JACE'S POV

Isabelle rearranged the bouquet for the fourth time since Jace had arrived there. He rolled his eyes where he sat behind the counter. She always had to make sure that everything was just so.

"Izzy," he sighs. "It looks amazing so just stop already."

"To you, maybe," Isabelle says glaring at him. "But to my expert eye, it looks awful." She pushes a red rose behind a white one and then scowls. "Ugh!"

"Iz, you're going to die in this shop if you keep on worrying over such little details." Jace stands up and grabs his friend's purse. He thrusts it towards her but she makes no move to take it.

"I know," she replies. "That's what coworkers are for, but for the last several days, mine has been MIA." She puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head staring intently at the bouquet as though she could will it to look perfect with just her gaze. "Maybe, if I put this here..." she trails off moving the flowers around once again when the bell on the door to the flower shop rings as someone enters.

"How do you passive aggressively tell someone to fuck out with flowers?" A small red-headed girl shouts entering the store. Isabelle spins around and looks as though she's about to say something when the girl puts her hand up. "No, I know. Yellow lilies, because the color yellow is associated with friendship and lilies, are most commonly associated with death." She snaps out the last word as she angrily flings her bag onto the counter.

"Where have you been?" Isabelle questions and it's only then that Jace realizes this is the MIA coworker.

"Busy," she responds. There's a murderous glare in her eye that Jace guesses probably isn't meant for Isabelle but it's currently being directed at her. "I'm having problems at the moment and work hasn't necessarily been on my mind."

"Well, I've had to cover for you for almost a week now," Isabelle exclaims. "I've been calling you. Where's your phone?"

"Right now?" The girl asks. "Well, I'm guessing it's hit the bottom of the ocean by now."

"The bottom of the- Clary!" Isabelle throws her hands up. "Why? And how?"

"Let's just say that guys really do not appreciate you throwing their keys off a boat." Clary shrugs as if to say who knew?

"Is this about Sebastian?" Isabelle asks ignoring the bouquet she was working on and walking over to Clary. "I thought you broke up with him."

"I did," Clary says. "Why do you think there is now a set of keys and a phone at the bottom of the ocean?" Clary whirls away from Isabelle and stalks behind the counter. "But that's not important, what is important is that I'm back and you can stop covering for me."

"Clary, I'm worried about you," Isabelle leans over the edge of the counter. "Where are you going to live now? I mean, you've been dating that guy since you were in high school and you were engaged for almost a year." Clary looks down at her left hand solemnly, Jace follows her gaze to see a diamond ring still on her finger. "What are you going to do now?"

Clary throws up her hands. "How the hell am I supposed to know? But it's fine, I'll figure something out. I'll get a new apartment and-"

"How?" Isabelle cuts her off. "Didn't you spend most of your money on the wedding? You're a florist, albeit a rather good one at a high-end shop in New York, but a florist nonetheless. You don't have the money to get your own apartment right now."

"I'll figure it out!" Clary yells. She grabs her stuff and starts out of the shop. "Close up, I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she's left the store. Isabelle shakes her head and doesn't say anything for a couple of minutes.

"So," Jace says breaking the silence. Isabelle looks up like she had forgotten he was there. "We are officially ten minutes late to meet Alec..." Isabelle rolls her eyes and takes her purse from Jace. "I'm just saying, he's going to get mad at us. Mostly me, I'm never on time so you better explain that it wasn't my fault this time."

When they finally get to Isabelle's apartment where Alec was waiting for them with his husband, Magnus, they were over half an hour late. Jace had yelled at Isabelle the entire way there about how it was her fault and she just stayed silent the whole time making mocking faces at him.

"You're mean," Jace crosses his arms over his chest and pouts as he stands in the elevator.

Isabelle shakes her head hitting the button for her floor. "All I did was stick my tongue at you."

"Which is mean!" Jace yells. "You're a terrible person." He goes back to sulking.

"I'm your terrible person," she says lovingly though sarcasm coats her words too. "And you love me."

"Only because you're my stupid sister," Jace mutters under his breath. They weren't related by blood, but Jace had been adopted into the Lightwood family when he was very young. Although, not literally adopted. He still had his own parents, he merely preferred the Lightwoods because their lives came with a lot less baggage than the Herondale fame and fortune.

The elevator stops and the two get off. They reach Isabelle's door but both freeze when they hear noise on the other side. Alec and Magnus were over and there was very distinct shouting. It didn't necessarily sound like the two were arguing though. Isabelle slowly unlocks and opens the door. When Jace sees what's on the other side, his jaw hits the floor.

"YOU GOT A KID?" Isabelle screams what Jace is thinking. Before them is Alec, Magnus, and a child that appears to be around the age of five. All three, even the kid, freeze and turn to the door when Isabelle screamed. Magnus then proceeds to take the opportunity to scoop up the child in his arms.

"Izzy! Jace!" Magnus exclaims happily trying to contain the child in his arms. "I'm so happy to see you guys. It's been so long.

"Backtrack," Jace says walking further into the apartment. "Who is this child? Did you guys adopt a child?"

"Surprise?" Alec says nervously. He walks forward and gives Isabelle then Jace a hug. "I know you guys weren't really expecting this, but meet Raphael Lightwood-Bane."

Isabelle glares at Alec for a moment before her face breaks out into a huge grin and she rushes towards Magnus. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you guys. Especially not for something as cute as this." She waves at the child but he seems awfully put off because he's being contained by Magnus.

Magnus sets Raphael down slowly and keeps his hands on his shoulders. "Raphy, say hi to your Aunt Izzy and Uncle Jace."

"He's adorable," Jace says. The word feels weird on his lips but it's the truth. Alec stands beside Jace and they watch as Isabelle makes weird faces at the kid. "Is this why you guys insisted on staying with Isabelle instead of me this visit? My apartment is too small?"

"Yeah," Alec nods. "You only have one spare room and, oddly enough, Raphael does not like to sleep in the same room as someone else." Jace raises an eyebrow and Alec shrugs. "It's weird, he's like the opposite of every other five-year-old in the entire world."

"I like him already," Jace laughs. "This is great, now I have someone to teach my ways to."

Alec turns on Jace. "You will teach my son nothing. I grew up with you, I know exactly what you plan on teaching him."

Jace's evil grin grows. "Oh come on, I'll be a great influence on him."

"If you ever try to give Raphael any advice ever I will personally take off your hand," Magnus pipes up. Jace frowns but knows that somehow he'll manage to teach the kid a thing or two.

"Daddy," Raphael says looking up at Magnus. "I'm thirsty."

"So precious," Isabelle whispers and looks like she's on the verge of tears.

"Of course, Raphy, one moment." Magnus walks off to the kitchen to get the boy something to drink.

"So," Isabelle says sitting on her couch. "How long do you two plan on staying in town this time?"

"Two weeks, maybe." Alec goes to sit beside Isabelle and picks up Raphael on his way. He sits the child on his knee. "If you need us out sooner we can just stay in a hotel. I have some business here for a while."

"Oh," Isabelle whines. "You'll hardly be able to spend time with us then. Please stay longer, I don't mind having you here."

"Yeah," Jace says. "Stay for a bit longer, we haven't seen you guys in months."

"Well," says Magnus giving Raphael a sippy cup. "We were in town for a couple of days about a month ago but you weren't here. That time you were the one away on business."

Jace thinks back to when he had to go home for a week because his father needed to discuss some things with him. He rolls his eyes at the memory. "Yeah, that one was on me, but it doesn't change the fact that you two are hardly around. Er, three now I guess."

"Fine," Alec says. "Magnus and I will talk about staying for another week or so later."

"Yay," Isabelle says hugging her brother from the side. "Guilt trips are so wonderful."

For the next few hours, the group catches up on what they've missed in each other's lives over the past few months. Alec's informs them that his and Isabelle's teenage brother, Max, hasn't gotten any better in the hospital. A year or so ago he was diagnosed with cancer but they had caught it really late and it had spread to most of his body. In other and happier news though, Alec and Magnus had closed on a brand new house and planned to have Jace and Isabelle over soon to see it. They lived over three hours away and were kept busy by work so they didn't often get to visit New York.

Even after a few years, it was strange for Jace to think that he didn't get to just see Alec whenever he wanted. Alec had been his best friend since they were babies practically. He considered him his brother for the twenty-plus years he'd known him and it was likewise for Isabelle and Max. When Magnus came into the picture Alec was away for college. Jace knew that something was up when he was suddenly getting less and less calls from Alec. Then, when he found out about Magnus he couldn't have been happier because he made Alec happy. When the two got married it was great, until they moved away. That wasn't so great.

Still, Jace had Isabelle just a few blocks down the street from his own apartment. The two spent most of their free time together and Jace knew that Isabelle thought it was because the only friends he had were the Lightwoods. Not that she was wrong, but he didn't like to think of himself as not a social person. He was social, he dated often. Well, not what Isabelle would call dating but she wasn't one to talk since her longest relationship was in the third grade when she got engaged to little Timmy and the next day they married during recess. Jace wondered if they ever broke up, if not that meant Isabelle was still married to little Timmy... wonder what happened to little Timmy...

Jace is torn from his thoughts when Isabelle hits him in the arm. He blinks curiously at her and she speaks.

"I said," she repeated. "Don't you have to leave soon? Your shift at the bar starts in an hour."

"Oh, right," Jace checks the time on his phone and stands up. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He pats Alec on the back and rubs Raphael's head. "Bye little man."

He leaves the apartment sad to have to part with his friends and new nephew. When Jace arrives at the bar, the manager immediately catches up to him and starts speaking a mile a minute. If he were being honest, he wasn't even listening to the man. When he reaches the bar, Jace whirls around.

"Listen," he cuts the manager off. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again: I don't care. I don't own the place, so you really don't have to run everything by me."

"But-" he starts to say and Jace cuts him off again by putting up his hand.

"Don't own the place," he restates and the manager leaves with his head hung low like he did something wrong.

Jace shakes his head and takes his place behind the bar. He likes it here. As a bartender, he doesn't have to worry about all the details and finances. As a bartender, he doesn't have to worry about being a 'Herondale'. There are few things that Jace gets in his life that are solely his, and the freedom to just be a bartender is one of them.

Hi! So, new story that I'm rather excited for. I haven't given up on 140 Years, don't worry. I just wanted to get this out.
Anyway, please comment, follow, and favorite. Thanks!