present with moderate success. She was pretty sure she got the gist of the lecture at least and if not she'd just go through the chapter in the textbook again before a test. Boring part of day accomplished.

Now onto better things. Like time with her boyfriend. Since Jon lived with Jace they often had accidental double dates when the three of them plus Annika all hung out together. Though when Paige called them double dates both Jace and Annika corrected her at the same time, reminding her once again that they weren't a couple. The friends with benefits concept Paige just did not understand, but if they were both happy with the set up she wasn't going to judge, though she felt sure no matter how many times they told her, she was still going to use the wrong word by accident sometimes.

Tonight though they weren't going to Jon's place but rather hers. Alec was having a big get together for no reason other than the fact that Alec could now afford it. Between buying his car and catering a 'welcome back credit card' party, Paige hardly knew how Alec had any money left. But she didn't have parents richer than god so she assumed that was how.