And Now You Know:

Dinner was awkward. That was all Jace had to say for himself. For most of it he just sat there in angry silence with Clary's hand in his. It's true; Jace had TRIED to participate in the conversation. But all he could talk about was how much fun Clary and he had in their time at Idris. Every time he did however, the conversation would die down, shamed heads hanging solemnly all around.

Clary had done her part though. Before they had gone to supper she had urged him yet again to behave himself. She had to admit that he DID do as she asked…though the rest of the family had not welcomed it.

'What was going on?' Clary thought. Everyone seemed to get upset and almost…ashamed at hearing the name of their beloved shadowhunter city. The two of them would definitely go and do some detectives work tomorrow…after she convinced Jace to talk to Maryse. It would be a very long night…

Knives clanged bitterly and forks clattered in the empty silence of 8 people at one table. It was much too quiet for the first night back home, and much too tense. Maryse only added to it.

"You can't go back to Idris." She said in a calm voice staring down at her plate looking almost…embarrassed. That was all that took for Jace to explode.

"WHAT?! What do you MEAN we can't go back to Idris? Maryse what the HELL is going on?" Jace yelled half standing out of his chair angrily, only to get pulled back down by Clary pulling his shirt.

"I mean exactly what I said Jace Lightwood. We have reason to believe that there is someone taking over the job that Valentine failed to execute. Not only that but there has been word of that person, whoever he is, wanting Clary's life so—"

"What's his name?" Clary interrupted. She had a feeling inside that she knew who was causing these disturbances. And he wasn't the type of guy that wanted the same thing someone else had. No. This person wanted Clary, and wanted her dead. She knew it better than anyone. And so as she sat there in fear Maryse said the one name that made her shiver.

"Someone named Tyler something...we aren't quite sure what his last name is." Izzy blurted out.

"I need to go to bed. I'm exhausted." Clary said standing up and walking to the doorway pausing when Izzy addressed her.

"Do you know him?"

"I wish I didn't." And with that she left. Jace sat in stunned silence not sure what to do. So he decided to do the only thing he knew to do. Follow Clary.

"I'll umm…I'll go talk to her." He said before leaving, excusing himself from the table and dumping both their plates into the sink.

Jace found her standing by the window sill; hands gripping the sides of her arms, Clary looked out towards something unknown. He realized that she hadn't noticed him come in and took the chance to wrap his arms around her waist making her jump slightly.

"Hey." Jace said lovingly to the only girl he'd ever loved.

"Hey back, I didn't hear you come in."

"Being a shadowhunter will do that too a guy." Jace said cockily trying to make her laugh. He did.

She let out a small giggle and then sighed. Something was bothering Clary, and no matter what it was, Jace was going to find out and accept it without a thought. There was nothing and no one in the world that could tear them apart. Even being brother and sister hadn't when they thought they were. What's to say this would?

"He's coming after me…" Clary said while turning into Jace, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"Who's coming for you Clary? What's going on?"

And so she told him. Without a thought, not even caring if he never spoke to her again for the information she was about to give. Clary couldn't hide anything from Jace. She loved him too much to do that.

"3 years ago I met someone named Tyler Redstark. He was charming and sweet and soon enough I liked him enough to get with him. I didn't even know what would happen or what he could do… He was the scariest thing I have ever faced.

"Tyler started off as a great boyfriend; he took me out wherever I wanted and did anything he could to make me happy. But then he started to change. Tyler…He started to ask for things that I couldn't give, that I wouldn't give. I was only fourteen for Christ's sakes! And I definitely wasn't that kind of girl. At first he only pleaded and begged me to give him what he wanted. But I wouldn't. And after what seemed like the millionth time saying no he started to get rough. Blackmailing me, trying to push me, hurt me, and force me to do things I never wanted to do. I never had sex with him but…yah. I stopped eating and soon I had lost so much weight that I was officially anorexic. Simon saw what he was doing to me and they fought it off. Of course Tyler won. He knocked Simon out so bad I thought he might be dead. He had inhuman strength. It…it was so strange. Like he could summon the power to hurt us, to make himself invincible. But after watching him hurt Simon I realized that I had to do the only think I could do to get him away from us. I broke up with him. And he's been trying to find me and get me ever since. I only recently found out what he really is. Jace…he's a warlock. And a damn powerful one. Tyler wants revenge for everything I apparently put him through. He won't stop till he finds me. Jace I'm so sorry I didn't tell you…it's just…I'm so ashamed for what happened…can you forgive me?" Clary said with a look of complete sorrow in her eyes.

Not wasting a single second, Jace pulled her face from his chest and kissed her fiercely. His fingers tangling in her hair with passion enough to show the truth, he did forgive her, with every fiber of his being. And he loved her with twice that.

Clary's arms snaked around his neck pulling him down to her as she wrapped her legs around his torso pushing herself up so he wouldn't have to reach as far. That suited Jace just fine. He started to walk backwards eventually tumbling the two entangled hearts onto the bed. Jace rolled Clary under him so that he could take a better look at her.

"Does that answer your question?" Jace said with the cockiest expression known to man, making Clary smile her first honest smile of the night.

"Yah…It does." She said while biting her lip.

"Clary whatever that Tyler guy wants he's going to have to go through me. I won't let him hurt you. No matter what I'm going to protect you and make sure that nothing will ever touch you. He won't bother you again Clary. Not on my watch."

"But Jace…I don't want you to get hurt, or anyone for that matter. I know we're going to have to fight him…but promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me that if he does end up capturing me you won't give yourself up for my life." Clary whispered staring at Jace dead in the eye.

"I can't do that, Clary you don't know how much you mean…"

"Maybe not. But I know how much you mean to me. Promise me? Please?" She begged. He couldn't, under any circumstances, get himself hurt. She wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Ok." Jace said softly pulling the sheets up from under them covering their bodies while still holding onto Clary with a death grip. They stared into each other's eyes for an innumerable amount of time until Clary spoke.

"It's late…we should go to bed." She said snuggling closer into him. With a kiss on the top of her head, Jace's arms tightened around her once again.

"I love you Clary. I always will."

"I love you too." They said before nodding off into blissful unconcerned sleep. Whatever would happen they would be there for each other. But right now, the only thing the two angels were thinking about was how perfectly it felt to be in curled up together while going to a place where only dreams could enter.