"Clary!" A voice shrieked as she, Alec, and Jace exited the New York Institute's tightly packed elevator. Jace had kept bumping into her accidentally-on-purpose, so she was relieved to be out.

"Isabelle!" Clary cried back as the two embraced. "They told me you tracked me down! How did you know where I was?"

"Well, it took a little work, and a little asking around in the Clave's networks, but finally we got a tip off about where you were. Here, in New York. Apparently someone had seen you, and you're pretty memorable with that gorgeous red hair!" Isabelle admired it like she was thinking of all the different ways she could make Clary prettier.

"Clary?" A voice asked, coming from the shadows.

"Simon!" Clary ran to him, pulling him into the light as they hugged.

"Clary, I'm so glad you're safe," Simon started. "We were really worried." Isabelle nodded next to him. "God, I was so worried I think I got wrinkles! See? See?" She scrunched up her forehead as Clary, Simon, and Alec laughed.

"Jace, are you okay?" Isabelle turned to him. "You seem- I don't know, out of it."

"Fine." Jace muttered angrily as he strode away from the previously happy group and headed into the deep hallways of the New York Institute.

"What's wrong with him?" Simon asked, looking at Clary and Alec.

Clary looked at the ground. "I, uh..."

"Hey Alec, Simon, why don't you two go find Jace and cheer him up? I will show Clary to her room." Isabelle said pointedly. Simon looked confused, but Alec got the message and dragged him away.

"So, what's up?" Isabelle said as she led Clary through the maze of halls. "If I didn't know better, I'd say Jace got rejected. But you wouldn't have done that."

Clary didn't respond- she just stared at the ground.

"Oh my gosh, you did!" Exclaimed Isabelle.

"No, I do!" Clary replied. "I do love him, but that's what I'm scared of. Besides, aren't you disgusted? Jace and I are brother and sister!"

"Clary, we all saw the romantic tension between you two. It was pretty obvious," Isabelle muttered matter-of-factly. "Anyway, it was all Valentine and, sorry, Jocelyn's fault for not letting you know before you met Jace! I mean, Jace was like, obsessed with you after he met you that one night at Pandemonium. He kept saying how odd it was that you could see through glamours and that we needed to bring you back to the Institute. And when Hodge finally agreed, Jace insisted that it be him to get you."

"I just, it seems, wrong Isabelle." Clary looked nervous.

"Alright, just know that Jace will be after you. He's not gonna give up on the girl he loves." Isabelle laughed and beckoned Clary to follow her.

Clary ran back after her, with a wave of hesitation covering her face, as if she were fearful of what to come.

Jace slammed his door shut angrily, sitting on his bed with his head between his hands.

"Jace!" A voice called quietly outside his door. Alec.

"Alec, I don't want your help!" Jace shouted back to him.

"I'm here too, thanks for asking," Simon muttered.

"I don't need your help either bloodsucker," Jace growled.

"Please, let us help you. We know how-" Alec started.

"Just go!" He yelled back. "Just go."

The shadowhunter and the daylighter wandered off, knowing how Jace was when he was like this. Jace however, sat motionless and stationary on his minimalist bed, still feeling the pain of rejection he had a few hours ago.

"Jace, I don't- I don't love you anymore."

It echoed through his mind, and he buried his head in his lap, trying to stop the tears that would never come.