Mortal Instruments Clace Fanfic

Chapter 19

JACE'S POV

I helped Clary to put breakfast onto the table, then we went to go wake up the babies. I was nervous that I would screw something up, but I wanted to become a real father. 

I picked Josie up tenderly, and whispered to her until she woke up. My daugter. It's kind of insane that in the past 24 hours I had regained my amazing girlfriend (I think), and gotten two amazing, adorable, perfect kids. The world had shifted and everything was a million times better. 

As Josie opens her eyes, I whisper, "Good morning, princess.", almost inaudibly. She smiles up at me, and I lightly tickle her. I realize that Clary is watching us, and walk over to the changing table. We switch kids and now I'm holding

"So how do you do this terrifying 'diaper changing' thing?", I ask. I'm trying not to show it, but this is actually terrifying to me. 

Clary just laughs. I try to pay close attention, but then Wil reaches up and taps my nose. I take a finger and tap his back. Then it turns into a game of us going back and forth. 

~~time skip~~

After we ate, I took the kids into the living room while Clary stands in the kitchen making some phone calls. In order to be on the babies'  level, I lay down on my stomach, propping my head up on my elbows. Then all of the sudden, Will and Josie are both climbing all over my back. Oh well. I just let them have their fun. 

My thoughts turn to Clary. She has changed in a lot of ways. She seems more mature and more sure of herself. She just seemed stronger in general. I had no idea how she had managed to raise the twins all by herself, and still work. My respect for her has skyrocketed. I feel like I owe it to her and the twins to make up for the time that I lost.

She sets her phone down, and walks into the living room, leaning on the doorway. "Hey! We have dinner plans.", she announces. 

Will is sitting by my side, but Josie is sitting on my lower back, so I reach behind me and move her to beside her brother. Then I stand up, to talk to Clary. 

"Oh yeah? Where?", I ask.

"At the Institute, I eat with Valerie and all the kids there on Saturday evening. Also, it's time for them to take a nap!", Clary says, pointing to the kids at the end. 

The Institute? I briefly remember Valerie, but I don't remember any kids. 

~~another time skip~~

"Clary, I'll get Josie, you get William.", I call out. She nods to me and picks William up. I grab Josie, and walk out of the front door.

Clary locks the door behind me, and unlocks her car. I open the back door to find two carseats. I place Josie in the pink one, then look to Clary over the top of her car. 

"Do you want me to drive?", I ask. 

She smirks and says, "No. I can drive my car just fine thanks." 

I put my hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture, then plop into the passenger seat. Clary sits down beside me and starts the car. 

"Okay...", she says to me. "There are five people at the Institute. Valerie is the oldest, she 26. You've probably met her, however briefly. The next one is Chloe, she's 17 now. Then Theo, who is 12. He recently got his first Marks, so he probably won't shut up about them. Then Martin; he's 8. And last but not least, Emilia, who is 5. They are all brother and sister, but Valerie has raised them for the past 4 years, since their parents were killed in a rare monster attack. I train them on the weekends." 

I listen carefully, trying to keep up. "Okay, so Valerie, then Chloe, Theo, Martin, and Emilia?"

"Yep, you got it!" 

We pull into the driveway of the Institute, and get everyone out of the car. As we are walking up the walkway, the door flies open, and a little girl flies out, screaming, "CLARY!!!!" She runs up and hugs Clary's legs. "Can I hold Josie? Or William? Who's this guy? Is he going to play with me?" 

Clary laughs as if this is an everyday occasion. "Whoa whoa whoa! Emilia, calm down. You might be able to hold the twins later, and play with them too. This is Jace, and I don't think he will play today, but maybe someday." 

"Okay!", the little girl, Emilia, says in a perky voice. "Come on!" She grabs my hand, (the one that isn't holding Josie and tugs me up the front steps. I can't help but laugh. Clary follows behind me, smiling as if to say, "Sorry, not sorry!" 

When we are inside, there is three people waiting. They are introduced as Chloe, Theo, and Martin. Clary interacts with them like they are family, hugging each one of them. I guess after spending two years with them, they would be close to family.

Chloe took William from Clary and the two were playing with each other. 

"Clary, I was practicing and yesterday, I disarmed Theo while we were sparring!", Martin piped up. 

Clary laughed. "That's great Martin! I told you that practice would help. Where's Valerie?"

"She's in the kitchen working on dinner. Who's this guy?", Theo asked. 

"Let's go to the kitchen and I'll introduce him in front of eveyone. I'm sure Valerie needs help cooking.", Clary says. I'm starting to feel a little awkward and nervous. Clary, I guess sensing my nerves, looks back and grabs my hand, smiling. 

"It's all good. They seem a little overbearing at first, but they were my family when I had left mine.", she says, leading me to the kitchen. 

In the kitchen, we find the woman I had talked to when I first arrived wearing an apron and standing over a large pot. She looks up and sees us, breaking into a smile.

"Bonjour, Clary! How are the twins?", she says, with a friendly tone.

"They're great, Valerie. Almost ready to start walking, by the looks of it."

"Walking already! It seems like just the other day they were tiny newborns!" Clary nodded, a little sadly.

Valerie spoke again. "Now, I remember this young man from a while ago, but I don't believe that I caught your name."

I smiled sheepishly and Clary introduced me. "This is Jace Herondale. This is the twins' dad, and... my boyfriend. He came after me when I... left.", she said, hesitating in some places. 

When she called me her boyfriend, I swelled with joy. This meant that she still wanted to be in a relationship, that she still, however little, had feelings for me. 

Valerie nodded and then said, "Welcome to France, Jace. I hope that you find joy here." 

I looked at Clary and the twins. "I already have found my joy. It was lost for a very long time, but when I finally found it again, it had tripled, and I couldn't be happier." 

The rest of the night was spent talking, eating, and slipping into a comfortable happiness. I felt at home, because I was back with the person, now people, that brought me joy.

Awww, Jace. You're so sweet!!!! Anyways, I know, I know, I've been really really bad. I haven't updated in forever. Feel free to be mad. I've been really busy with school and I sorta lost my inspiration and motivation to write for a while. But now I'm on Spring Break, and I'm gonna try to update a TON. To try to make up for my leave of absence, I'm gonna also try and put up some new stories I've been working on, so keep and eye out for those! *wink wink wink*  

Anywho, thanks Sooooooo much for reading!!!!! I really do appreciate it! Please comment to tell me what you think, and I really need title suggestions!! I bad at coming up with titles for anything. Luvs ~Abby <3  (ps: watch for those new stories!! ;-)