Clace Through the Years

Chapter Thirty-Three: 72 Years Old

All around Clary stood her family. Jace had his arm tight around her. Johanna and Danny stood close by helping Spencer and Viola calm the cries of four year old Levy and one year old Lucas. Wally stood beside Kit who cradled one year old Lysander against the cold. Vance and Victoria stood with Elwood and Matthew. Sofia, with her fiancé Grayson close to her brothers even though she had moved out.  Amanda and Cody stood with Zoey, Wyatt, and Bella close to Jace and Clary.  

    Magnus and Alec stood with Max, Uriel, Rafael, and Lacey. Paige and Gabe, now ten danced around Uriel and Max's feet even as they hushed them. Aiden watched his cousins with his new wife, Eliza.

    Isabelle and Simon stood last in the small circle. Mackenzie and Randall stood on either side of their parents. Lance held on tight to Mackenzie's hand. Maria leaned on her husband, Ryan who held their two year old daughter, Becca. Gwen, on the other hand, stood with her husband Julian and their newborn son Heston.

Opal stood slightly farther from Randall but only as to protect her children, Dawn and Ruth. Ozzie, stood apart from his sisters, grown, but still close. Clinging to the hand of his wife,  Addie. She held the handle to the stroller their two year old daughter was in with her free hand.

Everyone was there in that circle their eyes focused on the middle where Luke stood.

However this time he was all alone.

"Mom," Clary whispered.

Jace pulled her closer and Clary wondered for a second if she would be upright without Jace's arm.

"She lived a good life," Luke said, "She got to see more great, great grandchildren born then she thought she could have."

"Ninety-three," Clary whispered.

In the past couple of years, since Levy had been born, it was like Jocelyn had given herself permission to slow down. Her age had caught up with her, the wars had caught up with her. Her body grew tired and she had grown weak and sick.

    Clary had been there when she had passed, she had felt her mother's hand go cold under her's and she has whispered, "Ave Atque Vale"  to her.

    That day had been terrible.

    Now it was the funeral.

    Clary's family worn white and black to celebrate the two parts of Jocelyn's life. The human life she had lived and then the Shadowhunter life.

    "She loved all of us," Clary said, "She cried so hard the day Johanna was born, because she never thought she would get to live a happy life. She thought she would have to keep looking over her shoulder for her past. I'm glad I could give her a good life," Clary looked at Luke, "I'm glad you gave her a good life."

    "I love Jocelyn," Luke said, "I will never stop loving her and the Angel blessed my life with the both of you."

    "Jocelyn knew me through every stage of my life," Simon said, "and she never cared what I was. All she cared about was that I was Simon and I was her daughter's best friend. She never stepped fighting for Clary to be happy. Even when we didn't know what Clary really was."

    "Jocelyn brought Clary to me for many years," Magnus said, "Though I didn't approve. I knew Jocelyn's motives weren't greedy, but were pure of heart. Jocelyn always put everyone's needs before her own. She put herself into a magic coma to protect her daughter, knowing her daughter would be strong enough to come and save her."

    "Jocelyn had problems with me at first," Jace said, "And honestly I did crappy things that just proved her distrust of me. She believed I was like Valentine. That I would harm her daughter. It tooks years, but Jocelyn was only untrusting because she held so much love for Clary. Once I proved I had the same love, Jocelyn accepted me."

    "She was the best mom," Clary said, "I know she blamed herself for a long time about Jonathan, but it wasn't her fault. I would never have wanted someone else to raise me. She taught me my love of art which probably lead to my rune ability," Clary smiled, "Thank you mom."

    "Thank you Jocelyn," Jace said.

    "Thank you Ms. Fray," Simon whispered.

    "Thank you love," Luke said.

    Clary looked around at her family and then stepped forward from Jace's hold. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a box of matches. She lit one and stepped closer to Jocelyn's body. Jocelyn had been prepared, her eyes were sealed shut with the white silk. She held her seraph blade in her right hand. "Pulvis et umbra sumus," Clary whispered and threw the match on.

    "Pulvis et umbra sumus," Her friends and family echoed.

    "Goodbye mom," Clary said, "We will be together again one day." She stepped back and Jace wrapped his arms around her placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

    As Clary looked around she caught Max looking at Magnus. The two who would never die, unless killed. It was a understanding look between the two, one of fear of the unknown, one who would never understand death, but would watch those around them meet the end. Max reached down and put his hand on Paige's shoulder.

    Spencer came over and took one of Clary's hand, "I love you grandma."

    Clary let go of Jace and pulled Spencer into a hug, "I love you too. Jocelyn loved you and Wally and Sofia, Elwood, Matthew, Zoey, Wyatt, and Bella so much too."

    "I know," Spencer said.

    Simon cleared his throat, "Don't you think Jocelyn would yell at us if she could see us?"

    "Probably," Luke said, "Stop moaning and crying! You are Shadowhunters, you've seen worse death than mine. You'll be okay without me. Live your lives!"

    Clary gave a small smile, "That sounds like mom." She made her way over to Luke and pulled him into a hug, "Thank you Luke for taking care of mom and me. You are the best father a girl could ask for."

    Luke kissed the top of her head, "I love you Clary."

    "I love you too," Clary said.

    Luke looked pass her to everyone else, "Jocelyn would hate us right now. So how about Magnus portals us all over to the Jade Wolf and we all eat the crappy chinese food. Celebrate Jocelyn's life."

    "Maia!" Clary gasped.

    "Bat too," Jace said.

    "I'll take that as a yes?" Magnus said as he opened a portal, "Everyone come on."

    One by one everyone started heading through the portal, but at the last second Clary stopped.

    She turned back to the ashes that had once been her mother. She looked at Magnus, "You'll make sure she gets where she is suppose to?"

    Magnus snapped his fingers and the ashes disappeared, "She's there. Don't worry love."

    "Thank you Magnus," Clary said, and then she stepped through the portal to join her friends and family to celebrate the life of her mother.

    It was truly how Jocelyn would have wanted it.

    No tears.

    Just happy memories.

   

    Author's Note: GUYS! JOCELYN WAS 93. (She was about 21 when Clary was born, so letting Jocelyn, who fought in MANY wars live to 93 was a long time for her.) She was old. I feel bad about killing her off.

    In other news, Shadowhunters came back last night and I felt like the first episode was kind of jumpy and weak, but they got better about that after a few episodes last year so I'll hang out with it. They need to pick like one character and focus instead of bouncing back and forth and back and forth.

    Oh, also, that beginning part, I literally named every family member. The kids of the kids are getting married and having kids and so it's crazy. Spencer did name his second son Lucas after Luke.