Rain fell lightly upon the cement as Jace Wayland sat on the roof of New York's Institute. His tired eyes gazed out at the land from his spot sitting drearily on the edge. He was soaked to the bone, but all he wanted to do was think.

His motercycle wasn't there, at the moment, because Raphael had requested to borrow it, and Isabelle had let him in an instant.

Even without Jace's permission.

But surprisingly, Jace didn't care, at the moment. He knew Alec and Isabelle would be looking for him –probably frantically- but just stayed put. He didn't want to move.

It was all too much. Finding out Valentine was his father, finding out Clary was his sister –he felt utterly disgusted at himself. She was his sister. His sister! He was finally presented to this girl, this girl who seemed to not care where Jace was from, or how he rejected any sign of kindness from strangers with a sarcastic retort. She was able to see inside his true feelings and tell when he was serious about his remarks and when he simply wanted to annoy.

And it irritated the hell out of Jace.

Then there was Valentine. The only reason Jace was with Clary was because he wanted to help her find Valentine and get her mother back. He'd hated Valentine- that was, until he'd found out who Valentine really was. That, to Jace, was a blow in the chest worse than any attack from a demon he'd ever received.

But what he didn't understand was who Michael Wayland really was. Was he just a man who was killed for Valentine's benefit? Was he just a man with a stolen identity? Who was Michael Wayland?
More importantly, who was Jace Wayland? Johnathan Christopher Wayland –that was who he thought he was. But now... now he was the son of his sister's worst enemy. His own father. He'd suddenly turned into Johnathan Christopher Morgenstern. With no warning, Jace's life had flipped from a dull adventure to the dryness of hell. He'd become a completely different person.

Honestly, the thing that hurt him the most was that he had to choose. He had to make a decision that had only two options. Either side with his own father who he had thought dead or side with all of his friends, and his forbidden love- his own sister.

Complications, Jace thought briskly, suck.

Jace peered up into the sky, squinting hard when rain struck his face, kissing the callused skin softly. He sighed. When had everything become so freaking complicated?

Jace knew the answer to that. It was when Clary burst into that storage room in that unmemorable club, halting Jace's job and allowing the demon an opening to give Jace's arm that hideos gash.

The Pandemonnium, Jace recalled, was where I first met her.

If she had just stayed out of it, maybe everything would be the same. Nothing would have changed. Maybe.

But who was Jace to question the inevitable?

With his sarcstic retorts it was hard not to get under people's skin. What did care of that? It's not like Jace Morgenstern was welcome anywhere anymore.

The Lightwoods.

The thought flitted into his head lightly, dancing around and blurring his other thoughts until he confronted it.

The Lightwoods had given him a home, a place to stay, everything. They'd welcomed him in, no matter whom he was. He hadn't seen any of the Lightwoods –with the exception of Alec and Isabelle- since the encounter with Valentine.

Would Maryse even accept him anymore- a threat to her children? He did welcome the fact he was a possible danger to Alec and Isabelle. Bitterly, he grunted and scowled at the bruised sky.

He had a lot going on inside. He'd just needed a little space- he needed to clear his hazy mind.

Jace paused, thinking if anyone was like him, with an unknown future and a mystery for a past. Jace wasn't sure if it was a mystery he even wanted to be solved. Jace wanted to leave it be, to not do anything about it.

For some reason, the vision of Clary looking at him sympathetically back where they'd met Valentine made him clench his fists. He didn't want pity, for God's sake! Clary knew him- so why had she shown her feelings so clearly when she must have known he would hate them.

Jace wasn't afraid to be alone. He was normally alone. It didn't matter if he was in a crowded subway surrounded by mundanes and downworlders, he would still be alone. The only one in the group who was messed up. The only one who was Valentine Morgenstern's, the infamous murderer and creater of the Circle, son.

He would never be the one to just fade into the background.

But did Jace even want that?

Words never pierced him- nor did physical anger towards him ever upset him. He was used to people hating him. It was like the fad for people these days. Jace found himself wondering how many people would blame him for his father's slaughter-fest. However many people that would be, Jace wouldn't care.

Soft splashes sounded a on the other side of the rooftop, and Jace heard the footfall become louder, more pronounced.

"Jace! Jace, what are you doing?" Alec called worridly, dropping down next to Jace, who didn't take his eyes off the darkened sky.

"I believe I'm sitting," Jace shrugged, "but correct me if I'm wrong."

"You're going to get sick!" Alec tugged Jace up, who stood without a single complaint. "You idiot! Izzy and I have been looking everywhere for you!" They went down from the roof and Alec raced into the Library, where his sister was freaking out. She caught a glance at Jace and made an immediate beeline for him.

"Where have you been!?" Izzy exclaimed angrily, fire blazing in her athmyst irises. "Do you realize how worried we've been!?"

Jace nodded. "I got the idea from Alec, thanks."

Isabelle shook her head angrily, helping Alec find blankets and medicine. Jace had begun sniffling uncontrollably and slightly couching.

"Oh... shit." He sighed exasperatedly. Great. One more thing to worry about. Jace was sick.

He sighed, knowing that the amount of time wasted on the roof had been incredously worth it, sick or not.


I know it's not much, but I was reading the books and thought about how Jace is feeling through all of it. This is how I think Jace would be thinking.

This occurs right after City of Bones and is ante-City of Ashes. Jace might be a little too mellow, but I've never been able to think up good retorts while writing. I rock at dissing people if they make me mad, but that's only if I see 'em in person xD.

So anyway, I hope you enjoy my point of view on Jace's thoughts.