{Chapter 6}

~Isabelle~

Afte Jace disappeared into the kitchen, Izzy eyed Jordan. He looked like he did before but there was an edge to him. A nervous energy she couldn't remember ever being around him before. She could tell that he had come through the door with his walls down, expecting to spend the night with his friends, but when he saw Clary his face fell. There was a history there and Isabelle wanted to know what it was.

Jordan stared at the pillow in Izzy's lap, his eyes following her finger as she traced the embroidered pattern. There was regret on his face and the smallest amount of guilt. Iz noticed the way Simon glared daggers at Jordan. The latter shied away.

"Get the hell out of my apartment, Jordan." Iz turned sharply at the deep voice. Jace stood in the kitchen doorway. Anger radiating from his body and his face full of something Izzy hadn't seen in years, hate.

"Jace," Alec gasped. Her brother was never the one who noticed emotion on people. Right now seemed to be one of the moments where he did not realizing he should keep quiet. Jace grit his teeth but continued to stare at Jordan.

"Look man, I don't know what she told you-" Jace growled and Iz felt genuinely afraid for a second. His eyes were burning, turning from their normally warm gold to a cruel and cold molten bronze. Isabelle clutched the pillow a little closer when Jace stepped forward.

A sniffle made him stop before he could touch Jordan. Clary was behind him, her eyes puffy and nose red. Jace didn't turn to look at her but when he spoke, Izzy knew he had seen Clary cry. "You don't get to talk about her. You don't get to look at her. You sure as hell don't fucking get to be in the same breathing space as her. Now get out."

Jordan grabbed his discarded jacket and headed for the door. He was halfway through when he turned to Clary. "I am sorry."

"No, you aren't." She wiped angrily at her face and wrapped her arms around her middle in a protective gesture. Jordan looked ready to say something else but another growl from Jace sent him walking through the door.

~o.O.o~

Jace was furious. His friend, his roommate for over two years was a cheater. He couldn't help but remember all the times he'd seen Maia and Jordan together, thinking Jordan was an idiot in love. Were all those times really days when Clary was alone because her boyfriend said he was too busy with work or school?

Jace's life had been connected to Clary's before he even knew who she was, how amazing she was and he was so angry. Now that beautiful girl was crying in the doorway of their kitchen while their friends stared, confused.

He watched her heartbreaking face and when she met his eyes, Jace felt his heart crack and shatter open and bleed. Clary couldn't look anyone else in the face and she couldn't move her legs to run away. She was stuck in her own personal hell. She was trying not to break down completely but all the pent up feelings she had been hiding for the last couple of months were surfacing. Vexed and damaged tears rolling down her cheeks.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Simon shift from his spot on the couch and stand on his feet. Before he could get to her Clary was in Jace's arms. She let out a strangled sob and Jace held her closer, burying her head underneath his chin, she could feel his comforting fingers running through her hair.

Jace couldn't breathe. Clary was breaking in his arms and all he could do was try and hold her together. He was aware of Izzy shoving their friends out of the room and he heard Alec mutter something about turning the oven off, but Jace couldn't comprehend anything other than the little redheaded girl he was desperately holding onto.

"I didn't want you to choose." She whispered into his chest.

Jace sighed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Clary sniffled and burrowed further into his torso. "There wasn't a choice for me. He cheated and lied to you. I wouldn't have been able to look at him the same after I knew that."

She pushed away from him to look up at his curious face. "Jace Herondale, I do believe you have a heart of gold in there." She said, poking the skin over his quickened heart.

"And I believe you are incredibly cheesy." He grinned down at her as brightly as he could. Hoping to make her smile and lighten her mood.

"You would be right." Clary simpered weakly but to Jace it looked like the most illuminating and beautiful gesture. "I'm tired. Can we go to bed?"

His heart dropped because that meant he would need to let her go and Jace didn't think he could sleep knowing how upset she was and not being able to make her feel better. He looked at her and saw her red rimmed eyes and downturned eyebrows. He refused to let her be sad because of Jordan Kyle. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

A part of him wondered when he became the guy who couldn't imagine letting a girl go. He didn't know what he felt for Clary but he knew with certainty that she was special to him. Someone who he could see by his side for a long time.

Hand in hand, Jace locked the front door and turned the lights off, making sure the over really was off, then walked into his room. Clary gave him a funny look but didn't argue when he pulled her to sit on the bed. Kneeling down Jace dragged the waistband of her tights down her hips and legs, the fabric pooling at her bare feet. She rose her arms in the air as he pulled the white shirt over her head. He removed his own shirt and dropped it over her head. He liked her in his bed and in his clothes.

On any other night, Jace would be trying to sleep with her. Although he did want to sleep with her, Jace wouldn't take advantage of her in this state. When Jace finished undressing he turned to see her under the covers, she looked like she belonged there and Jace hugged her from behind. Kissing her neck Jace heard her begin to hum her song.

~o.O.o~

No one talked about Jordan after that day. When Clary had woken up the next morning Jace wasn't asleep next to her like she expected. Later she would find out that he spent the morning telling the doorman not to let Jordan into the building and giving their friends the summarized version of her break up.

Weeks had gone by and Clary hadn't slept in her own bed since then. In the cold of mid-December Clary sat on their bed curled up in a blanket with her fuzzy sock covered feet hanging off the edge.

"You look comfy?" Jace was in the doorway with his backpack hanging off his arm. His nose was vermillion from the cold and Clary was thankful she was able to catch a cab and get home before the wind had picked up.

"Because I am, my classes ended today and tomorrow I get to go home for a week and see my parents. This is as happy as I'll be until after Christmas when I come back." Clary shut her book and slid it onto the nightstand next to their favorite picture.

"You'll miss me that much?" She rolled her eyes but continued to study the picture in the light frame. It was of Jace and Clary. They were asleep on the couch, Clary on his chest with an abandoned book limply laying on the table. Jace was snuggling her tightly and his face was relaxed. Isabelle had taken it to use as blackmail but Clary thought they looked adorable and Jace bought a frame the next day to keep the joke going. One day it had ended up on the nightstand and it hadn't moved since then.

"That or my mother is a little more on the crazy side." Clary said with a light laugh.

"I like my version better." Sitting on the corner of the bed, Jace pulled out a medium sized box and placed it in her lap. "Here."

"What's this?" She fingered the delicate bow and admired the creamy purple color of the wrapping paper. The package fit into both of her hands with some to spare and felt heavy.

"Your Christmas present, pretty girl." Clary couldn't help but flash her teeth in a ditzy smile. Jace could feel his chest puff with pride. He had been trying so hard to make her happy since the Jordan incident last month.

She hit his arm several times before exclaiming, "You said we weren't doing presents!"

"I lied. Open it." He wanted to see her face when she opened it since she wouldn't be back in the condo until the day after Christmas. Jace was dreading sleeping on his own again. He didn't enjoy the cold and empty sheets when they wrapped around him anymore.

"Hold on," Clary left the present on her blanket and jogged out of the room. Jace heard her run into her room and for a moment he was afraid that she was running away from him. Then she was back, a brilliant blush over her face and a yellow wrapped box in her hands. She held it out to him, bouncing excitedly. "Open yours too."

"How did you-" Clary scowled, like he could fool her into thinking he wasn't getting her anything. "Nevermind."

When they both held their presents, Jace watched her rip the wrapping paper from the plain box inside. She gave him a questioning look but Jace kept a straight face, not giving anything away. When Clary peeled away the final layer of tissue paper she gasped. Covering her face with her hands Clary tried not to start crying.

"You don't like it. Damn, I'm sorry." Jace rubbed the back of his neck. He'd messed up. He had spent hours trying to find her the perfect present and he had made Clary cry instead. "I remember you said you liked them and I thought it was something you would want. But if you don't like it- that's okay, I'll get you something else."

Clary listened to him panic before lifting her head and pulling him into a tight hug. "You're absolutely wonderful." The dozens of colored paint tubes tumbling out of their box and onto the covers as she sat snuggled on his lap.

"I know, but those aren't all I got you," Jace pulled out his phone and scrolled through to the email with the delivery scheduled.

"You got me a easel?" Her eyebrows rose almost into her hairline.

"Yeah, I thought since you never got your art supplies back from Jordan's apartment you should have them. To, you know, paint and stuff." He finished bashfully.

Clary planted a lingering kiss on his cheek and shoved his gift towards him.

They hadn't talked about what they felt for one another yet, but they both knew something was different. It had been changing since Alec's birthday party at Pandemonium. Jace hadn't gone out with another girl since before that night, now he couldn't imagine even flirting with anyone else. They kissed occasionally, light brushes of their lips, but Jace hadn't pushed her for anything else and he hadn't asked her out either. He didn't know how to have a girlfriend and he didn't want Clary to be wary of him because of Jordan. He wanted to wait until he was sure she was ready to be with someone she trusted before asking her. And Jace would ask.

"Let's see," The paper fell away quickly and he was staring at the box. He had a feeling he knew what was inside but Jace had told her so long ago, how could she possibly remember something so insignificant to her own life.

Inside the box was his childhood. There was a single glass bottle with a deep blue velvet ribbon tied around the neck as a burst of color that made Jace's eyes widen in nostalgia and the flare of sadness. The swirled script on the front read 'Cecily Herondale'.

"I remember you told me about her," Clary watched his watering eyes. "I know how upset you were when the last of it was gone."

"Clary." He croaked with his throat rough. "How did you get this?"

"A lot of searching on the internet, a couple sketchy sellers and the help of the universe."

"It's perfect." Jace held her face between his hands and when he kissed her he knew his breathing stopped. "Thank you, pretty girl. I love it."

~o.O.o~

"Why the hell did your parents move to Boston from the greatest city in the world?" Jace drove down the highway above the speed limit. They were almost to Clary's childhood home. The last three hours were a blur of music, passing cars, and Jace. His hand was gripping hers over the cupholder and he sang along to the radio occasionally.

Closing her thick book Clary tucked her legs underneath herself and sighed. "My parents have never lived in London, Jace."

"I meant New York. The city that we love, where we live and our friends live." Jace rolled his eyes and yanked on her hand jokingly.

"You said greatest city, the greatest city is London." Clary pulled their intertwined hands into her lap and relaxed further into the seat, her eyes getting tired from the constant movement outside of her window.

Jace gaped at his ridiculous redhaired girl. "I'm revoking your New Yorker status."

"Maybe I'll just move to London then." She grinned at him as he turned into the right exit. She missed home sometimes, both of her parents travelled for work and Boston had been the only place she considered home before going to New York four years ago.

"You wouldn't."

Glaring humorously at him, Clary turned the music up after muttering, "I would."

When they pulled up to the victorian style three floored house forty minutes later, Clary noticed that the lights inside weren't on and groaned. "Oh no."

Jace studied the porch swing that swayed in the breeze. The brown color of the house looked welcoming and contrasted to the lively vines winding up the vestibule beams. "I told you coming this early in the morning was stupid."

"It's nine in the morning, they'll be up soon. I can just wait outside until my mom wakes up." Clary unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to open the door before she turned back to Jace. "Thank you for the ride again. Are you sure you don't want to stay for breakfast? I feel bad that you're going to be driving for another four hours all on my account."

"I don't want to crash your Fray family time. I'll grab something on my way out of town. When they stepped out of the car together Jace shivered. "Clary it's freezing out here. I'm not letting you stay outside your house and catch a horrible cold."

"I'm okay! I have a jacket and you need to head back down or you'll miss Iz and Alec." The Lightwood siblings were heading down to Long Island for a few days to be with their parents and younger brother. They had invited Jace but he didn't want to go. Honestly he didn't know what he would do until they all came back home. The only family he had that was worth his time was in Germany for the winter and Jace didn't want to bother her with his stupid anxiety of being too lonely on Christmas.

"I won't be able to focus on driving if I think my favorite girl is freezing to death." Jace guilted her with wide eyes and a downturned lip.

"Always one for the dramatics." Clary grabbed his car keys from his gloved hand and walked around to the driver's side of the car. She beckoned him with her hand. "Come on."

Jace jumped into the car with vigor, wanting to be warm and away from the lightly snowing sky. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to my creative place." Was all she said before backing out of the driveway and heading down a maze of streets until she stopped.

The deep blue of the ocean glistened from below them, specks of white marked the boats rowing through the cool water. When they left the car Jace could smell it, the fresh scent of salt in the air carried on the wind. Jace inhaled the intoxicating aroma.

"I used to come here in high school when it would all get too much," When Jace looked at her curiously she explained. "My parents would travel so much that when they were home together they barely knew each other, but they got better when dad retired."

Clary led him to the top of the little uphill, a wooden bench covered in initials sat underneath a bare oak tree. The wood of the bench was splintered and Jace was sure they would both end up with tore palms. "I can see it. Sixteen year old Clary Fray, sitting on the her bench on her hill overlooking the world. Wearing absolutely nothing and-"

A cold smack of snow hit his cheek. The snowball fell into his lap and Jace looked at her in shock. "How do you go from cute to disgusting in seconds?" Clary said, pushing another handful of snow into his face.

"I have an active imagination."

"A perverted one."

Jace ducked behind the tree as another ball hit the bark. One after another the ice flew between them, hitting limbs. Clary screamed as Jace shoved snow down the collar of her sweater. She ran after him and when he slowed to a stop Clary jumped onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck. Jace held her thighs around his stomach.

"I'm not too heavy, am I?"

"No." He felt her breath on his neck and the soft puffs of air made his head spin and heart thump harshly against his ribcage. "Do you-"

"Do you want to stay for the day? I know my mom and dad would love to meet you." Jace gulped down his nerves.

In his twenty three years of life Jace Herondale had never met a girl's parents, especially not a girl he was interested in seeing as more than just a friend. Not to mention Clary was in a league of her on. What if Clary's parents didn't like him? What if they saw right through him and could see the damaged idiot he was underneath all his bravado?

"I- Yeah, I can." He said unsurely at first. When he felt the kiss on his numb cheek Jace was feeling more confident. "I would love to stay for the day."

Clary had finally told her parents the entire truth about Jordan and moving in with Jace the day after Jordan had shown up to their apartment. To say they were shocked was an understatement. Clary had spent hours on the phone listening to her mom lecture her on the danger of meeting strangers online, let alone moving in with them. When she packed her bag to come see her parents the scheming part of her brain was already thinking of ways to introduce Jace to her parents without it seeming creepy.

She just hoped they would like him as much as she did.

~o.O.o~

"Mom I can't breath." Clary said between shallow breaths into Jocelyn Fray shoulder.

"If you would visit more often I wouldn't have to hold you so tight." Jocelyn pulled away and Clary waved at her dad happily before her mother shouted, "Have your breasts gotten bigger or are you shrinking?"

"Mom!" Clary was horrified but it wasn't the worst part. Jace's throaty laugh reached her mortified ears and Clary could see her parents curiously glancing at the tall man behind her.

"Oh, hello. You must be the roommate. Jace, was it?" Jocelyn gave her hand for him to shake and Clary watched her dad from the corner of her eye. Luke was a librarian with similar glasses to her own but her dad used to be in the military and still had broad and strong shoulders that could give Jace a run for his money.

"Yes, ma'am. I was just dropping Clary off." Jace grinned and shook Luke's hand as well. When he started to back out of the house Clary could see the nerves hidden under his false aura of nonchalant easiness.

Before he could get too far Clary grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the front door, locking it for good measure. "And he's staying for the day because he's tired from driving and I don't want him to crash on the way home."

"We have plenty to go around. You should stay." Luke said his eyes drifting down to Clary's hand, still tugging on Jace's. Jocelyn smiling towards them eagerly. Just by looking at the blonde boy's face her parents knew that he would stay anywhere their daughter told him to.

Nodding back Jace replied, "Thank you."

Clary grinned and forced him into the dining room with her. Jocelyn watched the young adults with mirth building behind her eyes and Luke could tell that today would be an interesting day for both the Fray's and Jace.

"This," Jocelyn grinned. "Will be the best breakfast we've had in years."

"What are you going to do to the poor boy?" Luke asked curiously.

"Wait and see." His wife sashayed her hips when she passed him and walked behind their daughter into the next room.

Luke whisper shouted worriedly after her, "Jocelyn!"

Breakfast had gone mostly uneventful. Neither of Clary's parents pried into Jace's life too much or asked overly personal questions. Something that Clary was thankful for but made her paranoid about what her mother had planned. Jocelyn Fray wasn't the type of woman to keep her thoughts to herself. Clary was afraid they might hate him with how quiet they'd become.

Clary honestly couldn't remember a time when she laughed as much. Jace was a light in their house, full of happiness and charm. They were finishing off their plates when Clary's phone rung loudly with a message, she chose to ignore it but then it went off again.

"Excuse me," Clary balanced herself on Jace's shoulder and she could feel how tense he was. His muscles tight and she gave him a reassuring squeeze. He couldn't be nervous, could he?

"I should be heading out, thank you for the breakfast." With a laugh Jace rose out of his chair. When Clary made a muffled squeal Jace was moving to her side without question. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Clary could hear the concern laced with his urgency, she could see her parents questioning faced behind him but his kneading hands distracted her. His fingers gentle yet persistent against her shoulders. Jace took notice of her eyes, looking for tears, when he didn't find any his face relaxed marginally. Still worried.

"Nothing! You should get going. Back to New York and Iz and Alec." For a second Jace's heart sank. Did she want to get rid of him? Had he done something wrong? Clary could see his face falling. "I'm not getting rid of you, pretty boy. I just think you should go and- I don't know- spend some time with Iz and Alec."

"I guess you're right, I should be heading home." He said still unsure whether or not everything was really okay with his girl.

"Let's walk you out." Clary looked at her mother suspiciously as Jocelyn swept out of her own chair and made to follow them to the door. Clary didn't mind though, she was too excited from the text she had read, and reread, and then read one more time.

When she led Jace out to his car, her parents waving from the porch, she saw the uneasiness on his face. Clary couldn't tell him why she was sending him away because she had promised not to, but she couldn't keep secrets from him. Making him leave was the only option- he would find out on his own and she wouldn't feel like she was keeping anything from him. Then again Clary didn't want Jace to drive all the way back to New York thinking he had done something wrong.

Without thinking about it Clary lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jace's arms reflexively went around her waist to pull her closer as she kissed his lips lightly. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, pretty girl." Clary giggled when he pressed a kiss on her nose.

She waved as he backed out of the driveway and Jace couldn't help but imagine a future of Clary waiting in a beautiful house for him to come home. It was a little old fashioned and cheesy but Jace couldn't help but think about being with Clary. It made him want to be cheesy.

When Jace was gone Clary walked back to her parents. Her father draped his arm over her shoulders and directed her inside the house behind her mother.

"I remember someone saying the words 'Jace is only a friend, I don't think of him like that at all'." Jocelyn mimicked a high pitched voice.

"I don't sound like that." Clary defended but didn't deny it because she had said that. And at the time she thought it was true, now she couldn't imagine saying those words in association to her gorgeous Jace.

"What made you heard that boy out of here like we've got the plague?" Her mother handed her a cup of steaming coffee and they sat together on the couch.

Clary leaned over the coffee table and whispered like Jace could pop up any minute. "Our best friends are getting married and they made me promise not to tell him because Alec wants to tell him in person and ask him to be his bestman."

Jocelyn clapped her hands, "That's wonderful! Who's the lucky girl?"

"Boy, actually." It seemed that in her excitement over Jace she had forgotten to tell her parents that she found Magnus again. "It's Magnus."

"Magnus! We haven't seen him in years. What does he do now?" Luke asked, interested in his daughters high school best friend.

"He has his own wedding planning business in Manhattan," Clary laughed at the that. Last time she had seen him he was going to a wedding, now he owned a boutique all about weddings and today he announced his engagement. Clary wondered if fate really was that specific when it came to true love.

"Isn't that fitting?"

"You should see them, mom. Alec and Magnus make each other so happy and they're so in love with each other, like they make each other's world stop." Clary said wistfully.

"Takes one to know one." Jocelyn sipped from her cup. She couldn't help but think back to how her daughter was with Jace. They were blissful to watch, reminding Jocelyn of what she and Luke had been like when they were younger.

Clary sank into the couch with a sigh of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh nothing darling."

To Be Continued...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments, and thank god for that, right? I would never be able to finish writing the series.

Oh no, mystery. Who's Cecily Herondale? Mother, sister, daughter, wife, magical drag queen Jace?

Are you guys having fun? Do you like this? I am self conscious. Tell me what you think.

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Love~