Hello guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! And thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorite this story! Sincerely,

FanOfTheWrittenArt*

Clary woke up still exhausted, and in pain. Tears started dripping down her face as the light fluttering in through the window made her head ache worsten. She wrapped her arms around her head hoping, praying that the endless throbbing would stop. It felt like forever had passed, when she was finally able to pull herself onto her feet.

Her legs were shakey and her hands trembled at her sides, but she was stable enough to take a few wobbly steps. A series of clicks and pops went in a line up her back, as her joints compained from lying on nothing more than a mattress all night. Clary leaned against the wall for support, and looked around her tiny three room apartment with a smile on her face.

It was by no means fancy, by some standards you could even call it a dump, but she was proud of it nonetheless. A mattress, a pillow, and a hand knitted cotton blanket a friend from work made for her one day, made up her bed. She had a beaten up, simple gray couch that her neighbor no longer wanted in her den. The heater and AC were constantly breaking down. Sometimes she had to hit the front door with her knee for it to lock, the shower never had hot water, and the people abover her loved to throw parties every day that ended with Y. But there was one thing in her apartment that was worth more than any amount of money.

A beautiful painting of an angel standing in a lake with an upturned face, adorned the blank wall facing her couch. What made it valuable, though, was that it was the last painting her mother ever made. The weeks after her mother had passed were the roughest. Her father whom was already solitary and irritable took it to a whole new level when she died. When he wasn't sitting on the couch starring blankly at the wall, he was yelling at her with a new reason of why she was making him miserable. Why she should have done something to prevent Jocelyn from dying. How everything would be easier if she would just leave him alone. And one day, she did. Clary grabbed a duffel bag and put a couple bottles of water in it, a few changes of clothes, and two-hundred dollars in it. As she was walking towards the car she remembered something. Her father, Valentine, was asleep on the couch, so she snuck into what had been her parents room and took the painting off the wall. It was her prized possession.

Clary pushed herself off the wall and glanced down at her wrist watch. All the color drained from her face as she saw the time. 5:20 AM, she was fourty minutes late for work. Dashing to the bathroom like an Olympic runner, she grabbed her clothes from yesterday and started dressing the second she reached the bathroom. Throwing her hair into a ponytail and brushing her teeth, she considered herself good enough.

Checking the time one more time, Clary flew down the steps of her apartment. Practically slamming into the side of her car, she pushed the keys into the ignition and twisted. Nothing. Clary tried again. Nothing. One last hopeless attempt. Nothing.
"No. No. Please, no!" She cried tapping her head against the steering wheel. "Not now. Please not now." Already knowing what was going to happen, Clary tried to start the car one more time. It splutterd for only a second before dying. It was official. She was jogging to work. "It's just eleven blocks. It's just eleven blocks. It's just eleven blocks," became her mantra as Clary ran.

It wasn't the safest part of town to be running through, but she was hoping that all the criminals were to lazy to get up this early. Her breath was catching in her chest, and the rhythmatic clapping of her feet against the pavement did nothing for her somewhat lingering headache. Then as if things couldn't get any worse... It started to rain.

By the time she reached Taki's her face was flushed, she was soaked to the bone, her breaths were quick and made her throat raw, and the mind numbing pain was creeping back into her skull. She slipped in a puddle and fell right against a wall. Weird thing was, this wall had a face.
He had amber eyes, golden hair, and a face that looked like it was painted by Picasso himself. His face was stoic, but there was a deeply hidden underline of concern. Reaching down, he grabber her upper arm and gently tugged Clary to her feet. "Are you alright, Miss? Is somebody chasing you?" His voice was deep and smooth.

"No," Clary rhasped. "I-I I'm late f-for," she coughed. "I'm late for work," she finally managed, chest still heaving for air. Legs shaking, rapidly breathing, and soaking wet she must be a sight to see.

"Well no need to get yourself killed over it. Is this where you work?" Picasso face asked. Still nearly emotionless. Clary just nodded her head yes. Right as he was about to speak the glass door of Taki's was thrown open.

"Clary!" Luke cried out. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" Clary was still shaky as Luke laid a hand on her shoulder. "Your freezing. Come in side, I won't have you catching your death.

"But wait, Luke." Clary turned to look for picasso face, and was disappointed when she saw that he was gone.
"What, Clary?"

Clary pursed her lips. "Nothing.''

Jace

Jace had never felt like more of a fool in his life. A pretty girl runs into him on the street, and he just stares at her. Well he did speak to her. It just wasn't witty, or intelligant, or even very concerned for that matter. Stupid, he mentally admonished himself. He couldn't continue his mental conversation though, Jace could see Isabelle and Alec waiting for him.

Jace was gladded he decided to be a little dressy. It was normal for Isabelle to pick somewhere expensive to hang out, and though this little dinner was quaint and homey, it definately had some class. So at least he didn't feel like a complete idiot in his dark dress suit, even if it wasn't exactly his style.

"Isabelle! Alexander! How lovely it is to see the both of you again," Jace smiled at them as he sat down.
Isabelle gave him a small smile. "Hello, Jace."

Alec clapped him on the shoulder. "It's good to see you to, Brother. And if you ever call me Alexander again make no mistake I will punch you."
Flipping her dark hair over her shoulder, Isabelle gave them another smile. "Now lets all ditch the crappy formal talk, if I wanted to talk like snobby rich person I would have just gone to work. At least there they pay me to talk like that,"

Jace rolled his eyes. "So what's with the summons? I didn't even know you two were in New York."

Suddenly a bleep went off, and Alec checked his phone, "Sorry, guys, I have to take this. Go a head and tell Jace, Izzy. You can fill me in when I get back. This should only take a minute." Alec pushed his chair back, and stepped outside.

Isabelled puffed. "Well, anyways. My trainer just recently moved out here to New York from Seattle with his family, and it's been just to difficult to continue training from such a long distance-" She trailed off looking at him expectantly. Jace could feel the smile breaking out on his face like a rash. Isabelle was a gymnist and a fashionista at heart. Two years ago she made contact with a trainer who'd promised her a spot at the Olympics if she worked with him. He was also quite the buisiness manager as well. So Izzy relocated to Seattle and from there not only has she been quallified to try out for the Olympics, but she also managed to aquire several new clothing lines that have been selling like a widfire. Since then, though, Jace has only been able to see her every few months and on Video Chat, he had missed his adoptive sister.

"Your moving back?" Jace asked hopefully.

"I'm moving back." She confirmed with a smile.

"Hey, guess what!" Alec broke in on their moment. "I've just been offered a huge promotion at a cancer research facility here in New York! Looks like I'm moving back!" Jace and Izzy stood up from the table with a whoop and high fived eachother. It was like they were highschoolers again.

"Wait," Alec said confused. "What'd I miss?"

Jace reached up and ruffled Alec's tidy black hair. "It looks like were all going to calling New York home again pretty soon."
Alec sent a glance towards Isabelle. "Your moving here?" She nodded, and Alec managed to acquire his own face fracturing smile. "That's wonderful. You know what, lunch is on me today."

Izzy plopped back into her chair. "Awe. You remembered my favorite kind of food. Free."

Finally once everybody managed to tone their excitement down, the waitress showed up. "What can I get you all to drink, today?" Jace looked up from his menu to answer, and he felt his mouth go numb. It was her. Well, her in a better state. The red head from the street was no longer sopping wet, or gasping for air. Her hair was dried and pulled back away from her face, she had been given a new uniform, and she was now able to form complete sentences. But there was still something wrong, though. Her face was very pale, she had dark looking circles under them, and the hand that was holding the pen to take their oder was shaking.

Isabelle gave the waitress a smile. "I'll have the Spiced Cinnamon Latte."

"Green tea, for me." Alec said.

The waitress's green eyes looked at him, waiting for an answer. "Um. I'll just have a water. No lemon."

She turned away. "Okay. I have one Spiced Cinammon Latte, a Green Tea, and a water with no lemmon." Alec nodded confirming the order. "Good!" She smiled. "My name is Clary, and I'll be your waitress today your drinks will be out in a moment." Clary. He liked that name.
True to her word the waitress named Clary was back moments later with their drinks. Next she took their orders, in which Jace was apalled when Alec ordered roast duck. For some reason he found his eyes following her as she moved throughout the restraunt. At one point he nearly ran up to help her when a jerk pushed his chair out in front of her, and she nearly dropped a tray full of plates. When the end of their meal came and they were standing up to leave, Jace pulled out twenty bucks and left it on the table as a tip.
Isabelle was smiling at him funnily. "What?" Jace asked her.

"Oh, nothing." She kept smiling at him.

"I appreciate good customer service." Then he walked out of the restraun with Alec and Izzy following his trail.