The Boy in Her Nightmares
Disclaimer: I only own the plot, not the characters.
"You're crying," Jace spoke when she got home. Clary sighed miserably and fell on the bed. Jace did the same. "You never cry."
"Isabelle didn't let him listen to me," Clary pouted. "He's so sad, Jace. He tried to kill himself because that's what he thinks you did!"
Jace tilted his head. "He tried to kill himself because of what he saw." Clary didn't know what to say. Jace sighed and looked at her. "He was there the night I was killed. He saw. I don't know why he didn't say what happened..."
Clary turned on her side. "Who killed you?"
Jace shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm getting my revenge on him."
Clary giggled. "Did you make him cry?"
Jace chuckled quietly, to humor Clary. He patted her thigh. "It hasn't happened just yet. But when I do, he just might cry."
He turned his eyes to Clary's. For the first time ever, the haze was gone. She saw the golden embers burning with a low fire, a growing rage. "Nobody likes getting their toys stolen."
Clary blinked slowly, memorizing his breathtakingly beautiful eyes. When she opened them again, the haze was back. An itching desire to see them tugged at her insides. She jutted her bottom lip out, pouting. She would do anything to see his eyes again.
"You want to help Maxie right?" Clary nodded eagerly. Jace glanced at the clock. He noted it was only thirty minutes before Clary's father would make his nightly visit. It had been painful to watch every night. He'd wanted to help her so badly, but he knew he was powerless against him. Anyone else, Jace could touch if he wanted to, but something about her father… His hand slipped right through him, ever time. Clary, on the other hand, had the potential to bring hell down upon him.
"Then let's go find him."
"Now?"
"Now," Jace grinned devilishly.
. . .
Sneaking into Max's fancy apartment wasn't hard. Jace told her when a person was watching and when they weren't. Getting him out was the harder part. Jace said they had to do this away from Maxie's family. He said they made him not believe. Clary pulled Max into a sitting position. He pushed against her, but she persisted. Jace was shouting in his ear, and Clary wondered how he was still asleep. Jace could be very loud.
Finally, he woke up.
"C-Clary?" he whispered. She smiled warmly at him and pressed a finger to her lips.
"I want to take you to meet Jace."
His eyes were wild as he looked around the room. Clary did the same. The energy in his body moved through her. For once, he was excited. For once, he resembled in the slightest what a kid his age should be like. Clary frowned when she noticed Jace had disappeared.
"It's okay. He told me where to go. It's where I first met him, too."
Clary remembered the first time she had ever seen him aside from when he fell off to the ground. It was in a room with a large mirror on one wall. Opposite to that, there was a brick wall with all kinds of toys on the ground. She sat at the table in the middle of the room and colored a picture. It was a very good one. People came in and talked to her. It was also the first time she met Magnus Bane. He was so nice.
Max looked unconvinced. He deliberated for a second before sighing, "I don't have anything to lose."
Clary held his hand. The two snuck all the way into the elevator before they met someone. It was the front desk attendant. He took one look at them and frowned. "Max, who's this pretty young girl?"
"Clary," Max continued walking. Clary waved to the guard. He nodded and continued eyeing her up and down.
"Where ya going?" he was chewing on nasty green gum that smelled like a mix of watermelon and beer. Clary coughed and tried not to show her disgust.
"To talk to Jace."
The guard's face fell. His hand reached toward the phone. Clary stopped at his desk, frowning. "What's the matter? We'll be right back."
His eyes focused below her face, which was very rude in her book. "What's in it for me if I keep my mouth shut, huh?" One of his eyes blinked. Max groaned.
"Fifty bucks," he said, lying it on the table. The guard sighed dejectedly and waved them on. Clary giggled, smiled, and waved goodbye. Max muttered a curse under his breath. "Next time you come get me, change out of your t-shirt. You're going to get raped."
Clary frowned. She didn't know the meaning of that word. She didn't know how he knew the meaning yet she didn't. Clary was much older than Max.
"Follow me," she said anyways. The walk wasn't very far. When they got to the place, there were many people buzzing in and out of the building. Most of them were in uniform, but plenty weren't. "Be quiet. Jace is holding one door open for us if we can just make it past these guards."
Clary and Max walked in the front door. The main floor of messy, paper-filled desks were all occupied except one. There were men in suits hastily writing things down on one side of the desk and distraught people on the other, talking up a storm. The two passed them all without a second glance. Some people had their kids with them. Some women didn't have much clothing on, but they were so sparkly and pretty Clary had to wave. None of them waved back.
When they reached the back of the building, she saw the open door and smiled. "In here," she said. Clary directed Max into the familiar room and shut the door behind them. They sat at the table, but the only light was from the moon shining through the window. "Jace!" Clary whisper-shouted. She tugged on her shirt. It reached the middle of her thighs, but just barely. The room was cold, and the shirt was thin. "Jace, Max wants to talk!"
The lights turned on, and she could see herself in the mirror. Smiling, she spun around to Max. He was watching her skeptically, like he'd rather be at home cutting his wrists. Clary rolled her eyes. "He'll be here."
They waited for a few more minutes, but Jace didn't show up. She was getting worried. Something could have happened to him. Clary bit her lip and tapped on the mirror. "Jace, are you there?"
She didn't know where the voice came from, but she heard it. "Tell him to close his eyes." It was Jace.
She smiled and nodded, sitting next to Max again. "Maxie, close your eyes. You can't see him as easily as me."
Max sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Jace appeared behind him. Clary smiled softly. He took a step closer to Max, and Clary's heart rate picked up. This was it. Somebody else would finally get to see Jace. Max would stop trying to kill himself. He'd be happy again. Things would be good for him.
Jace reached out with one hand and touched his shoulder. The other held Max's hand firmly. Clary bit her lip. Suddenly, Max had a sharp intake of breath. His eyes, though still closed, moved quickly behind his closed lids.
"Jace," he whispered with hope and fear bundled so tightly into that one word. Clary's heart pulsated in anticipation.
"Max my man," Jace chuckled. "Long time no see."
Max lunged forward and threw his arms around Jace. Jace's eyes closed as he held him tightly. When they reopened, they met with Clary's. She was surprised to see his golden orbs reopen again. They were brighter than they had ever been before, so bright it nearly blinded her. She smiled at him, as big as she could manage. He was so happy. She'd never seen Jace have an emotion other than calmly pessimistic. The glowing eyes refocused on Max again.
"I missed you," he mumbled into Jace's shoulder. Max pulled away. "I tried to follow you."
Jace sighed. Still holding his hand, they sat back down. "You know I didn't kill myself."
Max bit his lip. "I know. I wanted to see you one last time before you left for heaven."
Jace grimaced. Clary stared at Max's closed eyes. The utter elation as he saw Jace behind his eyes made everything worth it. "I don't know if I'm going there buddy. If I could have left here, I would have."
Max scoffed. "No you wouldn't have. You like her too much."
Jace smirked and fleetingly glanced at Clary. Clary smiled. "You're right, kid. I like her too much. I think I'll wait for a while, maybe until she joins me."
Max laughed. "You'll be waiting a long time."
Jace sighed dejectedly. He looked pained. "I wish that were the case. But I can tell when somebody is about to go. Everyone has something to do before they leave. Clary has two. You have many more. But Clary is going to do her two things tonight. You, Maxie, are going to do one tonight, too, but I have a feeling you aren't finished there. Maybe you'll become a lawyer or cop and bust more of these dirtbags."
Max frowned. "I'm confused."
"No you aren't."
Max bit his lip and sighed. He hung his head. They didn't say anything for a long time. Clary inched closer. Max finally mumbled, "It hurts to remember, Jace."
"I know, but I need you to do this for me. I need you to let me go."
Max pulled his head up. He looked in the direction of Clary, clearly not seeing her. He only saw Jace. "Take care of him, okay?"
Clary nodded. "Of course. He's my best friend."
Max sniffled and looked back at Jace. Two tears slipped out of his closed eyes. "I love you, Jace."
Jace pulled him in for another hug. "I love you, too, Max. I'm always with you, always watching. Don't think you're alone, you sick kid." Jace winked, and everyone chuckled lightly. They all could hear the goodbye coming. "Tell Iz to let loose a little. And tell Alec to man up and come out."
"What about my mom and dad?"
Jace nodded. "Thank them for taking care of me for so long.
Max sniffled again. "Okay."
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," Max nodded. "Bye, Jace. See you later."
"See you later."
Jace's hand slipped out of Max's. He removed his hand off his shoulder and stepped away. Jace and Max both looked at Clary. Jace squatted by Clary's side. "Do what I say, okay?"
Clary nodded. Max watched as her eyes shifted from over her shoulder to Max. "Is he still here?" Clary nodded slightly. She heard the door open behind her and began to look, but Jace rotated her back to focus on Max.
"Ask him about the night of my murder."
Clary grabbed Max's hand softly. "Do you remember what you and Jace were doing when he was murdered?"
Max glanced behind Clary.
"Answer me," Jace whispered.
"Answer me," Clary repeated, drawing his attention back to her. Max nodded.
He ran a hand through his curly hair and shifted his glasses. "We…we were home alone. Jace wanted to teach me how to do shotgun a beer." Max frowned, like he had trouble remembering something. "We, uh, we went to the store, but they didn't buy Jace's fake ID." Max thought for a moment and looked up futilely. "We were walking home, but…I can't remember."
Jace whispered into Clary's ear. "Do you remember how smelly that man was? The one who offered to buy you some beer?"
Max frowned. He closed his eyes and spoke in a hurried pace, as if scared to forget a single detail. "Yes. He smelled gross, like cooties and beer mixed with cigarettes, but he got us two cases. Jace didn't like him. He said he smiled too much at me. But I wanted to learn, so he said he'd pay the man back. But the man didn't ask for money. He wouldn't take it. When we left, he walked with us. Jace said to back off. His hair was so white. It was like snow. I wanted to touch it. He was going to let me, too, but Jace got angry. He growled and said if he ever laid a finger on me, he'd cut off his balls. After that, Jace and I ran home. Jace was so fast. The guard saw our beer, though. He was going to tell my parents!" Max gasped, and his eyes flew open.
"But he didn't, did he?" Clary repeated Jace's purrs into her ear. "You gave him something."
Max relaxed. He took a breath and nodded. "Yeah. He took one case and twenty dollars. Jace was so mad. I told him that nice white-haired man would buy us some more, but Jace said never to talk to that man again. So we went upstairs with our beer. Then, after a while…"
"Then somebody knocked on your door, didn't they? Jace said not to answer it, but you answered anyways."
Max nodded. He frowned. "I tried to do it, I really did, but it hurt my stomach. So Jace drank a couple of beers, and then a couple more until they were all gone. 'Had to destroy the evidence from Maryse,' he'd said." Max laughed mirthlessly. "When I opened the door…that smell." He groaned and waved at the air in front of him, like he could smell it again and was choking on it. Clary squeezed his hand. Then, something changed in him. He shook his head and his breathing grew shallow. "No. No, not again."
"What's going on? Jace is right here, Max. He's here. Help him."
Max's eyes flew open. Tears fell from them and he lunged for Clary, grasping her hands tightly, desperately. "Jace told the man to get out, but he was drunk. And the man shoved past him. He offered me to touch his hair. It was so soft. He asked if he could touch some of my hair…and that was when Jace hit him."
"He told you to run, right?" Clary said as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Jace's hand clamped tightly on her shoulder.
Max fell back in his seat. Tears fell from his eyes. "He told me to run. I tried calling the guard up here, but he didn't answer the buzzer. When I heard Jace yell, I knew I couldn't leave him. I snuck back inside. They were fighting like crazy. The man with white hair didn't notice me. Jace did. He looked scared, Clary…I'd never seen him scared before. I crawled under the couch to grab the bat we hid for break ins, but then I heard the glass shatter. The man was pushing Jace out the window, but he was holding onto the floor by his hands. He started stepping on his fingers, but he didn't let go. The white haired man pulled Jace up." Max paused. He closed his eyes and flung his head on the table. "He looked right at me. He was so scared. The man pulled out a canister in his pocket. It was spray paint. He sprayed Jace's eyes black. And then, he threw him out the window."
Max was silent after that. He was sobbing. Clary wanted to give him a hug, but his story made something in her mind snap.
He said he had white hair. She only knew of a few people who had white hair. He father and her brother, but her brother was friends with Isabelle, which meant he had met Max. Max would have recognized him. And he never smelled like cigarettes and beer and cooties.
Her father smelled like that.
She looked at Jace, a fire glowing bright green in her eyes. Once again, she saw the blackness covering his eyes. Only now did she realize it was the cloud of spray paint blocking his vision of the world beyond this one. He couldn't find his way out, not without her help.
She knew what he was speaking about before. She had two things to do. And she was going to do it.
Clary jumped to her feet. "Maxie, I will make sure Jace finds his way out."
She ran to the door, pushing past the officer standing in her way. Two men in uniforms and one in a suit were staring into the room through the part that should have been a mirror. Clary didn't have time to stop and question it. The men were surprised, but they didn't react fast enough to stop her. Some ran after her, but she was on a mission.
Jace and her ran through the cold night. They were far away from home, but it didn't stop Clary. She knew who killed Jace.
"What are you going to do?" Jace asked with a smug smirk, as if he already knew the answer. She didn't answer. Jace laughed. "Don't do it for me, Clary. Do it for yourself. You know what he does to you every night, right?"
Clary blinked back tears. "He comes into my room and touches me."
"And you don't like that, do you?"
She shook her head. "No. I hate it!"
Jace grinned. "He's evil."
"He kisses me and takes off my clothes a-and-,"
Jace ran a hand down her cheek and through her curls. His soothing touch helped her focus more on her task. "It's okay. It will be over soon, right?"
"Right."
She barged into the house. Her plan was fuzzy. She grabbed the nearest sharp object – a butcher knife – and burst into her room. "Valentine," Clary growled, seeing him waiting patiently on the bed for her.
The man didn't even register the knife in her hand.
Jace whispered the name of his killer. "Valentine."
"Where the fuck were you, bitch?" Valentine stood up. He shook Clary by the shoulders. Jace stood in front of her, looking around his arms.
"Do it."
"Kill him."
"You know you want to."
"Watch his blood pour."
Clary was shaking with anger. "You killed Jace, didn't you?" Her voice quivered, unstable and untame.
Valentine finally saw the knife in hand. He jumped back in surprise but not worry. Then, a laugh escaped his thin molesting lips. "Who?"
Clary screamed. "The boy with gold eyes! The ones you covered with black! You shoved him out the window! I saw him die. I saw him fall. You killed him." She was screaming now. Valentine would have noticed if he had been less shocked. She was waking the whole neighborhood. The door squeaked behind her, but she didn't stop. "You wanted to touch that boy, just like you touch me." Sirens blared in the streets below. The world was turning on its axis, and the powerful buildings were finally crumbling down. "But he wouldn't let you. He. Wouldn't. Let. You."
She waved the knife in front of him, and he flinched. "Watch it, Clary. If you so much as scratch me, you'll have worse things to think about than some modest sex."
Hot wet tears ran down her face. She didn't know what that word meant, but she could hear the defending tone in his voice. "Shut up! You killed my best friend!"
"So what? Are you going to stab me? Is that it?" Valentine stood to full height and laughed in her face. "Try it. I fucking-,"
Clary lunged forward and drove the knife deep into his gut. Valentine's hand gripped her by the arms, but it was too late. A malicious, bloodthirsty smile grew on her face. All those nights of fear and agony and pain were released in that one thrust of a blade. Her sleepless nights and horrid dreams whenever she so much as closed her eyes…he did this. He deserved this pain. He deserved so much worse.
"Clary, watch out!" Jace shouted. Clary whipped around. There were more than just Jace there. Clary's mother stood at the door with one black eyes and a horrified expression. Behind her, two cops were running towards them.
It was too late.
Valentine grabbed the knife out of his stomach, wrapped Clary in a chokehold, and pressed the blade to her throat. He was desperate. The two cops had black things pointed at them. Breathing suddenly became a harder task. Clary looked around, unsure what would happen next.
"Put the knife down and step away from the girl."
"What? So you can shoot me? I didn't do shit!"
Jocelyn cried out, "I heard you confess it, you drunken bastard! You – our daughter! What's wrong with you?" She was sobbing. Clary wished she wouldn't cry right now.
"N-no," he wagged the blade at Jocelyn before turning it back to Clary's throat. "You're a lying bitch! I didn't touch her!"
"Jonathan? Did you touch him, too? Is that why he ran off to live with his girlfriend?" Jocelyn stepped forward. A thin trail of warmth started running down Clary's throat, but she wasn't scared. She just kept looking at Jace, wishing uncontrollably that she could be standing next to him, safe. "Did he fight back, threaten to tell? He didn't keep his mouth shut so you made him leave, right? And then you moved on to Clary."
"N-no, I didn't tell him…" he faltered and shook his head.
"Jace says hi," Clary growled into the knife. "His brother confessed, the one who petted your white hair. You're done for, dead or alive." She let loose a little, carefree giggle.
Valentine growled into her ear, "Then we're going down together."
She frowned, and suddenly she was scared – terrified of what he'd do to her. But he'd already done the worst her could do. Anything less would be more than bearable. She held her head high, stared into Jace's eyes, and stood strong. Carefully, he lifted a black canister from her back pocket.
"Shut your eyes, Clary!" Jace shouted. She did as told. The spray was cold, and she knew what was coming next. But now she wasn't scared.
"Hold my hand, Jace," Clary stretched out one hand. She couldn't see, but she felt his warmth encase her hand. She inhaled sharply and lifted her lips in a smile.
"No!" Jocelyn cried, and the sound of gunfire filled the air seconds after a cold line of metal ran across her neck. Instantly, warm liquid started pouring down her body and she fell limp to the floor. Shots filled the air, but she was on the ground, lying on her back, choking desperately for air.
"J-Jace! Jace, where are you?" Clary called out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother crash to the ground next to hear, weeping. Then, she felt it. His hand under her neck, cradling her head.
"I'm right here, Clary. Always."
"Clary? Clary, it's going to be okay. I – I love you, you know that, right?" Jocelyn shouted like she'd suddenly become deaf. It was slowly getting harder to hear, and her vision was becoming black. Her lungs were burning, but she choked out.
"Love you, too. And Simon, Max…Jace."
. . .
Clary was standing next to Jace. They were looking down at Jocelyn as she held a pale, cold girl with bright red flaming hair. Jocelyn was crying. Clary sighed and leaned her head on Jace's shoulder. "Can we go somewhere else?"
Jace wrapped an arm around her waist. "One more thing, remember?" He smiled, so Clary smiled back. She waved goodbye and followed Jace out the door. They walked back on the streets until they found Jace's apartment. He let himself in and she followed him down a well-lit hallway. "They're probably all down at the station by now with Maxie."
"You made him so happy, Jace. Will he miss you?" Clary took hold of his hand eagerly. Jace intertwined his fingers with hers and smiled warmly at her. He kicked open a door at the end of the hall.
"Yes, but now he knows I'll always be with him. It's up to him if he can move on without me," Jace said. "He's strong. He'll be okay."
Clary sighed in relief. She looked around. The room was pristine, black and white. There was one picture on the desk. Other than that, there were no signs of anyone living here. Clary grabbed the picture and frowned. It was Jace and his blackened eyes. She blinked once, tightly, and when she reopened her eyes, the black melted away. Gasping, she turned in surprise to Jace.
"Your eyes! I can see your eyes!" Clary exclaimed, throwing her arms around Jace. He laughed warmly and beamed at her. His eyes were glowing gold. There was pain laced between every molecule in them, but the happiness shone brighter than any past he had.
"This was my room. I wanted to show you before we leave."
"Leave? Where?"
Jace ran a hand through her curls, weaving through and clearing them of any tangles. Clary smiled softly, without any care in the world. "My job here is done. So is yours. I'm ready to leave this world. You believe in heaven. And I believe in you. I'm hoping that's our final destination."
Clary smiled brightly. "Okay."
Jace took her hand and pulled her on a path to the stairwell that led to the roof. They stood under the stars together, looking both up and at the city below them. "Which way, which way…"
Clary laughed brightly. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Your touch makes me happy." She didn't say whose touch was the contrast of his. There was no need. It was only happy times from here.
Jace tickled her side. "There will be more of that when we are where we should be," he snickered. "Would you be upset if I kissed you now that we are in the stars?"
Clary frowned. She looked around and realized how right her was. There were stars everywhere. No longer were they on the roof. Now, they were standing on nothing, surrounded by everything. Brilliant stars glimmered around them like the gems of her eyes.
"No. I wouldn't."
Jace lifted his lip up in a smirk. He stepped in front of her. All that she could see, suddenly, was Jace. His beauty astonished her. He was an angel, something she'd never get tired of looking at.
His hands cupped her cheek, thumb rubbing against her soft skin as he came closer. Clary's eyes flickered shut. Her heart rate picked up. Finally, a kiss all to herself.
Jace's soft lips felt hot against hers. He kissed her slowly, like they had all the time in the world. Maybe they did. She kissed him back gently, glad to be there with him.
And when Clary stepped back and opened her eyes, everything changed.
They were at peace.
A/N: WOW SO MANY REVIEWS! It was like I didn't know how to process them all. I loved the feedback and hope I get the same amount here too! To one question, I am sorry there's not that much clace. It's rare I feel the inspiriting to write something aside from a romance/sexual story, and this was one of the times. I hope you still enjoyed it. It's one of my few short stories I am proud of!
On a side note, looks like we got a new president, USA.
I hate politics so let's not.
If you want more, check out my page. I slowly am building up a shit ton of stories, hehe. Now they aren't all reading-worthy, but I had to start somewhere. I really love to see a comment or favorite on one story and then the same person checking out a different story. Ahh! Also, can I give a shout out to one of the favoriters - jacefreak - bc your username? same, just same.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts! I left it open to interpretation purposefully. It is up to you to decide what Jace was in the end. An unreliable narrator is the best narrator for a story! ;)
