"Jace, how do shadowhunters get married?" Clary asked, looking up from her latest drawing.

Next to her, Simon choked, spitting tea all over the library carpet.

"What?" Jace asked, mid page turn. He was leaning against a shelf on the other side of the room.

"What?!" Simon spluttered.

"What." Clary said. "It was just a question."

Jace threw himself at the practice dummy, hitting it with every piece of his body possible. He had to train, get stronger. And the pain helped him to not think.

Almost a decade later, Jace smiled had at the memory of sixteen year old Clary in the Institute library.

Around him, the grand hall of the Institute was decorated lavishly with white ribbons and red roses. Isabelle and Magnus had outdone themselves.

"You ready?" Alec's voice came from behind him.

"Yes." Jace said quietly. The two men began walking to the front of the room where the ceremony would take place. Jace couldn't quite decide whether to beam or smirk.

A well placed kick finally broke the dummy in two.

"Please don't tell me that godawful expression on your face is supposed to be attractive." Isabelle said as she passed with another armful of roses. Jace smirked and plucked one out of her bouquet, sniffing it slyly.

Jace leaped over the stand and attacked the half of the dummy on the floor, stabbing it over and over until there was practically nothing left.

"Don't you even think about going to look for Clary. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding." Isabelle called over her shoulder.

"A paltry, mortal superstition." Jace teased, winking.

Jace stood up, panting. His hands refused to stop shaking.

"Jace." Alec's voice came from the doorway.

The shaking progressed up his arms until his whole body was convulsing in one silent paroxysm of his grief.

"You look beautiful." He said when she reached the altar. And she had.

He sunk to his knees, bloody knuckles smearing on the floor. He barely registered as Alec came to his side, putting his arms around him. He knew Alec could feel the overwhelming grief through their bond, but he didn't care. He just let himself be held.

"...Till death do you part?"

"Jace, the healers say that she's in a coma. It's not likely that she will wake."

"I do."