A/N- Putting all this effort into writing has really drained my creative juices towards my sketchbook.

Disclaimer- Knee boots? Yes! The honourable sketchpad? Yes! Mortal Instruments? Sadly, only copies of them. Cassandra Clare is the true master. Yes I am, young grasshoppaaaaaaaa.

Clary watched as the truth dawned over her brother's face. He shook his head not believing her exclamation.

'No it can't be true. They would have told us by now,' he whispered. He walked back over to his bed and collapsed on it, a million thoughts running through his head.

However, Clary already knew it was no lie. The pieces were falling into place- why they didn't go to the Shadowhunter Academy in Alicante, why Jace and her hadn't meet any people other than their father's visitors, why her father was always away on "business trips" and why they had been raised out in the remote Wayland country manor.

It was to protect her and Jace from the Clave.

Clary sighed. They were still her parents no matter what wrongs they had done in the past. They had only wanted to protect the human race and Nephilim alike against the demons that lived among them. That wasn't such a bad thing was it?

'It doesn't change anything, Jace. They are still the same people that we have come to love over time. They are still our parents!' Clary whispered. She stood up from where she had been sitting beside the wall and went and sat on the bed beside him. 'What now?'

Jace was silent for a moment. 'You're right. It doesn't change anything. We'll just have to keep it to ourselves. As Father said, if anyone finds out, they will torture us to try and find out their whereabouts.'

'He didn't say that.'

'He implied it.'

Clary fell silent. She thought about everything her parents had done for her. They couldn't leave her when she still needed them! A sob racked her chest.

'What's wrong?' Jace put an arm around Clary's shoulder. It had been a long time since he had comforted her but then again it had been a long time since she had cried in his presence.

'They're still leaving!' She replied, her voice hysteric. She put her head on Jace's shoulder as her sobs became louder and the streamed down her face. He rolled his head to the side, rested it on top of hers and rubbed shoulder trying to give some comfort to her.

'There's nothing we can do but protect their secret,' Jace whispered.

Clary's sobs quietened after a time and the tears slowed. She finally lifted her head off Jace's shoulder and looked at the kind expression on his face.

They had always been close; Nora (Jocelyn, Clary amended) had even compared them to parabati once which was true. Clary would give her life for brother; however, she had already made Jace promise to avenge her in return.

'You look terrible,' he said. Clary chuckled. Whenever she cried her eyes would go red and stay like that for hours on end and she would have the biggest bags under them. One time her face had even gone a slight purple from lack of oxygen between sobs. 'Go and wash up. You need to get changed as well if you hadn't already noticed.'

Clary looked down at herself. She was still wearing her sweatpants and singlet she had gone to bed in last night. She got up from Jace's bed and walked to the door. Just before she left, she turned back to look at Jace. He didn't look all too happy either.

'Hey, Jace?' He looked up at her.

'What?'

The ends of Clary's mouth turned upwards into a shy smile. 'Thanks. For everything.'

And with that she closed the door gently; she didn't look back to see his reaction.

The gravel crunched under Clary's shoes as she ran down the front drive. She needed to get away from the house for a while, to at least try an escape her life for a while. And the river seemed the perfect place to do it. Her bag thumped against her thigh as she ran.

The riverbank was welcoming as she sat down on the cushioning grass, taking off her shoes and massaging her feet. The heat of the midday sun was blocked out by the large weeping willows, their long drooping foliage touching the edge of the river making ripples in the water as the wind blew through them. Clary lifted the bag from her shoulder and chucked it down beside her. She lifted her shirt off, revealing her gold bikini top that she had put on underneath before she had left the manor. She stripped off her pants and then slid into the cool, clear water, shivering slightly as the water rose over her waist.

She ducked her head under the water, looking down through the crystal clear water at the river bed deep below her. She surfaced, flinging her now-dark red tangles out of her face, happy that no nixies were deciding to swim here today; she had the place to herself.

Clary floated on her back, her tresses fanned out behind her, musing over her parents' conversation beforehand. The pain of the upcoming separation looming on her near horizon ripped through her and before she knew it, a tear had rolled down the side of her cheek and dripped into the water.

Suddenly, Clary was gripped by a rubbery-like tentacle. It winded itself around her leg and dragged her under the water, barely giving her enough time to suck in breath before she was pulled into the liquid abyss below.

Sorry it took so long. Hope you like it. I will get the next one up soon as I can. Please review- it does help.