Bloodlines

four

Clary trudged up the stairs soon enough carrying a bag that Eden could only assume Dot had given her, a bright smile on her lips as she called out "Mom!" Jocelyn let go of Eden and began walking to her daughter claiming loudly "You did it! Yay!" Eden burst out into a fit of laughter as Clary's smile fell into a mere amused one as she replied "You also follow Simon?" Jocelyn wrapped her arms around her daughter and laughed "He only has 92 followers. He needs the retweets."

The two then pulled away and Jocelyn cupped Clary's cheek and whispered lovingly "Congratulations." Eden smiled at the two and flung herself onto the loveseat next to her, legs crossing and her arms pressing flat against the armrest. "Thank you. Hashtag, stalker mom." Clary told her mom as the older ginger turned around quickly to grab a small box before turning back to the birthday girl.

"Happy birthday." Jocelyn said as she handed Clary the box, from her seat Eden could see Clary open the box and pull out a cylindrical pen looking object similar to the one that she, herself owned. "It's called a steele." The mother explained once she saw the confused look form on her daughter's face. "What is it, like, a paperweight?" Clary questioned as she sat down on the couch with her mother.

"No," Jocelyn chuckled softly, her green eyes flashing to her daughter figure quickly, just to catch her staring at her with uncertainty, "It's much more than that. It's very ancient. I want you to have it. It's a family heirloom." Clary chuckled at her mother's words and looked at the girl she considered her sister, Eden smiling slightly back at her. 

"We Frays have heirlooms?" The birthday girl mused, turning back to the steele  as her mother replied "A few." this of course made Clary question curiously "Does Eden have one as well, she is an honorary Fray." Jocelyn and Eden laughed at the young ginger's words and Eden pulled out her own steele out of her back pocket, showing it off as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Mom had it made especially for me when I turned 18." Eden lied, explaining why her dsteele was different from the one that Clary was holding, knowing fully well that Clary would ask about it later. Jocelyn gave Eden a small and tight ghost smile, silently thanking her for proving to Clary and helping her accept the steele without Jocelyn having to go further into detail, at least for now.

Clary nodded at her sister and looked back at her steele, observing it, rotating it between her fingers, feeling the small rush that the steele gave her before she vvoice loudly " You know, it's weird. I doodled something that looked like this this morning. I must have seen this around the house somewhere." Her words made Jocelyn freeze in half fear and Eden bite the insides of her cheek.

They both knew that Clary had not seen the steele around the house, but rather the protections that were placed on her that were wearing off and she was starting to remember things that she was enchanted to forget. Unfortunately before anything could be said, Clary's phone dinger, alerting the three women that she had gotten a message 

"Simon. He's on his way over." Clary reads out loud, bringing the two older women's attention back to her, her mother instantly stuttering "But we- But we need to talk." Clary quickly retaliated with "I can't right now. I gotta change. I'm, we going to see Champagne Enema tonight." Subtly reminding Eden that she should get changed as well. Jocelyn frowned at the name as her heart flew up to her mouth, leaving Clary to explain "It's the new band name. But Simon, Maureen and Eden are taking me out after." 

Eden looked between the two ginger like it was a ping pong match, she knew that Clary shouldn't have said that they was going out because now Jocelyn was going to be even more worried, the junction of Clary turning 18 and the demonic murders being too much for the ginger mother to handle, "But it's... It's your 18th birthday, and, uh... everything's gonna change for you now." Jocelyn started, following her daughter's actions of standing up.

Clary looked at her mother with raised brows, a soft blush etching on her cheeks, almost as if she remembered something that truly made her shy causing her to whisper lowly "Mom, we've had the talk. I'm good." "We need to have a much different and more important talk." Jocelyn insisted, her hand wrapping around Clary's free wrist and pulling her back.

"And we will. But can it be over breakfast, all right? I love you. Thank you for the heirloom. I love you." Clary called out, escaping her mother and walking to her bedroom. Jocelyn sighed and turned to her other daughter of sorts, making the slightly tanned brunette raise her hands in mock surrender "Don't look at me, I didn't teach her any of that." she claimed.

Jocelyn smiled softly once more and sat back down, "Why do you girls have to grow up so fast?" Eden pretended to think about it before getting up and sitting next to Jocelyn and replying "Because we can't be toddlers and babies forever otherwise you would not have grandchildren one day." Jocelyn laughed and wrapped her arms around her eldest daughter.