City of Bones

When Clary discovers Jace, after Valentine captured him.

"Jace." Clary's voice was soft and disbelieving. How could she have possibly stumbled upon him, with no protection? "Jace!" She called louder this time. His hand dropped away from the curtain he had been holding back, and he slowly turned to face her.

"Clary." His face was a mask of confusion. She could see it right away. It would have been impossible to miss. The difference in him was shining like a beacon. "What are you doing here?" His eyes drooped heavily as if exhaustion was about to pull him under.

"I came to rescue you." Clary cried desperately, what was wrong with him. She had never, ever seen him looking so deflated. A haze that looked overpowering replaced his sharp mouth and narrowed gaze.

"Why would you do that?" He questioned in the same tone. Then suddenly, as if he had finally seen her and realized that she was standing in front of him, his eyes snapped into focus and he was rushing towards her. "Clary, why would you come here, it's not safe for you? Why don't you ever think about what you're doing?" But his sharp remarks did not fit the relief that danced across his face. He crashed into her and pulled her into a fierce hug. Clary's voice was muffled by his chest. "I had to come. I couldn't just leave you here with him. " Jace stiffened against her then hugger her to him hard, one last time before pulling away. His eyes flickered between her face and the door, then back to the window he had been starting out. Clary noticed a sudden harshness in his expression.

"Clary, how did you get here? Has anyone seen you?" He scrambled for words and darted for the window.

"I- Luke brought me, and the wolves-" She started but he was busy examining the outside.

"Has anyone seen you?"

She thought back, struggling to remember. She thought about the Forsaken, did they matter? "Uh, only a few of the forsaken."

He was starring outside the window; his back was rigid and tense.

"Jace?" She paused. "I found my mother, she is downstairs, can-" Jace was searching for something beyond the window. His face was so intense she wasn't sure he was listening. His head jerked towards her.

"What?" He asked a touch of softness returning to his eyes.

"She's chained to the floor, and she is cursed. Please, can you help me." She wasn't sure why she was worried, but something about his desperately searching eyes and the short jerking way that he moved, told her something was horribly wrong.

His jaw stiffened, then slowly after an excruciating moment of silence, he turned to face me. "Clary." I tensed, anticipating whatever he was going to tell me. "I'm not coming back with you."

I could only stare at him, but eventually a crashing noise came from downstairs and I was reminded that we didn't have that much time.

"Jace, "I started slowly. What was he thinking, of course he was coming back. He had to.

"Wait, I have to explain first. You don't understand." There was a new light to his eyes that wasn't there a moment ago. Almost like he was excited about something. "I can finally go home. My father is going to take me back with him. Clary he's alive. All this time I thought he was dead, but…he's alive." A grin spread across his face, but all I could do was stare back in horror.

"Jace, your father died." I said stupidly.

He laughed, out loud and put his hands on my shoulder. "But he's alive Clary."

"You saw him die Jace! Those men, they killed him and you were there. Don't listen to the lies Valentine is telling you. He's trying to hurt you!" Her voice had reached a screech by the time she was finished, and she could see the disappointment on his face. He began to shrink away slowly and shake his head.

"You don't understand."

"Don't say that Jace, he's lying to you. Valentine killed his son! They found his bones in the house where my grandparents died. He's lying to you." Clary could see him backing away. He doesn't believe me, she thought desperately. Suddenly his eyes were glaring at her with hatred.

"Don't speak about my father that way."

The door suddenly burst open, and Valentine filled the doorway. His tall silhouette loomed over us.

"Father." Jace greeted him, Clary could see from the corner of her eye that Jace believe Valentine's lies. It was plain in his face.

"Jonathan." He replied, but Clary thought she saw an ounce of pain in his eyes.

"He is not Jonathan!" Clary screamed. "My brother died years ago. You killed him!"

Jace yelled her name.

"Tell him the truth, you killed Jonathan." She screamed.

Valentine shook with anger that was building inside of him. Clary could see it but something had snapped inside of her. All of the fury that had been weighing her down since her mother had been taken, since she met Jace. All of the anger at Simon, who wasn't there when she needed him the most, had suddenly broken loose and she wanted to scream.

"You killed your innocent son, and my grandparents. You burned their house, and every memory I could have had of them. You are a murderer!" Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face and choked her. She could no longer stand the bone rattling sobs that shook her.

"You took everything from me, and I won't let you take him too!" She groaned and felt herself sway. The ground seemed to be rolling underneath her.

Valentine could no longer control himself. He pulled a dagger from somewhere. Clary fell backwards and Jace barley managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"How dare you!" Clary could see the dagger rise above her.

She heard a loud gasp and what sounded like a swish of air. Her eyes slowly opened, she didn't recall closing them.

Jace's arm was outstretched before him and his long blue blade stuck in Valentine's chest. A large stain of red was emerging on his shirt were the blade was.