Jace
I sit back in my chair, shocked. Isabelle, Clary's husband's mistress is pregnant. And they had the nerve to call her to rub it in.
"Are you sure, who called you?" I ask.
"Simon," is all she says, "he said he needs the divorce settled within the year because she was pregnant and he didn't want to deal with this and a baby," tears spill over her cheeks as she says this. I calmly walk around the table and lift her into my arms.
I walk with Clary into the living room and set her down in my lap, letting her cry herself out. When her sobs are reduced to sniffles, she looks into my eyes, her own blazing with anger.
"He told me he didn't want to have babies," she says, curling her fingers into my hair, "I begged him to let me get off birth control so we could start trying. We'd been married for years and I wanted a baby, and the ass told me no. He said he wasn't ready and may never be," she tells me, heartbroken.
I don't know what to say, so this ends up coming out of my mouth.
"I'd have a baby with you," she looks at me, shocked and caught off guard, "I'd have ten babies with you if that would make you happy," then she laughs. A happy, soft, light laugh.
"Sounds like a plan," she tells me, giving me a turn at being shocked, "Just think about it, we have been best friends since the womb, and I wouldn't want to raise a baby with anyone else," she says thoughtfully.
Well, this escalated quickly. Not that I wouldn't love marrying Clary and calling her mine and making a baby together, it must be the anger and sadness talking for her.
"How about we got to the art store, you can clear your mind, then we can talk more about this. Not that I don't want it, but now might be a little too soon," I tell her softly.
"Okay, but remember Jace, my clock is ticking," she gives me a flirtatious wink and climbs off my lap, walking away with a swing to her hips and nightgown seemingly shorter than before. I lean my head back into the sofa and groan.
Anything Clary wants from me, she seems to get.
Clary
I get dressed and try to push the news I just received from my mind. It's not that I'm mad or resentful towards the baby. It's not their fault. I'm just mad that he or she came from so much misery and lies. I was hoping to get things resolved with Izzy and Simon before they dropped any other bomb on me.
But, I will be adult about this. Every child is a blessing, no matter how they came about, and this child is and will be no exception.
When I'm dressed in a Tessa approved outfit of dark super skinny jeans and a low cut navy blue tank top and brown wedges, I grab my brown leather jacket and head to Jace's room. I lay on the freshly made bed and wait for him to get out of the shower. I'm just about to doze off when I hear the door open and look over to see Jace emerge in just a towel.
Many a times I have seen this sight, growing up practically attached to him at the hip, so I know the drill. I lay back and cover my eyes with my hands as I hear him rummage in his drawers. When I hear him chuckle and feel the bed dip, I look up at him.
He's fully dressed, but his hair drips cool water onto my cheeks and neck.
"We're not 14 anymore," he laughs, "and we are very much so in love," he takes my hands and kisses the knuckles of each one.
"I always loved you," I smile and kiss him on his waiting lips. He brightens at my admission and leans back in, but I evade his advances, "but I really need some canvas," I tease, rolling out from under him and dashing from his room, hearing him running out behind me. I make it down the stairs and hide in the pantry, trying to stop my laughter and quiet my heavy breathing.
I see Jace walk by through the slats in the door and try to contain my giggles.
"Clary, come out wherever you are," he sings into the kitchen, throwing me back into memories of summer days filled with moments like these.
"I guess I'll just call you," he huffs, as he smiles.
I fumble to silence my phone but I'm too late, and stand still as he turns to the pantry and grins wolfishly. He walks up and throws the door open. He tugs me into his chest and places his lips at my ear.
"Found you," he whispers. His face comes into view of my own and his eyes meet mine before flitting down to my lips. Just as they are about to connect, there's a knock on the door before it opens and a rich voice echoes through the entryway to the kitchen.
"Honey! I'm HOME!" the voice of Will Herondale calls before he appears in the kitchen.
"You have a knack for atrocious timing, don't you?" Jace huffs.
"It's a gift, that is how I met Tessa you know," he responds cryptically, observing us before looking to the half full bowl of mix, "you guys made pancakes without me," he observes, his lower lip trembling.
"Yes, that's what happens when you aren't supposed to come over," Jace tells his cousin dryly.
"Touché, but Clary makes the best pancakes. Ones I have had to live without for nearly a decade because of your bone headedness," he retorts.
"I'll make the damn pancake," I exclaim, breaking from Jace to walk over to the stove.
Will comes up and gives me a big hug.
"That's why you're my favorite person in this kitchen," he sticks his tongue out at his cousin before asking what we were planning to do today.
"We were on our way to the art store, then maybe to lunch," Jace tells Will as the dark haired boy in question swings himself onto the counter by the stove, plate already in hand, eagerly awaiting his breakfast.
When the pancake is cooked to golden perfection, I plop it on his plate and drizzle honey over the top, just how he likes it.
"Oh Clary, if you weren't in love with Jace and I with Tessa, I would have married you by now," he groans, licking his fingers clean of any stray drop of honey.
"That's a comforting idea, you know, that either way I won't end up an old maid with thirty cats," I joke, placing the mixing bowl and pan in the sink to be washed later.
"Of course my dear. I assume you and Jace wanted some time alone, so I'll just do what I intended to," he tells us, jumping down from the counter.
"And what is that?" Jace inquires.
"You asked me to install some new security systems a few weeks ago, remember?" Will asks his cousin, walking out to the entry hall where a tool belt and a few boxes sit.
"Right, okay. We'll leave you to it. If you want, we'll bring you something for lunch," Jace offers.
"Sounds great. You know my order for anything in town," Will replies, seeming to slip into business Will, a personality that seems foreign and ill fitting.
"See you soon willy-boy," I call from the door. I see his bright flashing smile before I turn away. At least his smile could never change.
Jace
Clary flits through the store like a pixie, excitedly showing me the perfect paints and 'the most beautiful set of pencils she has ever seen' as well as a 'to die for brush set'. When she had arms full of books and paints and sculpting tools, she declares she's ready.
She puts everything down at the counter and allows the lady to ring it all up. When it's done and everything is in bags, I deftly slide my credit card across the tab and sign off on the purchase.
We leave the bags in the car so we can go to lunch down the street, Clary's hand in mine.
"I love and appreciate everything, but you didn't have to do that," she says nervously.
"Think of it as all the missed birthdays and Christmases," I offer, kissing her pink cheek. She nods and smiles brightly, pulling me down for a real, lip to lip kiss.
"Thank you, but how I will I make up for all of that?" she asks.
"By baking me your special blueberry muffins without Will around," I grin.
"Deal," she laughs as we enter Taki's. We sit and order burgers and shakes and dig in hungrily.
We talk a bit about what I want her to paint, which is basically anything her heart desires.
"It's your house Jace. What do you want on your walls?" she asks me.
"I've been thinking about something," I begin, "what if it was your house too?" I ask.
She seems stumped.
"You already live with me. I love you, you love me. Just stay. You're close to work and I can't bare for you to leave now that you've been sleeping in my bed," I admit. She seems shocked, then suddenly very excited.
"Yes! Of course!" she smiles, leaning across the table to kiss me.
"Perfect," I laugh, "then I say after this, we go get you a key, so you can come and go whenever you want," I tell her. She nods enthusiastically, until her eyes find the door and it's like a wet towel was draped over her flame.
I turn and see Simon enter with Izzy, whose blouse is already starting to look snug in front.
"She's already showing," I hear from behind me. I turn to find Clary looking down at her hands. I quickly get up and slide in right beside her. I place a hand on her cheek and the other on her hip.
"Trust me and follow along," I whisper. She looks up and I press my lips to hers. She responds immediately, pressing her body to mine, hands finding my curls.
I feel my heart beginning to pound when a hand slaps down on the table and then there is movement on the bench before us. We look up to find Izzy sliding into the booth, Simon right behind her.
"We have to talk," he hisses at Clary. She pulls away and assumes a cold look.
"About what?' she inquires, "As far as I know, you cheated, got your mistress pregnant and kicked me out. Oh! Right, the mistress was my best friend and went all Susie homemaker the second I was out of the way. So, please enlighten me as to what we have to discuss," even I feel like shivering after that.
Isabelle visibly shutters.
"These are the divorce papers," he slides the pack over to Clary. She flips the folder open.
"All I want is an answer, none of this shit," she says, indicating what he is willing to give her.
"Fine," Simon huffs.
"How far along is she?" Clary asks, pen poised.
"Two months," Isabelle whispers. I see Clary's jaw twitch and eyes cloud with hurt before they harden. She scrawls her signature before throwing the packet back to Simon.
"Goodbye Simon," she says. He gets up and leaves, the door slamming behind him. I slide out, allowing Clary to as well. I offer her my hand and notice Isabelle struggling to scoot out, but she manages.
"Isabelle," Clary says. The girl looks up, "You knew how unhappy I was with him. I confided in you about how he wouldn't hug me anymore, or would sleep in his office. You knew how much it hurt me. I don't know why you'd willingly sign up for it. You see how he left his pregnant… whatever you are to him now. We'll see how long you two last. But for that baby's sake, I hope it's an agonizingly long time," with that she walks away and I see Isabelle's eyes glisten with tears.
I move to leave, but she grabs my arm.
"Tell her I'm sorry," she chokes out.
"I'm on her side, not yours,' then I follow my girlfriend out, only to find her all the way down the street and Simon hunched over, grabbing his parts.