Maybe [The Mortal Instruments] {Rewritten}

I Clary's P.O.V

"Come on, Clary! Just let me come inside with you; it's just dinner after all," complained Jace, leaving a trail of kisses down my neck to distract me and persuade me to accept.

"It's dinner, with my parents," I specified. "Did you forget that Mom hates you?"

"Don't talk about my relationship with your mother like that," he replied, making me laugh. "It's... complicated."

"Complicated my ass," I snorted.

"Well, you have a nice ass," Jace's comment made me blush.

"Ok!" I conceded, still blushing. "Just let's get inside and get this finished with. Mom sounded kind of worried when she called," I told him, feeling concerned.

Being the best boyfriend he is, Jace wrapped an arm around me to give me comfort and guided me inside. We hung our coats and scarves on the coat rack before heading to the dining room. However, as soon as we saw the scene unfolding in the room, we stopped frozen. Mom and Luke were sitting, showing us their backs, across from Sebastian and a gorgeous, strange girl. By her side was Alec, and next to Luke was Magnus. The most perturbing thing was that they were all laughing about something the girl said, while Alec blushed.

Jace and I exchanged puzzled glances, wondering what kind of unexpected gathering this was. As we approached the table, the laughter died down, and all eyes turned to us. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and curiosity about the mysterious girl seated with our group.

"What in Raziel's name is going on here?!" Jace demanded to know angrily, drawing his sword, and pointing it towards Sebastian.

"Jace, calm down and put the sword away," ordered Alec softly, as if afraid a wrong move would make Jace go crazy. Ironically, my mad brother was sitting just two seats away!

"Don't tell me to calm down, Alec!" Jace shouted at his parabatai. "Sebastian is here! And you all look as if you're having a nice tea party! Did you forget that he killed Max?!"

Alec flinched at the memory, and Magnus stood up, getting to his boyfriend's side to offer comfort while glaring at Jace. My boyfriend looked guilty, but his stubbornness prevented him from seeking forgiveness. More surprisingly, Sebastian gazed at his plate with a mixture of concern, guilt, and rage.

"So... who is Sebastian?" Asked the new girl, attempting to ease the tense atmosphere. My attention, however, was fixed on the way she rubbed her hands up and down my brother's arms to provide comfort.

Suddenly, something caught my eye, and I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Why is that girl wearing the Morgenstern family ring?"

"The girl has a name," she replied with a raised eyebrow. "And I asked first, Clarissa. Who is Sebastian?"

"You should know, you're all over him right now," Jace grunted in disgust.

"Watch it, Herondale!" Sebastian warned with a sadistic glare. Now, that sight was the most familiar one I had seen all night. "Speak whatever you wish of me but leave Katherine out of it. She has nothing to do with all of this."

"She's wearing your family's ring; I think she has everything to do with it," I replied with disdain.

"It's your family as well, Clarissa," my brother told me with a malicious smile, making me feel uncomfortable.

As the tension in the room escalated, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding about the mysterious connection between Katherine, Sebastian, and the Morgenstern family ring.

"Stop it, Jonathan! You're making her feel more uncomfortable than she already was," the girl scolded my brother, who surprisingly listened to her. "By the way, Clarissa, your brother is right. You're still a Morgenstern, like it or not, that will never change. Just because your father was no good man doesn't mean you have to forget where you come from. If you do, you'll only let him win." My eyes widened at her words.

"I had never thought of it like that," I thought out loud.

"She's very wise, isn't she?" Commented my brother, looking at her as she hung up the moon for him.

"Thank you. Shut up, Alec!" she elbowed Jace's parabatai when he snorted. "Secondly, your brother's name is Jonathan, not Sebastian. I know that you don't have the best relationship and might never have. But just listen to him; he has a lot of stuff to explain," Katherine asked me softly.

I wanted to say no, to leave and never look back. But looking at her pleading and honest eyes, I couldn't say no. And it was a good thing I agreed to listen to my brother. I knew that my father was an evil son of a bitch, but I would have never imagined that he was capable of torturing his own son.

As Jonathan began to share his story, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Katherine, who had been a source of tension, transformed into a mediator, guiding the conversation, and ensuring that I absorbed every bit of my brother's painful narrative. The details unfolded, revealing a darker side of our family history that I had been oblivious to.

"Damn it!" cursed Jace, next to me. "And I thought that Valentine was hard... it was nothing compared to what he did to you."

"You were always his favorite, the angel boy," commented Jonathan bitterly.

"You still have me, and you are my favorite," Katherine told my brother and kissed his cheek affectionately.

"That's true, I still have you," he said with a smile. Not those fake ones or evil ones I see him wearing all the time; this was honest and wholehearted.

"Can you both please stop acting like you are in love? It's like watching Isabelle eye-fucking that bloodsucker," Alec asked uncomfortably and slightly green.

"We are in love," replied Katherine, with an amused smile, and jumped into Alec's arms. "Sorry, big guy, but this is payback for walking in on you and Magnus having sex yesterday." We all laughed when Alec blushed.

"So, you are both engaged?" I asked her.

"What? Xander and I?" Katherine questioned me with an amused expression. From what I I could see, she loves messing around with people.

"No! You and Sebastian," exclaimed Jace. "Why would you even think Clary would get to that conclusion?"

"Cause she would be the first one to think we are a couple," answered Alec, instead of Katherine.

"Also, we look quite good together," added Katherine jokingly.

But by the looks of jealousy on Magnus and Jonathan's faces, I knew they didn't appreciate that comment. I felt a twinge of satisfaction when they reluctantly broke apart from their intimate hug and returned to their respective partners.

"Yes, we are, Clarissa," my brother answered my question, possessively wrapping his arms around his fiancée's waist.

"He isn't the only one," added Magnus, cuddling against Alec, and proudly displaying the Lightwood family ring on his finger.

"Damn it!" This time, I was the one who cursed.

"Clary!" My mother scolded me.

"Mom, I think that one was allowed," I snapped. "Too much information in too little time. Let's just have dinner and see how things unfold from here."

They all nodded at my proposal and started eating. Could this really be happening? My brother being good, and everything falling into place just the way it always had to be. I pondered the thought with a hint of worry. "Think about it tomorrow, Frey! For now, just enjoy a nice but weird family dinner."