Clary quickly slid the deadlock into place. She ran into the bathroom and collapsed into a fit of dry heaves. After twenty minutes she started to sob and tremble.

She saw Him.

She saw a supposable dead man.

She saw her father.

All she could do was lie on the cool tile floor and let the memory of this afternoon replay its self over and over again.

Clary was extremely annoyed by Magnus' questions. She knew her answers were getting harsher and shorter. Clary knew that Magnus was beginning to realize she had many secrets and knew it was only a matter of time he began to dig around her past.

Their food came. Clary simply poured syrup on her coconut pancakes (per Alec's recommendation). She hadn't even taken a bite when a man and his family walked into the diner.

At first glance this man seemed nothing special to her, but then her eyes noticed the slight gleam of silver on his large hand. It was a ring… the Morgenstern Ring. Clary froze and stared across the room.

The Man had snow blonde hair and black eyes… her father's eyes. The Woman, who stood next to him and animatedly talked to Kaelie, the fair folk waitress, was quite pretty with auburn hair and light blue eyes. The Little Girl had auburn hair and appeared to be no more then eight years old. She knelt in front of a stroller and gave a white rabbit toy to a child nestled deep inside.

The Man noticed her staring and looked her straight in the eyes. Realization and guilt was displayed across his face as he realized who she was.

The Man was her father. The Father who had died ten years ago. The father whose absence was the reason Clary's mother was thrown into a depression and often beat Clary bloody.

Clary then realized the fork she had been holding had dropped on to her plate. Alec and the rest of the group stopped their conversation long enough to see Clary (or Vale as they knew her) throw down a twenty dollar bill and run out of the restaurant.

Clary heard Alec's footsteps and him calling her name, but she didn't stop. Her lungs cried out for air, but even that wasn't enough to make her pause for a short moment. She had to get home. She had to.

Five miles to go.

Alec's footsteps faded.

Four miles to go.

She no longer heard her name being shouted from Alec's lips.

Three miles to go.

Her father's face was still staring back at her in Clary's mind.

Two miles to go.

Clary felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket.

One mile to go.

She could see her apartment.

Clary broke out into sobs once more.

Clary didn't want to cry over the father who left her, who abandoned her. Abandoned her with an unloving mother. Clary tried convincing herself that Valentine Morgenstern meant nothing to her. But her mind could not over rule her heart.

Her "heart". A heart that had been stomped on and torn apart, so it resembled nothing more then a figurative blob of play dough.

Clary heard pounding on the door. After five minutes, she heard her name being shouted through the door. Clary slowly and painfully pulled herself up off the floor and treaded wearily to the door.

Clary knew who was outside the door. But what she didn't expect was for him, for Alec, to pull her into a hug, sit her down on the couch and throw a blanket over her while he went into her kitchen and made hot chocolate.

Clary soon started to let her mind wander. Was that little girl almost like a replacement her? The girl who looked the same age she was when Valentine abandoned their family. Was the child in the stroller a replacement Jon? Did her father feel any such remorse? Did he remember the promises he made her as a child? The last question ran through her mind continuously. Clary yet again allowed herself to be pulled into a memory that could only cause heartache.

Red curls flew behind a little girl who was no more then seven. She was in an intense game of tag with her father. Her father was "it".

Being a small child she knew she would never be able to out run the father who was chasing after her small form. The little girl raced across the manor up to the grove of trees. It was autumn and the ground and sky were covered in leaves the shade of flames.

Clary dropped to the floor, giggling at the loud crunching noises the leaves made. Her father, clearly worn out, lay down next to her, ensuing yet another round of giggles from the small child.

The man started to tickle the child, almost as if he would never hear her laughter again.

"Daaaadddy! Stop tickling me!" Clary exclaimed in between laughs, "I'm going to run out of laughs soon!"

The man let out a hearty chuckle and stopped tickling her, "We wouldn't want that now would we Clare-Bear?"

"Tell me a story, Daddy."

Valentine obliged telling Clary one about a fiery red head who went on many adventures, fighting of demons with her brave father.

After the story Clary remained uncharacteristically quiet.

"What's wrong Clare-Bear?"

"Daddy… You are coming home right?" The little girl burrowed herself into her father's arms, trying to hide the tears that were coming.

"Now Clarissa, you know Shadowhunters never cry." Valentine said as he pulled her head up and looked sternly into her eyes.

"I'm sorry Daddy… But are you gunna come home?" She pleaded almost on the verge of tears.

"Of course I will, Clare-Bear. After all I have to beat up your boyfriends when you're older, don't I?" Valentine tickled her sides once more. Clary though would not be moved on the subject.

"Promise me, Dad. Promise it."

"Now Clary, I hardly think it's necessary." Valentine said as he peered down at his daughter.

A tear slid down Clary's face, "Please, Daddy… Please."

Valentine looked at the ground avoiding her gaze. "Sure Clarissa, if it makes you happy. I promise I will come home." He stood up and refused to look Clary in the eyes

She heard him mutter "Promises…meant…to…broken."

Clary should have known. She should have realized it.

Clary was pulled out of her thoughts by Alec calling her name. Not her alias, Vale, but her real name, Clary.

"Oh, Clary, Love, don't cry. Please stop crying. Please don't cry."

Well, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I hope you enjoyed this short chapter. If you have any suggestions for the story I would love to hear them! I'm kind of in a small writers block which has caused me to not update and not do well in my Honors English Class *_*. Anyway, comments, suggestions and flames are welcome! And Cheliz the one-shot is coming!