A/N: Final part of the Love & Destruction series. I was thinking of doing a continuation, but I'm not sure yet. We'll see.
There was a knocking sound in Clary's head. She couldn't figure out what it was until she heard a door opening and a small voice say her name. "Clary? Are you okay-" She heard Isabelle's voice go from wary to alarmed halfway through her train of thought. "Clary!"
Isabelle rushed over to the bed, Clary keeping her eyes shut, but starting to sniffle a bit. "Clary, oh my god, are you okay? What the hell happened?" Isabelle knew that something bad happened due to hour red Clary's eyes were, even shut, her heavily bruised wrists, and her splayed posture. She didn't look like she'd just had a nice fuck with someone she liked. She looked like she'd been violated against her will. "Oh, Clary." She said quietly as the red-haired girl's sniffles grew into sobs. She put her arm under Clary's back and lifted her to a seated position on the bed. She wrapped the sheet around her shoulders.
"Here, let's get you cleaned off. Do you want me to run you a bath?" Clary nodded slightly, barely opening her eyes. "My God, Clary, I'm so sorry." Isabelle said under her breath as she took her by the hand and led her to the bathroom. She put down the toilet lid and had Clary sit on it while she drew the bath. First, she contientiously turned on the hot water and rinsed out the tub with her hand before stoppering up the drain with the plug.
Isabelle moved to the sink and gave Clary a wink as she pulled out a few bottles of differently colored liquids saying, "I put a few goodies in each bathroom, but the boys typically don't take baths."
Clary managed a faint smile, barely looking up. The scent of lavender and vanilla wafted in the steadily warming air comfortingly. The tiny red-haired girl was still mostly in shock, too numb to really think or process anything that had happened, but the small part of her that was still conscious was deeply appreciative of all Isabelle's efforts. She knew the black-haired beauty never liked her much, but there was only tenderness in her eyes and movements.
Isabelle was softly humming the French lullaby Maryse had sung to her children when they were small, hoping the sweet melody would help soothe Clary's nerves. She stirred the bath water with her hand, making the foam and bubbles spread evenly on the water. She adjusted the temperature so it was hot, but not scalding. She didn't think Clary needed another shock today.
Clary inhaled deeply, feeling some strength coming back, just enough to get in the tub.
"You alright to get in alone? I was going to find Jace and bring him here."
Clary only nodded weakly in response as she stood and looked down at the clouds of bubbles swaying gently on the steaming bath water. "Isabelle?"
The tall shadowhunter was at the doorway now, hand about to close the door behind her. She turned her head back to Clary. "Hmm?"
"Could you turn off the light?" Clary was still looking down, hugging the sheet around her tightly, her voice flat and neutral sounding.
"But there're no windows. It'll be pitch black," Isabelle protested, worriedly. Maybe I shouldn't leave her alone. She's acting kind of suspicious.
Clary, as if sensing her concern, turned to look at her. Her face looked less sad, but more tired now. She looked as if she could sleep for a thousand years and still want to sleep more.
"It'll be fine. You can bring in my witchlight… It's in my-"
Izzy smiled and drew hers from her left pocket. She always carried it with her, because one could never know when they might find themselves in darkness.
"Here, take mine." She placed the glowing stone on the sink counter and switched off the light. The modest-sized bathroom was illuminated by the witchlight's bright glow, but it was less overwhelming than the overhead light.
"Thanks." Clary said, blandly.
"I'll be right back, okay? Really. I'll bring Jace and we'll be back before you know it."
Clary said nothing, but let the sheet drop slowly from her shoulders to the floor and tentatively tested the water with her foot.
Isabelle looked at her for a second like a worried parent, then sighed heavily as she closed the door gingerly behind her.
Jace was still sitting on his bed thinking when he heard the knock sound on the bedroom door. He didn't have time to answer before the door clicked open and he heard his name.
"Jace?" Isabelle's head peeked around the corner.
"Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" Jace snapped, but at that moment, it didn't really seem like he cared that much. It was almost like he said it to make a point more than anything else.
"I'm sorry, it's just Clary-" She started, entering the room fully, before interrupting herself. "Jace, are you okay?" She spoke quietly, approaching him slowly. He looked so small, so forlorn, so openly upset in a way she'd never seen him look before. Jace, who never revealed an emotion other than irritation or amusement, who was always so self-contained and heavily guarded. He wasn't even trying to hide what he was feeling from her, and apparently he was feeling nothing short of wretched desolation.
"Did Alec come-" Jace's head shot up to look at her as if he'd been snapped out of a daydream.
"Clary?" He questioned her, insistently, eyes narrowing sharply and gaining focus. "What's wrong? Is she alright?" He leapt to his feet and headed to the closet to grab something to wear.
"That'll probably not be necessary." Isabelle interjected, her face twisting into a strange and mysterious expression that looked as if she were apologizing, grimacing, making a joke, and pursing her lips all at once.
Jace stared blankly at her as if he couldn't understand what she had just said, but followed her out of the room without another word, bemusement and apprehension staining his brow.
When they had made it to Clary's bedroom door, Isabelle turned to the bare-chested shadowhunter. Jace looked like he was about to push past her and open the door, but she blocked his path.
"Jace… there's something I need to tell you, but you need to promise to keep calm… for Clary's sake." She was biting her lip, a painful expression on her face, eyes on Jace's bare feet.
The golden-haired boy felt his fear bubbling up inside of his stomach, threatening to turn into rage, as was the way he normally dealt with fear. Fight or flight, and he hated fleeing. He tried to keep his anger in check, though, because something in Izzy's voice told him that he'd really regret it if he lost his temper this time.
He nodded jerkily in assent, jaw and fists clenched tightly, bracing himself for the news. Images of all the terrible things that could have happened to Clary flashed through his mind, but what Isabelle said next was worse than anything he could have imagined.
"Jace… Clary was raped." She closed her eyes as she struggled to get the last word out. Jace's eyes widened and his jaw practically dropped open. He felt a wave of sickness rushing up in him and was momentarily afraid of throwing up on Isabelle's boots.
"What?" He said before he could stop himself. "Wh- how? Who?" He seemed to return to his senses a little, and Isabelle could see the anger creeping up into his eyes.
"Who?!" He demanded, his body threatening to lunge forward and make her tell him.
In the smallest voice, she replied, simply, "Simon." She could see Jace immediately fume uncontrollably, his ire on the verge of exploding. He whirled around and was about to take off to hunt Simon down, but Isabelle caught him by the elbow and firmly held him back. He whipped back to face her, a snarl on his face as he prepared to make her release him, but she deflated him.
"Don't. Clary needs you. You need to be with her right now. You don't know how fragile she is; I think you're the only who can help her. You're the only one she has left now."
Jace felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach as he realized she was right. This wasn't the time for vengeance. This was the time to be there for the girl he loved. He was almost more terrified at the thought of trying to comfort someone because he'd never done it before. He'd never let himself get close enough to someone to be in that position, but he was resolved to do anything and everything he could for Clary. If he didn't know how to do or be what she needed, then hell, he'd learn. He nodded at Isabelle, looking at the floor as he put his hand on the doorknob.
"Thanks." He muttered in a crestfallen and apprehensive voice. She put a hand to his cheek, bringing his face to hers as she kissed his other cheek. She slid her hands around his neck and pulled him close to her in a tight embrace.
"I'm so sorry, Jace... Just… try to be there for her right now. Be gentle with her, you don't need to say anything or do anything. Don't think about what happened, just be with her, show her you love her. That's all she needs right now, to know she still has someone who loves her and who would never hurt her."
"Thank you, Isabelle." He repeated, this time looking her steadily in the eyes, his hand caressing her cheek. He drew her face to his and kissed her on the forehead. "For everything."
Her eyes watched him with compassion as he turned from her, opened the door and closed it quietly behind him. She prayed that everything would be okay. For Clary, for Alec, for Jace. She prayed that things would be okay again between Jace and Alec; she didn't know what she would do if they weren't able to get past this. As she walked from the room, she just kept thinking about what an awful day it had been. First, her brother had savagely beaten the boy who was practically another sibling to them, and she had had to clean him up and nurse him back to health. Then, on her way to tell Clary what had happened between Jace and Alec, she hears screaming, sees Simon leave Clary's room, and then enters the room to find Clary in such a state that she can't even comprehend what must have just happened. She'd never been too fond of Clary, but she certainly never would have wished any harm to come to her, especially not in such a brutal way from the person she was closest to in the world. Isabelle couldn't even fathom that level of betrayal, but then thought of Jace and Alec and, while it was totally different, it still seemed like a breach of trust. Your parabatai was the one who fought with you, fought for your safety. Your parabatai was there to watch your back to make sure you didn't get hurt. What then when your parabatai was the one you needed protection from?
After all that had happened, she was getting tired herself and just wanted to close her eyes and forget about everything for a while, but she felt that she needed to find Alec and make sure he was alright, too, first. She figured she should check his room first.
The strong scent of essential oils entered his nose the moment he'd stepped foot into Clary's room. It was dark, the only light he could see coming from the gaps between the walls and the bathroom door. He could tell that it was a witchlight glowing in there. He edged warily to the glowing door and opened it slowly. Clary was sitting in the tub, crying into her hands. She hadn't even heard Jace come in. His heart panged with grief and he rushed over to her, breathing her name. "Oh, Clary."
She looked up into his eyes as he kneeled next to the bathtub, reaching out to her, and she fell into his arms over the side of the tub. She sobbed harder as he rubbed her back and pressed their bare chests together as tightly as he could. She felt like she couldn't breathe, but she didn't care. He was here now, and that was all that mattered. She broke the embrace and smashed her lips onto his, desperately drinking him in. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, anxious to show her how much he loved her, and how he was there for her. She started pulling him into the bath with her, and he let his towel fall to the floor on top of her sheet, and climbed clumsily into the water on top of her. She slid down in the tub so there was more room for him, and he pressed himself against her, letting every inch of their bodies touch. Things were beginning to get out of control when she started sobbing again while they were kissing. Jace broke the kiss and leaned back looking at her. He could feel his heart breaking for her. He sat up in the foamy water and pulled her to him, shushing her and kissing her head as he held her. She wrapped her arms around him and just cried into his shoulder.
When she finally calmed down, she turned around and lay back against him. He stroked her hair and face, thinking of what he could say or do to help make her feel better. He loved being in the bath like this with her, but lamented that the conditions weren't ideal for them to enjoy the situation. Jace couldn't stop thinking about Simon. He held his rage at an arm's length so as to not get too worked up about it, but he kept imagining over and over what he was going to do to Simon to make him pay for what he'd done.
After a while had passed in silence, Jace continuing to caress the small girl on top of him, Clary looked as though she was falling asleep. He helped her out of the bath, toweled her off, found some pajamas for her to wear, and helped her get dressed. He eyed the bed with a look of pain and disgust.
"Do you want to go to my room to sleep?" She nodded and moved to put her hand in his. He squeezed it tightly and led her out the door.
When they'd reached his room, he asked her if she wanted him to stay with her or sleep elsewhere. She blinked up at him in confusion.
"Stay with me. Please. Don't leave me." He was glad to hear her say that because the last thing he wanted to do was leave her side.
When they had crawled under the blankets, she took his arm and pulled it around her waist, forcing him to curl up right behind her body. It was early, maybe 8pm. There was still a little light left in the sky, but they both felt exhausted. She didn't say anything for the rest of the night, but he could feel her heart speaking to his, telling him she loved him and that she was glad he was there.
"I love you, Clary. I love you. And I will always be here for you. Always." He whispered into her ear, smoothing her red locks. "I love you." And I will make Simon pay for this.
Jace's eyes flashed with fury, looking like molten gold, but Clary couldn't see them with her back turned to him. Even if she had been facing him, she was already drifting off to sleep, grateful for the temporary break from reality sleep provided. Jace wished he could do the same, but he knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he found Simon. And killed him.