Hello, my lovelies! I hope you're having an amazing day. And although I don't want to say it, this is the final chapter of Protecting Jace. Now, I'm already a little sensitive after the ending of season three of Skam, and if you watch the show, you'd understand how emotional I am right now. Anyway, this may be the end, but I want to thank every single one of you who favorited, followed and reviewed this story. You have all been so sweet to me and I'll always have a special place for you in my heart. I hope you stick around for future stories, which may be coming sooner than you think :). Love you all. Kisses!

This chapter has been edited by my lovely beta, Avanymous.

P.S. I highly suggest that you listen to the chapter songs.

Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)

Chapter Songs:

**You and I by JOHNNYSWIM (Scene 1)

**Take the World by JOHNNYSWIM (Scene 2)

**A Thousand Years by Christina Perri (Scene 3)

.o.O.o. Fifteen years later .o.O.o.

The arena was packed. There were a lot more people than Jace had expected. This wasn't his first time attending a martial arts tournament, but it was his first time attending the championships. He had no idea that the event was this popular. With all of the cameras and the digital screens plastered everywhere, to anyone else, it would look they were preparing themselves for the Olympics.

Releasing a breath, Jace leaned further back, resting his arms on the bench behind him. There were only a few more minutes left until yet another intermission was over and the final match began. He could read the anticipation on everyone's faces as they munched on their popcorn and squirmed in their seats. After months of narrowing down a group of a thousand participants, the main event was finally here. Most would expect him to be a nervous wreck, considering that it was his kid up for the championship, but he was more proud than anything. Yeah, winning would be nice, but it wasn't everything. The twins knew that they had nothing to prove to anyone but themselves. At fifteen, they were wiser than he ever could've imagined being when he was their age.

"Excuse me."

Lifting his head, Jace spotted his wife and son trying to make their way down the row. A group of men perked up as Clary eased past them, their eyes raking over her thigh high boots and the plunging neckline of her long sleeve white shirt. Noticing the watchful eyes, his son clenched his jaw and glared at them, making Jace grin. JJ was very protective of his mother and sister, that's for sure. Jace witnessed first hand the damage he could do when it came to them and he honestly couldn't have been prouder of the man he was becoming.

Once they reached him, JJ took a seat on the bench while Clary handed Jace a bag of caramel popcorn and a can of soda. "You didn't tell me what drink you wanted, so I just got cherry coke."

Jace set the items off to the side and reached out to grasp her hips, pulling her between his legs. "You know me so well."

"Well, I'd hope so," she said, tapping his ring.

Grinning, Jace lifted his hand to her cheek and pulled her down to him, pressing his lips to hers. Clary wrapped her hand around his wrist, her hair falling around them like a curtain, but when he attempted to deepen the kiss, she pulled away and nuzzled her nose against his.

"Not in front of the kids," she told him.

Their son shrugged, tossing a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. "Val and I have seen a lot worse, Mom."

Clary shoved him playfully in the head, making him laugh as he readjusted his backwards cap, his strawberry blond curls peeking out from under it. Jace swore he saw himself when he looked at him. The hair, the smirking, the ego, it was like looking in a mirror sometimes.

Reaching out, Jace ran his thumb over his son's jaw. "Is that paint?"

JJ wiped his face and looked down at his fingers. "Yeah, it's from this piece I've been working on."

"You started a new painting?" Clary asked, taking a seat between them. "When?"

"A couple nights ago." He continued to munch on his popcorn. "It's the Brooklyn Bridge through abstract realism. I think it might be good enough to add to my exhibition next week."

"I'm sure it'll be great," Jace told him. Luckily, JJ got his art skills from his mother, as opposed to his style of stick figures and squiggly lines. It was insane seeing the pieces he was capable of making at his age, but he'd spent most of his childhood in the art studio Clary owned and taught out of, so picking up a few things was ultimately inevitable.

"Well, Val's been helping me with the color combinations in return for helping her train," he said. "She needed help perfecting some moves, so she came to the master, of course."

"Oh, surely you're confused." Smirking, Jace plucked the cap off of his son's head and put it on his own, twisting it backwards. "I am, and always will be, the master in this family."

JJ snorted and ran a hand through his hair. "You wish. Mom's totally more badass than you."

"Well, yeah, that's part of the reason why I married her, but that's beside the point." Wrapping his arm around Clary's waist, he leaned down to kiss her shoulder. "Right, baby?"

She patted his thigh. "Mmhmm. Whatever helps your ego, honey."

Chuckling, JJ took his hat back and slipped it on, his eyes traveling to a girl a couple rows down trying to find a seat. Jace raised a brow, watching as his son smirked and sent her a wink, making her blush and hide behind her hair.

"Did you see that, Dad?" He turned to face him. "I did the move."

Clary scoffed. "What your father is teaching you will only get you laid, not a girlfriend."

JJ smiled. "I'll take it."

Grabbing a handful of popcorn from his bucket, she tossed it at his face. "I still cut your peanut butter sandwiches, Jonathan. So how about we skip the sex talk."

He mock saluted her. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Rolling her eyes, Clary took another small handful off his popcorn and leaned her head against his. Jace smiled at the sight, glad to see that they were still close despite him reaching his teenage years. Reaching out, he cracked open his cherry coke and took a sip just as the announcer stepped onto the mat.

"Oh, there's Val," JJ said, pointing to the center of the arena.

Jace followed his finger, spotting his daughter next to her trainer, her hands braced on her hips as she listened intently to the man's words. Her black sports bra, leggings and wrapped fists made her look battle ready, which she most definitely was. Rolling her shoulders, Valerie reached up to adjust her long ponytail, her emerald-gold eyes peering up at them. A wide grin spread across her face and she sent them a wave, ignoring the cameras surrounding her and her opponent.

"I'm so proud of her," Clary said beside him. "I knew the day she beat that school bully to a pulp in elementary school that she'd be a fighter."

"Really? When did you know I'd become an artist?" JJ asked.

Clary tugged on a curl peeking out from under his cap. "When you wouldn't quit climbing onto my lap whenever I was working on a painting. You did it so often that I eventually just handed you the brush and let you do your own thing."

Quirking a brow, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket. "Do you think I'll eventually get to take over the studio?"

Jace chuckled. "Good luck with that. You'll have to pry that place out of her cold, dead hands."

Clary shoved him. "Asshole." Turning back to their son, she said, "If that's what you want, then I'd be happy to hand over the reigns."

He smiled to himself. "Cool."

"Everyone's watching from home, right?" Jace asked.

"Yeah, Luke bought it on pay-per-view so everyone could watch it together back at the loft." She took another handful of popcorn. "Who knew seats to this thing would cost so much?"

"Well, it is the biggest martial arts competition in the country," JJ offered.

The music playing throughout the arena came to a sudden stop as the announcer tapped the mic in front of him. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the National Martial Arts Championship." The man paused for applause. "We have a very interesting match planned for you this evening, so let's get to it. Introducing first, from Los Angeles, California, with three consecutive championship wins and a track record that should worry any opponent, make some noise for Lukas Chambers."

Chambers ran out onto the mat and the crowd went crazy. This guy was obviously a fan favorite, having won many times before. Jace read up on him prior to the event. He was a year older than Valerie and had been training pretty much his whole life, but Jace knew his daughter. After years of joining him while he taught combat classes at the Agency, she knew how to hold her own in any fight. She could take him.

The announcer continued. "Now, for the first time ever, we have a female up for the championship. Don't write her off, folks, she's going to be a tough one to beat. With reaction times so fast that they call her The Viper and known for some of the quickest takedowns we've ever seen. From Brooklyn, New York, give it up for Valerie Herondale."

Jace was surprised to hear the crowd cheer even louder for his daughter. She may have been a newcomer, but she'd definitely made a name for herself in the past few months.

The three of them stood, their voices competing with the buzzing crowd.

"Take him down, sis," JJ called down to her.

"Watch your footing," Clary added. "And protect your face."

Grinning, Jace cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Stay focused. You got this, baby girl."

Valerie cut them all a look, her cheeks reddening with slight embarrassment, but that was what he was aiming for. She was so much like her mother, getting stuck in her own head. Sometimes she just needed a little distraction to finally make her focus. And when she relaxed her face, rolled her neck, and flexed her fingers, Jace knew that his job was done.

Once they sat back down, Clary wrapped her hands around his bicep and rested her head on his shoulder, her anxiety coming off of her in waves. Running his fingers through her hair, he leaned down to place a few tiny kisses to her temple, trying to keep her relaxed. She made a sound of approval and snuggled into him even more, her grip on his arm tightening as their daughter and Chambers squared off.

A ref stood on the mat also, his arm stretched out to separate the two of them. Valerie held out her hand for Lukas to shake, which he promptly ignored. Jace smiled, knowing that the action had only sparked a bigger flame inside of her. Putting her hand back at her side, she listened as the ref quickly explained the rules.

"Fighters ready?"

They nodded.

The ref removed his arm from between them. "Begin."

The crowd cheered as the match began and Jace untangled his arm from his wife's grasp to wrap it around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

Clary fidgeted a little. "I should've put her hair into braids. That ponytail was a mistake. All it'll take is one little snag and she'll have all those curls in her face. Oh God, I'm such a—"

Jace closed his lips over hers. "Relax, Tiger. Val knows what she's doing." He tucked her hair behind her ear and grinned. "She's a Herondale."

She reached up to grab his hand. "You're right."

"I know." He kissed the top of her head. "Now quit squirming and watch."

Rolling her eyes, she leaned back into him, her back pressed against his side. Feeling content now that she was relaxed, his gaze slid back to the mat just as someone plopped down next to him. He immediately got a whiff of expensive cologne and aftershave.

"Is this seat taken?" the man asked.

Jace eyed him for a moment, taking in his slicked back dark hair and polished suit. Then he looked down at his own black t-shirt and jeans, furrowing his brows a little. He was almost sure that this was supposed to be a casual event. "Um, no. I don't think so." He focused back on the match.

"Daniel." The man held out his hand. "Daniel Chambers."

Not taking his eyes off of his daughter, he reached out to quickly shake his hand. "Jace."

But apparently they weren't done talking. "Yeah, my boy has been eyeing that trophy all year. It'll just be one more to add to the many he already has, but a person can never have enough trophies, right?" He nudged Jace's shoulder as if they were buddies.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, hoping that the disinterest in his tone would be enough to shut him up. He wasn't so lucky.

"You know, I'm surprised they let the girls compete with the guys this year instead of keeping the two separate like they always have. I mean, I know it's a new generation and all, but it was an idiotic move in my opinion."

Now that sparked Jace's interest. "How do you figure?" he asked.

"I just think it's unfair to the guys. They've been fighting each other all these years and now all of a sudden they're forced to take on girls too? I mean, women are obviously inferior to men—have been since the beginning of time. One wrong move and they're reduced to tears. Nobody wants to deal with that."

Jace felt Clary tense beside him, and he knew she wanted nothing more than to show the douchebag just how "inferior" women were to men. Dropping his hand to her waist, he held her against him, silently telling her that he had this one.

"So, you're saying that the only reason why a girl made it to the championship is because the guys were afraid to fight her?" He met the man's stare. "That she just kind of slipped through the cracks because no one wanted to risk making her cry?"

"Well, yeah. I'd be an idiot not to."

JJ set his bucket of popcorn off to the side. "Oh, hell no." He attempted to get up, but Jace grabbed the back of his jacket, yanking him back down. He'd only give the guy a black eye and that would just get them kicked out of the arena before the match was over.

Jace raised a brow. "Would you say your son is one of those people?"

The man chuckled. "Not a chance. He's not afraid to take down some girl if it means getting him that trophy. It wouldn't be the first time he embarrassed someone, but you understand, right?"

Jace kept his eyes down on the mat, watching as his daughter blocked another kick and shoved her hand into the guy's windpipe, stopping his momentum. "Oh, for sure."

"Did your kid compete this year?"

He nodded. "Sure did."

The douchebag grimaced, his gaze falling on JJ. "I'm sorry."

Smirking, Jace leaned towards him, nudging his shoulder like he did minutes before. "Don't be. She's the one currently kicking your son's ass."

He hadn't been paying attention to the match before, but he sure was now. His eyes zeroed in on the mat just in time to see Valerie land a solid kick to his son's side. Lukas stumbled back a little, but before he could complete recover, she flipped forward, wrapped her legs around his neck and forced them both to the mat, slamming his body hard against it.

Clary gasped. "She did the move I taught her."

"And she nailed it," JJ said, ending the video he was recording on his phone. "Oh man, our friends are gonna freak."

Chambers was able to break out of her hold long enough to jump to his feet, one hand holding his injured side. A look of worry crossed his face as Valerie closed in on him. The crowd began chanting her nickname, and once Lukas hesitated and took a step back, Jace knew that this match was seconds from being over. He'd taught his daughter and all of his trainees to immediately capitalize on any weakness their opponent showed, which was exactly what she did.

Once she reached him, Chambers let go of his side and threw multiple punches, all of which Valerie ducked and dodged. Her effortless style of fighting reminded him so much of Clary, as if she could just sense what a person could do before they did it. Reaching out, she grasped both of his wrists and he used that opportunity to kick out, his foot finding purchase in her thigh. She gasped in pain, but fought through it as she shoved her elbow into his bruised side, causing him to involuntarily flinch back. Valerie reacted quickly and jumped up, both of her feet jutting out to kick him in the chest, the momentum sending him to the mat. She fell onto the mat after him, but immediately flipped back onto her feet. And before Chambers could make another move, she swung her leg, her foot connecting with his head, knocking him back down.

They all jumped to their feet, Jace holding onto Clary's hand as they watched the referee motion their daughter away from Chambers. The crowd fell silent as he leaned down to check on him. Jace was almost worried that she'd knocked him unconscious, but then he saw more movement down on the mat and released the breath he'd been holding.

"I'm fine," Lukas yelled, shoving the ref away. Then he dropped his head back against the mat and covered his face with his hands.

Standing, the referee gave a thumbs up to the judges to show that Chambers was in fact okay, and after commencing, one of them leaned over to the announcer and whispered something in his ear. A grin spread across the man's face as he picked up a mic and clicked it on.

"The judges have come to a unanimous decision." He paused for suspense, but anyone watching could already guess who won. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great honor to announce our first ever female champion, Valerie Herondale!"

At that exact moment, his phone began blaring in his pocket with incoming texts, and he knew that it was all of their friends freaking out as they watched it happen live. The referee lifted Valerie's hand above her head, causing a stunned look to cross her face. She'd been working towards this for years and now all of her hard work had finally paid off.

Letting go of his hand, Clary moved around him to stand face to face with Lukas' father. "You see that girl down there?" She motioned down to Valerie. "That girl comes from a long line of powerful women and is the product of two highly-trained government Agents. I believe that she and women in general will one day rule the world, shutting down one misogynistic douchebag at a time."

The man scoffed and adjusted his suit, as if he could simply dismiss her with the action. "You and your daughter can go—" the last of his sentence turned into a squawk as JJ came out of nowhere and punched him below the belt. He fell onto his knees, his hands going to cover his crotch. "Jesus."

"Don't bother," JJ told him. "No self-respecting woman would ever go anywhere near it, anyway."

Jace grabbed his son's arm and tugged him back to stop anymore damage he planned to inflict. Then he smirked down at the man. "I hope you and your son learned a valuable lesson in respecting women today. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a champion to congratulate."

As they walked away, Clary rested her hand on JJ's shoulder. "You didn't have to do that."

He shrugged. "I'm a Herondale. We protect our own. Right, Dad?"

Jace smiled and patted his back. "Right, son."

"Hey, what's Scott Wheeler doing here?" he asked.

Jace's gaze slid to the mat, watching as Scott Wheeler—captain of the Junior Varsity football team—walked up to Valerie. "And why the hell does he have a bouquet of flowers?"

Clary shrugged. "I invited him."

"You what?"

"His mom and I were talking a few weeks ago and she mentioned that he had an interest in coming, so I convinced the event planner to give us a couple extra tickets."

He furrowed his brows. "How did you manage that?"

She smirked and stepped towards him, fiddling with her neckline, drawing his attention to her perfect breasts. "How do you think?"

After shaking himself out of the trance she temporarily put him under, Jace cursed. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because Valerie really likes him, and it's obvious that he likes her too. I mean, look at them."

She directed his attention to where the two of them stood and Jace watched as Scott said something and handed the bouquet of flowers over to his blushing daughter. Valerie smiled as he leaned forward, quickly pecking her on the cheek. And the little giggle that followed was like a dagger to Jace's heart. "Not my little girl."

"I'm gonna kill him," JJ said.

Clary rolled her eyes. "No one's killing anyone."

"I'm her older brother. It's my job."

She scoffed. "By three minutes. Now, listen up. This is Valerie's first crush, and if either of you scare him off before she even gets a chance to see what he's all about," she pointed to JJ, "you're going to be banned from the studio for a month." His mouth dropped open.

Jace quirked a brow. "And me?"

She stepped up to him and dropped her voice to a whisper. "You know that thing I do with my tongue?" she asked. He nodded, getting flashbacks of the many times she'd blown his mind without even lifting a finger. At the look on his face, she gave him a smug expression. "Well, if you purposefully chase this boy away, from here on out, you can do it to yourself."

His eyes widened. She had him and she knew it. "You little vixen."

She shrugged and backed away. "Sometimes you have to play dirty to get what you want. Now," she grabbed Jace's hand. "Let's go introduce ourselves."

The two teenagers put a little distance between them as they approached. JJ immediately walked up to his sister and gave her a high five.

"Nice takedown, sis."

She smiled. "Thanks, bro." Then she turned back to the nervous teenage boy standing beside her. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Scott. He's a . . . friend from school."

Clary was first to respond. "Nice to meet you, Scott."

He nodded. "You too. Thanks again for the tickets, Mrs. Herondale."

She waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. And, please, just call me Clary."

Scott looked to him, most likely expecting the same response.

Jace grinned. "Mr. Herondale is fine." Clary elbowed him in the side and he cleared his throat. "Or Jace. Jace is fine too."

"And I'm JJ," his son chimed in.

Scott furrowed his brows. "I know. We have English together."

JJ cocked his head to the side. "We do?"

"Yeah, but you're usually too busy doodling in your sketchbook or chatting up Emma to really notice, I guess."

"Oh, yeah." He tucked his hands into his pockets. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. You're a man on a mission, I respect that." Scott ran a hand through his dark hair and turned back to Valerie. "As awesome as this was, I have an early practice tomorrow, so I should go." He lifted his hand to her cheek and grinned once she blushed again. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks again for the flowers."

"Anytime, Viper." He sent the rest of them a wave as he backed away. "It was nice meeting you guys."

Once he left, Clary skidded up to Valerie as they talked and giggled over whatever the hell just happened. They were briefly interrupted by the judges, who presented Valerie with a gold medal and a four foot tall trophy. Her eyes lit up as she examined the items and she immediately moved to wrap her arms around Jace's torso, burying her face into his chest.

"I can't believe I won."

He squeezed her tight and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I knew you would. I'm so proud of you."

"Jace, they need her for pictures."

He nodded, but he didn't let his daughter go just yet. "Listen," he told her. "I know you and JJ are getting older, and at times it might seem like I'm not okay with that, but I want you to know that I trust you. If you want to go out on dates or whatever else, I'm not going to stop you, but don't ever let anyone treat you less than the kickass girl you are, okay? And don't forget that I'm here for you no matter what."

"I won't," she said.

He simply raised a brow and she laughed, looking up at him.

"Daddy, I promise."

"Alright." He squeezed once more, his eyes darting over the freckles covering her nose before releasing her completely. "Get out of here, champ."

As she walked away with Clary, Jace stood back and watched, his son by his side.

"Is it true? You really trust us?" he asked.

Jace chuckled. "I trust Val to keep you both in line. She's practical, like her mother."

"Hey, what about me? Why can't I be the practical one?"

"Until you start thinking with the head on your shoulders instead of the one down south, I'll continue to leave it in her hands."

JJ crossed his arms. "Touché."

They were quiet for a few moments, but after a while, his son cleared his throat and spoke.

"But we're still going to kick Wheeler's ass if he hurts her, right?"

Jace sent him a knowing grin.

"Oh, definitely."

.o.O.o.

"Make way for the champion."

Clary shook her head in amusement as her husband burst through the front door of the loft, their daughter hiked up on his back. The sudden commotion caused everyone to turn their attention away from the television, cheering once they saw the trophy in Jace's hand and the medal Valerie was holding up.

"There's the rest of the party." Jordan trailed over to them, his six-month-old daughter dozing on his chest as he patted her back.

"Hey, Uncle Jordan." Valerie stuck out her hand. "Check out my medal."

"Awesome. Just one second." Walking up to Clary, he handed his daughter over, knowing that she didn't mind one bit.

She took her with joy, carefully cradling her head and body to her chest. "Where's Maia?" she asked.

Jordan began examining Valerie's medal. "She's waking Ava up from her nap."

"Mom, are you sniffing Brooklyn?" JJ asked, watching as she lifted the baby's head to her nose.

Clary gave them her back, hiding her actions from them, and began walking towards the living room. "Don't judge me. Babies only smell like this for so long."

"Do I have to worry about you sniffing my baby too?" Isabelle asked once she reached the couch. She was sitting between Simon's legs, her hand resting on her pregnant belly as he fed her celery sticks.

Clary smiled, sitting down next to her feet. "Oh, for sure." She glanced over at her. "How's baby number three coming along?"

"He's a kicker," she said.

"He's ready to get out of there," Magnus told her. "You've been keeping him captive for long enough."

"I know," she groaned. "But the doctor said it could be any day now."

"Well, as long as you don't spill your fluids all over my leather couch, I'll be fine," Jace chimed in, taking a seat beside her.

Isabelle scoffed. "Shut up, Jace. I'll spill my fluids if I want to, so back off."

"Hey, not in front of the baby," Clary said.

"You're one to talk," Jordan countered, walking in with Maia and their daughter, Ava, by his side. "You're the worst one out of all of us."

"What?"

Alec chuckled, as if it were stupid of her to even question it. "You're kidding right? You can't even go one day without calling Jace an asshole." After he said it, his seven-year-old daughter, Maria, perked up in his lap and covered her mouth, pointing at him.

"Papa, you said a bad word."

"Oh crap." Groaning, he dug into his pocket, retrieving a crisp dollar bill and handed it over. "Whose genius idea was this anyway?"

Maria pointed to Magnus. "Papa's. He says it's a good way to make a quick buck," she said, plucking the dollar bill in her hand.

Alec rolled his eyes, but the wide grin on his face gave him away. He and Magnus adopted Maria about four years ago, getting her out of a verbally and sometimes physically abusive environment. But despite her past, she'd found herself right at home with them, immediately becoming the best of friends with Ava who was a year younger. And Clary could tell every time Maria looked at her fathers that she was grateful for what they did for her every single day.

"That's great, Mags," Alec muttered. "You're teaching her how to scam her own father."

Magnus sent him a wink. "Gotta start somewhere."

Clary shook her head, her gaze traveling across the room and watching as Luke toyed with Celine's wedding ring, silly smiles on both of their faces. It hadn't taken them long to tie the knot, their wedding being only a few years after her and Jace's. Actually, after they got married, everyone else seemed to just follow in their footsteps, especially after seeing how happy it made them. She thought that the "honeymoon" faze would've worn off by now, but almost sixteen years later and they were still just as crazy for each other, much to their children's embarrassment.

Even now, as she held Jordan's baby closely to her chest, Jace's eyes slid over her in adoration and . . . something else.

Clary snorted. "Don't even think about it. The twins are enough of a handful, thank-you-very-much."

Valerie smiled at her brother. "She means you. You're the handful."

"Shouldn't you be stuffing your bra for Scott Wheeler by now?" he quipped back.

Jon laughed, his eyes falling on her. "They're so us."

"Yeah, a little too much," she said, watching as her children continued to bicker. It didn't take long for them both to let out growls of frustration before sitting down on opposite sides of the room, Valerie sitting between Maia and Aline, JJ taking a seat next to Jon and Tessa.

Isabelle bit back a grin. "Well, isn't this nice."

"Give it a few years," Clary told her. "The older they get, the more they drive you insane."

It was strange thinking that she was the one giving parenting advice to her friends, but she and Jace had kind of set the precedent for these things. She'd lost count of the number of times Isabelle and Maia called with questions or favors. She was sure Jace experienced the same thing with the guys, save for Jon who shivered at the thought of having children. But Clary knew that he was just happy to be married to Tessa and working alongside Luke at the Agency.

"Hey, isn't tonight game night?" Jace asked.

Clary shrugged. "Yeah, I think so."

"Then why are we all still sitting here? Let's play some games."

JJ raised his hand. "I vote poker."

"I'm in, but we're using your penny collection," Jordan said, already standing to head over to the circular table in the dining room. JJ nodded and jogged up the stairs to retrieve his case of pennies from his room. Everyone else began filing into the dining room, Simon helping his pregnant wife into a standing position.

Isabelle took a bite of her celery stick and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You're all going down," she proclaimed, taking a seat at the table.

Clary shook her head and followed behind them. "I'm not doing anything that requires me to let go of Brooklyn."

Jace grinned at her from his spot at the table and spread his arms, motioning her towards him. "Come here," he murmured.

Keeping hold of Brooklyn, she trailed over to him, allowing him to pull her onto his lap, his arm slipping around her waist. And with his free hand, he reached up to tap his goddaughter's nose, making Maia smile from her spot across from them.

JJ returned with the pennies soon after that, tossing the deck of cards over to Magnus, who was the fastest dealer out of all of them. Hiking Maria into his lap, he allowed her to help him deal the cards. As they dealt, Jordan worked on his "poker face" with Ava, JJ and Valerie mimed death threats to each other, Simon rubbed Isabelle's back as she continued to munch aggressively on her celery stick, and Jace mindlessly twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. Everyone else was too busy gazing at their significant other to really focus on what was happening in front of them. Clary swore they all grew up to be a bunch of sappy romantics. It was a wonder why they didn't all want to throw up around each other.

As they began to play, making bets with pennies and trying their best to deceive each other, Jordan struck up a conversation.

"So, has anyone been on any interesting missions lately?"

"I just got back from helping the FBI identify a few North Korean hackers," Jon stated proudly.

Jace readjusted her a little in his lap. "Clary and I were in the city a few weeks ago interrogating this guy trying to sell . . ." his gaze fell on Ava and Maria, "bad things to a rising gang."

Alec gave him a thankful nod. "Was it a success?"

Jace chuckled. "Of course. The kid cracked after the first punch Clary delivered."

JJ grinned. "Way to go, Mom. I don't know why no one ever believes me when I tell them stories about you guys."

Simon furrowed his brows. "You allow them to talk about your missions at school?"

Clary shrugged. "We've got nothing to hide. Besides, it's not like we're criminals. We're here to protect people."

"Well, my friends have a hard time believing anything I say." JJ crinkled his nose. "They just think Mom's hot."

Valerie made a sound of disgust. "That's because your friends are pervs." She stuck her tongue out at him and JJ responded by flipping her off from behind his cards, making sure none of the little ones could see.

Clary rolled her eyes. "Aline?"

"On it." Lifting her hand, she smacked the back of JJ's head, making him call out in surprise.

Clary narrowed her eyes at him. "Quit messing around or I'll give away your tell."

He readjusted his backwards cap, giving them a preposterous look. "I don't have a tell."

"Sure," she said. "So, I guess you're just practicing for when you're under water?"

"What?"

"You hold your breath, idiot," Valerie told him. "Anyone with a brain can see it. Just like Uncle Jordan bouncing his leg, or Aunt Izzy rubbing her belly, or Uncle Alec being as still as a statue. You people are too easy."

Jace chuckled. "Sorry, she's been coming to the Agency with me since she was ten. She's picked up on a few things."

"Yeah," JJ said, tossing his cards onto the table in defeat. "Like how to be a buzzkill."

Everyone else joined in, throwing their cards into a pile.

"She did us a favor." Maia leaned back and stretched. "I'm in the mood to relax. Let's watch a movie or something."

Isabelle gasped suddenly, freaking them all out.

"What is it?" Simon jumped to his feet and looked her over. "Is it the baby? Is it time?"

"No. I just remembered, Dirty Dancing comes on tonight. It's my favorite."

"Damn it, Izzy," Jace muttered. "We thought you were having the baby." Maria opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off by tossing a dollar her way, making her grin.

JJ groaned. "But that movie is so old."

Isabelle turned to him with a glare. "I know when it came out, and I wasn't asking." Standing, she turned that deadly look on all of them. "You all want to watch a movie? Well, we're watching Dirty Dancing, end of story. I'm pregnant and hormonal, so what I say goes—and if anyone has a problem with that, too bad."

JJ cleared his throat, gazing up at her in slight fear. "Alright then. I'll pop some popcorn."

Jordan followed. "And I'll go find what channel the movie is on," he said, backing away slowly.

Isabelle smiled as everyone got up to join them in the living room. On her way, Clary handed Brooklyn back to Maia so she could tuck her back into her baby carrier. Jordan already had the movie on by the time they all spread out on the couches and the floor, a few bowls of popcorn scattered around. They'd missed about ten minutes of the movie, but Isabelle still seemed pleased as she downed huge handfuls of popcorn.

Snuggling into her husband, Clary ran her thumb back and forth over his tattoo. He'd wanted to get their children's names tattooed in the same area, but decided to hold off on it, not sure if they'd want to change it in the future. Nothing was set in stone for now. That went for their names, their genders, their sexuality. Clary and Jace wanted them to be free to explore any possibilities, even if it meant they didn't change a thing in the end.

After a moment, Jace grabbed her hand, stopping her movements and leaned down to kiss her palm. "So, I was thinking about taking a trip upstate," he said.

She raised a brow. "To the penthouse?"

He nodded. "We haven't been there in a while and I think it'd be nice to have a little getaway."

"What about the kids?" she asked.

"Mom and Luke said they'd be up for keeping an eye on them. Besides," he dipped his head down, whispering against her ear. "I miss you."

She bit back a grin. "We had sex not even two days ago and you're already coming back for more?"

"The kids were home and it's never the same when they're here, especially after that day they walked in on us and screamed bloody murder." He continued to play with her fingers. "You have to admit that we have way better sex when we know there's no chance of us getting interrupted."

She reluctantly nodded, knowing that he had a point.

Jace leaned down ever further so that his lips were brushing against her neck. "I miss the marks you leave on my back and shoulders. I miss the way you call out my name when I take you to cloud nine. And I definitely, definitely miss your strip teases."

Clary smacked his shoulder and attempted to suppress a giggle. "Stop it before you get a hard on."

Grasping her hips, he pulled her onto his lap. "Too late."

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Fine, I'll go with you, but you better make it worth my while."

Smirking, he leaned back into her. "You'll never have to worry about that, Tiger."

Isabelle shushed them and Clary realized that they'd been talking during one of her favorite parts of the movie—when Baby first sees Johnny dancing with his partner, Penny.

"Was I ever this mean when I was pregnant?" she asked once Isabelle returned her gaze to the screen.

Jace grinned and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "You had your moments."

Clary punched him in the arm. "Asshole." He chuckled, tossing a few popped kernels into his mouth. With a roll of her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his calming scent. She still found it weird that he'd never used a drop of cologne, but still managed to always smell like earth and sunshine. There was something about being in his embrace that relaxed her to no end. Actually, there was something about being surrounded by her amazing family that relaxed her to no end.

She knew that every single person in this room had her back no matter what. Just thinking about all of the things they'd done for her—like the party they threw her the night she opened her art studio or the day they all rushed to the hospital to see the twins after they were born—brought the biggest smile to her face. But it was nights like these that she cherished the most—nights where they just enjoyed each other's company, laughing over silly games and movies.

Lifting her head from Jace's shoulder, she looked out at them and sighed. "I love you guys."

"Oh, Jesus Christ." Magnus turned his gaze skyward. "We love you too, Biscuit. Now please shut up. Patrick Swayze is about to take his shirt off."

Clary laughed. "Of course. My apologies."

They watched the remainder of the movie in silence, the adults all cuddled up on the couches as the kids spread across the floor, half of them dozing off before the movie was even over, including the very person who forced them to watch the movie in the first place.

Kissing Jace's cheek, Clary moved to stand. "I'm going to go get started on dinner. The kids haven't eaten since lunch."

"You need any help?" he asked.

"No, you should rest up. You've got a big performance coming up," she teased. Jace grinned in response and pulled her in for one more kiss before letting her go, playfully swatting her behind as she walked off.

Biting back a grin, Clary raised both hands and flipped her husband off as she backed away, her eyes filled with unmistakable adoration.

.o.O.o.

Hours passed before the loft finally quieted down again. Clary was still in the kitchen, now sitting at the counter with a pen in her hand as she went over paperwork. Pushing her reading glasses back up the bridge of her nose, she lifted her head, watching as Jace dried and put away the dishes they'd used during dinner. She smiled to herself, loving how much he contributed to keeping their home afloat. She'd brought up his eagerness to do whatever was needed around the house without complaint many times before, but he'd simply laugh and kiss her in response, saying that he'd never been happier in his life.

After putting away the last of the dishes, Jace ran a hand over his five o'clock shadow, something she loved to do way too often. Trying to focus again, Clary dropped her gaze back to the pile of papers spread across the counter and sighed. She could hear his footsteps coming closer, but didn't acknowledge it until she felt his warm presence behind her. His arms slid around her small frame, his hands gripping the counter on either side of her, caging her in.

"What are you up to?"

Twisting around on her stool to face him, she reached up to loop her arms around his neck. "Going over inventory and sales for the studio."

"Mmm." He gripped her hips. "That's sexy."

"Um, eww." JJ and Valerie turned to look at them from their spots on the couch, their identical eyes both filled with disgust. "Could you guys at least wait until we've gone to our rooms to be all lovey-dovey?"

"Yeah," Valerie added. "You two are like fifty and you're worse than the couples in the hallway at school."

"Woah, woah, woah. What's the rush?" Jace turned and gave them a puzzled look. "Last time I checked, I was still in my thirties."

JJ waved his hand. "Same thing. The point is that it's gross. Haven't we been traumatized enough?"

Jace chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry for not finding your mother repulsive. Besides, you should be lucky that you have two awesome parents who love each other instead of two crazy people that scream at each other all of the time."

"You two have arguments," Valerie reminded them.

"Well, yeah," Jace said. "But that's leaning more towards foreplay than anything."

Clary smacked his arm as their children yelled and covered their ears.

"That's it. We're leaving." JJ jumped to his feet. "Let's go, sis. I have a feeling that we don't want to stick around for the end of this conversation."

"You're right about that." Valerie stood with him. "You up for finishing that painting?"

"Yeah, let's do it." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, ruffling her hair. Both of them laughed as they walked away, looking like they did when they were little, always attached at the hip. Clary was sure they'd be like that again, once they got past their teenage years and realized how much they needed each other.

Once the twins were gone, their laughs fading into silence, Jace turned back towards her, a confused look on his face. "They're being awfully nice to each other. Did I hit my head and fall into some parallel universe?"

"Give it a minute," she said. "They're just bonding over the fact that they find our attraction to each other disgusting. It'll wear off eventually."

"Were you ever this grossed out by your parents?" he asked, knowing now how comfortable she was talking about them.

She shook her head. "Never. I actually admired their relationship. The way they always looked so carefree and happy to be in each other's company, I'd wanted a relationship just like it when I grew up."

He reached up to finger her locket. "And do you think you got that?"

"Are you kidding?" Clary pulled him down to her and smiled. "I hit the freaking jackpot."

"You did, didn't you."

She tsked and quirked a brow. "Cocky much?"

"No," he dropped his hand to her thigh. "Just lucky."

Clary stared back at him, not able to contain her own grin. She had to admit that they were kind of embarrassing together, but she saw the way other parents from the twins' school looked at them. Most were young, like them, but they didn't have that sparkle in their eyes and always seemed to look tired or stressed. Of course, she and Jace had their moments—every couple did—but they always came out of it stronger than before.

People definitely envied them, that's for certain. Clary'd lost count of the number of women who changed their attitude towards her once they figured out Jace was her husband. He visited the studio often on his lunch breaks and always brought some kind of gift with him, whether it be flowers or chocolates or stuffed animals. His surprise visits always garnered attention. Customers would often stop and stare, and mothers of the children she taught would offer stolen glances here and there. But none of it fazed Clary. She'd simply drop whatever she was doing to accept his gift of the day and bask in his calming presence. Her employees repeatedly made fun of her for how much she blushed and giggled when he came around, but she knew most of them would trade places with her in a heartbeat.

And when she crashed his training sessions to bring him donuts or other snacks, his reaction was just the same. The kids loved it when she visited and helped out with training. She and Jace were apparently legends around there—their history as Agents and the missions they accomplished still discussed among the classes of Trainees. Something about those brief visits and little gifts just worked for them. It was one constant that they could always depend on.

If anyone asked her now what the secret to a long lasting marriage was, she wouldn't have been able to tell them. Yeah, she could say "just take things day by day" or "communication is key", but every couple was different. All she knew was that she loved her husband unconditionally and always would, no matter what obstacles stood in their way.

"Baby?"

Clary locked eyes with Jace once again. "Hmmm?"

He grinned. "You did that thing where you fly away in your own head. Where were you just now?"

"Just thinking about us." She rested her head against his. "Being with you all these years has just been . . . a breath of fresh air." A small smile tugged at her lips. "This is what I believe being in love is supposed to feel like."

Jace made a sound deep in his throat and leaned in to kiss her lips before suddenly pulling away, taking a few steps back. Then he reached out, his hand curling around hers. "Come on."

Removing her glasses, Clary stood from her stool, allowing him to pull her forward. She laughed. "Where are we going?"

One of his arms slid around her waist, both of their hands now clasped together at their sides. "Nowhere. Just—dance with me for a second."

She looked up at him, confused. "But there's no music."

"We'll make our own music," he said simply.

Clary rolled her eyes and began to sway with him. "Such the romantic," she murmured, her free hand moving to rest on his shoulder.

Before either of them could speak again, a crash sounded from upstairs, then:

"JJ, give me back my phone!"

There was a pause followed by more footsteps. "Hey Scott. Sorry, Val can't come to the phone right now. She's too busy shaving her armpits."

"Oh, my God," Valerie screamed. "I'm going to kill you!"

"What's that, sis? You need more shaving cream? That's the third bottle this week."

There was more screaming and another crash, and Clary imagined that Valerie was now wrestling her brother for her phone. A few seconds passed before someone finally spoke again.

"Enjoy your phone call," JJ called out.

"Oh, screw you, Jonathan." The sound of Valerie's door slamming reverberated throughout the loft.

Clary let out an airy sigh. "And proper balance is restored."

Shaking his head in amusement, Jace let go of her hand and placed it on his shoulder with the other, both of his hands now resting on her hips as they continued to sway side to side. "You know, our anniversary is tomorrow."

"Actually, it's already midnight, so it's today. But, really, how could I forget?" she asked, nodding her head towards the painting in the hallway leading to their bedroom. Their son had somehow gotten a hand on that picture Jocelyn and Celine took of them the first day they met and managed to paint the entire picture on a large canvas as an early anniversary present. It was so beautiful that she and Jace couldn't help but stop and stare at it whenever they had the chance. It was mind-boggling as to why she'd never thought about painting it herself.

"I'm glad you remember, because I have a surprise planned," he said, grabbing her hand again to twirl her around before pulling her back to him.

"Jace, you didn't have to do that."

He shrugged. "I don't have to do a lot of things, but I do, because it makes you happy."

Clary grabbed both of his hands and put some distance between them, immediately closing it to wrap her arms around his neck. "You make me happy."

Chuckling, Jace gripped her hips again and dipped his head down to press their mouths together. Then he rested his head against hers and smiled to himself. "I can't believe twenty-one years ago from today, I was called an asshole by some snarky redhead in my own doorway . . . and loved it."

"What I can't believe even more is that I fell in love with an asshole that called me a Girl Scout," she teased.

He laughed. "Who would've thought back then that you'd become my wife?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It's just, past me has no idea what an amazing ride he's about to be in for." He continued to sway her. "Part of me wants to go back in time and experience all of this all over again, not changing a single thing. I want to feel the rush of emotions I got after our first kiss, I want to feel my heart skip a beat after you told me you loved me for the first time, I want to go back to that first night at the penthouse where you showed me how to make love, I even want to experience what it felt like to almost lose you and realize once again that I truly can't do any of this without you." He paused for a breath. "But if I'm being honest, I just want to go back to the very beginning so I can fall in love with you all over again."

"I'd do it all over again, too," she whispered, holding his stare. "Sometimes I feel like those days were some of the best of my life, despite how the mission ended. We're twenty-one years strong, but it feels like we've already been together our whole lives, and I hope to spend many more years embarrassing our children and dancing to no music in the middle of the night with you, because there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Grasping her face in his hands, he captured her lips with his, surprising her with yet another kiss. When he pulled away, he ran his fingers through her hair as he looked between both of her eyes. "Happy anniversary, baby."

She leaned into his touch and smiled. "Happy anniversary, asshole."

He went back to dancing with her. "Here's to one miracle I'll never question the universe for gracing me with."

Clary made a poor attempt at twirling him, but they managed, their laughs spurring them on. They may have been together for more years than some could keep up with, but Jace still made her feel like that teenage girl full of energy and light. There was no aging with him. Moments like these just proved that they could be young and dumb for as long as they wanted. In their minds, they'd always be those teenagers who fell in love without a care in the world.

She'd lost track of how long they spent dancing that night. For a while it felt like the world stopped just so they could live in this moment together. Jace pulled her in close, his hands grasping her hips just like he had that night of Isabelle's party. And as she began tracing random patterns on the back of his neck, Clary knew that they were both playing that song over again in their heads. Lowering his forehead to hers, Jace continued to move to the nonexistent rhythm, his golden eyes warm with adoration.

He let out a sigh. "Thank you."

"For what exactly?" she asked.

"For everything," he told her. "For getting to know the real me and not the projection, for accepting my demons and loving me in spite of them, for believing in me and allowing us to live out this amazing future we planned for ourselves all those years ago." He pulled her in closer. "But most importantly, thank you for protecting me."

Clary threaded her hands into his hair, her eyes never leaving his. "Protecting you, Jace, has and always will be one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

One of his hands left her hip and he ran his thumb over her cheek. "God, I love you. So, so much. Time hasn't changed a thing."

"And it never will," she whispered back. "I love you, too, Jace."

Grinning, Jace spun them around and dipped her, knowing that it was one of her favorite moves. When she came back up, her hair whisking between them, he simply pulled her back into him and whispered the one worded question that'd somehow become their trademark, "Promise?"

She responded without even having to think. "Cross my heart."

They danced in complete silence after that, the memories brought back from their anniversary speaking for themselves. Stepping forward, Clary placed her cheek against his chest, her eyelids drifting shut as he rested his chin atop her head. And as she stood there, swaying with him in the dark glow of the moon, his heart beating calmly against her cheek, she was overcome with a sudden sense of nostalgia.

Jace was hers.

Her husband. Her lover. Her best friend. The light of her life. The father of her children. And so much more. Being able to spend her life with him made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world every single day. He truly had turned something she believed was broken into something beautiful, and for that, she couldn't have been more grateful.

And if she could give one word of advice to her sixteen-year-old self as she walked up the Herondale driveway at this point in time twenty-one years ago, she'd offer three simple words.

Wait for it.

What did you think?

Love it? Hate it?

Let me know!

A/N: Now, I know some things were left unsaid, but it was for a reason. You don't always get closure in life, and although it's frustrating at times, sometimes you just have to move on and live life in the now. I hope this chapter inspired you to someday go back to the very beginning and experience their journey all over again because this was one hell of a love story to write. Again, thank you all for sticking with me. I couldn't have done any of this without you. And for the last time, here's the chapter question,

Chapter Question: Let's reminisce with this Dora-the-Explorer styled question. What was your favorite part of Protecting Jace? Favorite chapter? Favorite scene? Favorite line? My all time favorite part of this story has always been their first kiss (Chapter 12) So electric!