A/N: Read, review, enjoy.

The next week was awkward. Uncomfortable. And for Clary, it felt like the longest week of her life;

On Sunday she woke up to the sound of Isabelle whispering down the phone, and the pair spent the day drinking tea and talking about Simon- a topic that Clary had become well versed in. They didn't talk about Sebastian, and they didn't talk about Jace.

On Monday she was dropped to school by Luke who, for the first time, had stayed the night. She didn't mind, in fact he was starting to grow on her, but the strange looks she received from strangers in the hallway was enough to make her stomach turn, and no amount of gossip- or coffee- from her friends could lessen her unease. She saw Jace once in the hallway, and he avoided her gaze.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, she helped her mother repaint their apartment; the walls were now a lively shade of green, and it was the first time that they had made a mark anywhere since Clary was ten years old. She loved it, and the perpetual smile on her mother's face made the flat feel like a home. Isabelle stayed over on Wednesday night, holding back tears as she delivered details of her parent's separation. On both these days she did her best not to think about a certain golden- haired boy. Her best wasn't good enough.

On Thursday, she tried not to break down in tears, because there were whispers in the air and she could feel them all around her. Something was about to happen.

And on Friday, it did.

"I don't see the point in changing it now." Aline said from her usual position at the lunch table. "You played a banging gig, everyone loved you!" She said, waving her hands ecstatically. Maia nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I like the name." Clary said, resting her chin in her hand; the week had been long, and she was growing fond of mindless chatter. It filled the endless hours of anxiety that had been eating at her. Simon rolled his eyes and clapped his hands.

"Look, I like the name as well, all I'm saying is that maybe it doesn't give off the right vibe." Simon said, looking around. "You get me?"

"No." Isabelle said, frustrated, pulling a chunk of Clary's hair into her nimble fingers and beginning to braid it. "The name is fine- if I'm being honest people don't give that much of a shit." She finished, and Magnus snorted; Simon glared.

"Oh, come on Seymour, you know we're kidding. But we are all in agreement that the name should stay." Magnus said firmly, grinning like a cat.

"My name is Simon, Magnus. You have known me for nearly ten years- pull yourself together." Simon muttered, clearly frustrated. Everyone laughed at him, because the issue of the band name had become an ever-expanding debate at their lunch table, and he still never stopped bringing it up. It was only when Clary felt a tap on her shoulder that Isabelle dropped her hair, and Clary turned around; behind her was a tall, blonde guy- she knew that his name was Meliorn, and he was notorious for sneaking paint stripper grade alcohol into private parties. She just wasn't sure why he was talking to her.

"Clary." He said, his accent thick but unrecognisable. There was a smug grin on his face, and his eyes kept flicking to something behind Clary. He grinned wider.

"Look, I just wanted to give you my number." He said, dropping a piece of paper in front of her. The whole table had stopped talking and were watching the scene, confused and curious. Clary frowned.

"Um… Why?" She asked him, eyes flicking down to the folded paper. He shoved his hands into his back pockets and grinned wider.

"Oh, you know- in case you ever wanted to finish what you and Verlac started. But with me." He said, and Clary heard someone behind her cackle, as well as Simon choking on his drink. She closed her eyes momentarily- here it is.

"I'm sorry? What exactly did we start." Clary said, swivelling in her seat. She felt Isabelle's arm come up around her, and she realised she was shaking. Meliorn raised his eyebrows.

"You know… the threesome thing. With him and some guy at the club? He wasn't up for it, but I am- so like I said, call me."

And with that he walked away, and the laughter from behind Clary grew. She was shaking so hard that the table shook with her, and she turned to see Sebastian sitting beside Kaelie, two girls she didn't know, and a lot of boys from the football team. As she caught his eye he winked and said something to the table, and they immediately broke into a fit of very loud laughter. She felt her face heat up and stood from the table.

"Don't follow me." She said to no-one in particular, and before they could respond she was on her feet, moving out of the cafeteria as fast as she could. It was like fate was on her side, because the hallways were empty, and she could sprint through them, trying to get lost in the labyrinth of school. But when she made it to the door leading to the football field, she realised where she was going.

Pushing through the fire exit she crossed the field; it was another windy east coast day and she could feel the wind whipping against her, her hair flying madly around her. And before she knew it, she was behind the bleachers once again. And in front of her was Jace, smoking a cigarette with his back to the wall. He watched her approach, and she stopped with six feet separating them. It felt like miles.

"You've been avoiding me." She said, hoping he could hear her, and as he met her gaze, she knew that he could.

"Yeah." He said, taking another puff. She watched his chest rise and fall, the smoke pooling around his face. She felt like she was shrouded in smoke too.

"There's a rumour going around about me. That I slept with Sebastian." She said, hoping to get a rise out of him. She couldn't tell from her spot, but she could have sworn she saw his muscles tighten. She brushed her hair from her face.

"They all think I slept with Bat, too. Or at least asked him to sleep with me." She said, louder this time. He looked at the ground, tapping his cigarette. "They're trying to humiliate me because I wouldn't follow his rules, because I rejected him. They're trying to make me miserable."

He still wouldn't look up.

"But I don't care." Clary breathed, and this got his attention. She could feel her heart hammering fast, her pulse racing. "I don't care what they say anymore, I don't care about the rumours. I've got shit to deal with- bigger fish to fry." She said sardonically, hoping he would crack a smile, but he just kept staring. She was going to have to make this obvious.

"Everyone at school knows my name now, and they've been looking at me, talking about me, whispering about me all week. But I couldn't care less- all I care about is the one person who's ignoring me."

He stood up straight at this, and took a step toward her, stamping out his cigarette with his thick boot. She swallowed.

"I'm used to spending my days scared, wanting to hide from everyone, so you must have really messed me up, Jace, because all I want to do is talk to you when you clearly don't want to talk to me." She looked down. "When you clearly don't want me."

"Stop." He said, and she looked up, realising he was closer than she had realised. He'd closed half the space between them. "If you think that I don't spend every minute of my miserable existence thinking about you, then you're clearly not as smart as I think you are. I can't get you out of my head, Cherry, but that's not good. Because I'm not good. Not for you." He said, running a hand through his hair. Clary's heart stopped- she was sure it had.

"I don't want good, Jace. Good is a lie; I want real. I've spent my whole life being scared, and right now I want to live. I want to be real- no more hiding who I am, or what I think. What I feel." Clary said, feeling obnoxious and nervous, and as she closed the gap between them she felt a spark of electricity; she fisted his shirt in her hand and stared into his eyes.

Jace closed his eyes briefly so he wouldn't have to see the heart wrenching honesty in her green eyes; every day since homecoming he had thought about her, and every time someone hurt her he felt such burning rage he thought he could combust. Teenagers weren't supposed to feel like this, it wasn't supposed to be this fierce. But he knew Clary wasn't the type to do anything half-heartedly, and this was the longest he had every heard her speak without apologising for something. He opened his eyes.

"If I cross this line, if we cross it, there's no going back." He said quietly, dipping down closer. "Because I'm tired of being fake- I want reality too. I want you."

"You can have me. This is me…" Clary said, reaching up onto her tip-toes to wrap a hand in his hair. She felt his hands settle on her hips, and felt her anxiety subside as she closed her eyes. "This is me asking." She whispered.

Jace groaned, and without a second thought he closed the small space between them, and he kissed her.

The moment their lips met he closed his eyes, and it felt like his first kiss all over again. It was soft and tentative, but better than anything he had ever felt. She was all around him, soft and warm, her hand in his hair as they moved in sync. She was everywhere; she was everything.

He brought his hand up to her face, cupping her cheek, holding her tightly to him as if at any moment she may disappear and slip through his fingers like sand. She wasn't scared like this; she was just Clary, matching his eagerness with equal measure, feeling like she might burst. And when they broke apart, she grinned, and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"Will you stop ignoring me now?" She whispered, chuckling. Jace couldn't even bring himself to say something witty, he was too dazed.

"Only if you kiss me again." He said, looking right into her eyes.

So she did.

That night was the first night that Clary fell asleep quickly; after she had left Jace she spent the rest of the day with her head down, ignoring the whispers- the people that mattered didn't care, they weren't listening to the rumours. Everyone just wanted to make sure she was okay.

As she drifted off she thought about Jace, about her mother, about Luke and Isabelle. There was a constant fear inside of her, but her and her mother's decision to face up to their past had lifted a weight from her shoulders; she no longer felt that she had o be ready to leave at any minute. She felt safe…

… "Can you please play something else." Clary whined from her position on the couch; her brother was sat next to her in his work uniform, green eyes tired but content. They had been living in the tiny apartment in Seattle for two months and it was starting to feel like home; they had had to leave the motel in Washington, because their mother had been sure Valentine's squad car had been outside. Jonathon grinned at his sister's exasperation and strummed quicker, picking up the chorus.

"There's a star-man, waiting in the sky…" He warbled, closing his eyes and grinning, and Clary climbed up onto him, covering her ears and giggling.

"No! No, Jonny, no more star man." She protested, jumping on the couch. Jonathon ignored her, playing louder.

"Oh, he'd like to come and met us, but he thinks he's blow our mind!" He carried on, and Clary put her hands on the strings of his beat-up guitar to stop him playing. He faked a pout and pushed the guitar from his body, pulling his sister on top of him instead and tickling her until tears were streaming down her face with her hysterics.

"No more! Okay, okay- you can play it!" Clary conceded, rolling off his lap and onto the floor, still laughing, and as Jonathon continued to strum their mother walked in, phone glued to her ear. Jocelyn smiled at her children and watched them laugh.

"Okay, I'll be in soon. Yes, it's okay." Jocelyn finished, then hung up the phone. "Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to cover Maria's shift tonight- are you okay looking after Clary, Jon?" She said softly, pulling on her coat. Jonathon grinned, and Clary rolled onto her stomach, looking up at her family.

"Of course I am! See you later, Mom." He said, and their mother left with a fleeting wave. Jonathon looked down.

"Just you and me, kiddo. Know what that means?" He said, and Clary jumped up, grinning.

"Mac and cheese?" She said, bouncing on her feet. He laughed.

"Exactly."

They moved from the living room into the tiny kitchen, Clary perching on the edge of the worn table top that they had squashed three chairs around. Jonathon moved to the stove; and then, he looked back at her. Her dream wasn't a memory anymore, and she wasn't eleven. She was seventeen- but Jon was still Jon. He looked at her curiously.

"I'm fine." He said, leaning against the counter opposite her, and Clary felt as though she were floating. She tried to stand up, but her legs were jelly.

"Jonathon." She said, her mouth filled with cotton wool. She was so confused, so unnerved. But Jonathon was smiling.

"I'm fine." He repeated. "Better than fine- I came to see you." He finished.

"How." Clary choked out, and Jonathon shrugged, pulling a box of macaroni mix from the cupboard and ripping off the top.

"It's been a while since we talked, I've missed you."

Clary's heart wrenched when she heard this and she felt the hot burn of tears prick in her eyes.

"I've missed you too." She said, watching him watch her.

And then she was eleven again, jumping off the tale and running to Jon, grabbing at his legs as he tried to cook. And as the sound of the pan and the water filled the kitchen, the sound of their laughter faded away…

Clary woke with a start, sitting upright in her bed; there was a grey drizzle outside, and the dim morning light filtered through her curtains. Her breath was uneven from the dream, and she pushed back her covers as quickly as she could, flicking on the light and exiting her room. She knocked on her mother's door, but knowing Luke wasn't in there, she pushed into it. Her mother was sat upright in bed, and the clock read 5:30am. Jocelyn looked up from her book, meeting the worried eyes of her daughter.

"Clary?" She said quietly. She patted the space beside her and Clary clambered into the bed beside her, tucking her cold feet into her bedcovers and resting her head against her mother's shoulder. "What's wrong?" Her mother asked, and Clary closed her eyes.

"I had a dream about Jonathon." She said, her brain trying to piece together the memory. Her mother sucked in a sharp breath.

"You had a nightmare?" She said, rubbing Clary's back, but Clary felt a warmth spread through her. She shook her head.

"No." She smiled. "Not a nightmare- it was nice. Like I was talking to him again." Clary's mother smiled. "I miss him a lot, mom." She finished.

"Me too." Her mother said, and they sat quietly together, thinking, until her mother's alarm went off.

"Are you okay getting to school early this morning?" Her mother asked an hour later as Clary munched on a slice of toast, packing her bag. Clary nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going to walk in this morning; it's just a meeting with the guidance counsellor, right?" Clary asked her mother, and she nodded in reply.

"Yes, they just want to check that you've settled in okay." She said, pulling on her long, waxed coat, and swooping down to kiss Clary on the cheek. "Okay, Luke and I are going to be out late tonight because of that book release, so have Isabelle come over, okay? Or go to hers." She said before rushing from the apartment with a smile and a wave.

Clary changed into her usual sweater and jeans combo, pulling on a long jacket and pulling back her tangled hair in a clip. She had to leave early to make it in for her meeting, so she exited the flat, pulling out her phone as she hit the brisk cold of the street.

"Hello?" A groggy voice came down the phone. "Clary?"

Clary laughed at her friend's delirium and looked at the empty road as she crossed the street.

"Yeah, its me Iz. I just wanted to say that I'm going to be in school early, so I don't need a lift." She stated, and she heard Izzy moan.

"Eugh, school early, that is truly disgusting." Isabelle said, and Clary laughed.

"Sorry to wake you, I just wanted to let you know." Clary said, and Isabelle scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah- whatever. Hey- I hope you're okay after yesterday." Isabelle stated as an after-thought. "I honestly thought that Magnus was going to break his no-violence rule." She continued groggily, and Clary shoved her free hand deep in her pocket.

"Yeah- I'm fine. If I'm being honest there are worse things that could happen than Sebastian spreading rumours about me. I can take it." Clary said, grinning. Isabelle laughed down the phone.

"You've changed a lot, Clary. In months- it's weird." Isabelle said, but before they could get into it there was a crash in the back ground. "Ah, sound like the boys are up. I'll see you in a bit." Isabelle said, hanging up before Clary could reply. Clary grinned at her friend's hustle.

"Typical." She muttered to herself, chuckling, and carried on her journey to school.

She was about half way when she felt the presence behind her, like someone walking in her steps. She slowed, and turned to look behind her- but there was no one there. The feeling carried on for the rest of the journey, and Clary found herself practically running to school, checking behind her every time she turned a corner. The streets were relatively empty, but that didn't stop the feeling of unease from gripping her every time she crossed paths with someone, every time someone stepped too close, and she felt relief wash over her as the school came into view. She crossed quickly into the carpark and sprinted up the stairs, a sense of fear as strong as in the club clawing up at her. She came crashing through the doors without abandon, and without looking where she was going. And as per usual, she ran straight into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Clary breathed, still looking behind her, and when she turned back she was shocked. "Magnus." She said, looking at the tall figure in front of her. His usual wild clothing was tame, and he was in what looked like his pyjamas. Clary looked up at his face and covered her mouth in shock.

"Oh, Magnus." She whispered, and he looked at the ground. He was shaking, and the sight of his bruised face told Clary that something bad had happened. Forgetting about her previous fear, and her appointment, Clary reached out and gripped his hand, leading him down the corridor and into the first bathroom she saw, dragging him behind her. When the door was shut she pushed him down onto the small ledge by the sink, so he was finally shorter than her, dropping her bag and grabbing a wad of paper towels, wetting them lightly.

Magnus had a split lip, a trail of blood from his nostril to his chin, and a blossoming bruise on his cheek. His clothes were pyjamas, Clary realised, and his clothes were rumpled and stained. She moved over to him again, and he was still looking at the ground. She gently pressed the paper to his face, wiping away the blood as carefully as she could, and he barely flinched. His lack of makeup was unnerving, and he looked so young, so vulnerable. A bubble of anger swelled up within her.

"Who did this to you Magnus?" She said quietly, and his pale green eyes flicked up to hers, the frustration evident.

"I'm guessing saying I tripped wouldn't fly." He said without humour, and Clary pursed hr lips.

"Saying that would make me think it was your dad." She said in return, and the flash in his eyes confirmed her suspicion. "Ah." Magnus sighed and leant against the wall as she moved to grab more paper towels.

"I live on my own, haven't lived with him in years. But this morning he showed up at my door, drunk off his head, raging about god knows what. Beat the crap out of me, as usual, then left. I-" He flinched slightly at Clary's motions and she stilled, switching to cooler water. "I didn't want to stay there, so I just walked. Ended up here." He said.

Clary stopped her wiping and dried his face, unease settling around them.

"Do you want me to call Alec? To get you some clothes." Clary said carefully, and Magnus sighed again.

"I don't know if I can face that look again." He said, and Clary perched on the sink opposite him.
"Yeah… I get that." She said quietly, and Magnus looked over to her.

"I know you do, shortcake." He said, and Clary raised an eyebrow. "I could tell, the first time we met. We've got a bond." He said, sourness colouring his tone.

"I'm going to call Alec; you need him." She said, and Magnus nodded sadly.

"I do. Just- please don't tell him how bad it is, just tell him to meet me here. Please." He finished, letting out a deep breath. "Sorry to be such a downer, biscuit. It's just not my day." He finished, and Clary shook her head, standing up and grabbing her phone.

"Don't apologise, okay. I'll be right back." She slipped out of the bathroom and dialled Isabelle's house phone, hoping that they were still there to pick up. She didn't want to disturb Isabelle again.

"Hello." A bored voice came down her phone, and Clary bit her lip to stop herself from crying; it was Jace.

"Hi, it's Clary." She said softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Is Alec there?" She said.

"Uh- yeah, he's here. Is everything okay?" He replied in a low voice, and Clary shook her head even though he couldn't see her.

"I just, it's Magnus. I need to talk to Alec."

…..

Fifteen minutes later Clary was sitting beside Magnus, her arms wrapped around him, when Alec came storming through the bathroom door, the door handle smashing harshly against the wall. His frantic blue eyes swept across the room and landed on Magnus, and Clary leapt up quickly to let him forward.

"Oh God." He choked out, and Magnus stumbled to his feet, shakily wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. Clary looked down and decided that this was a discussion that wasn't meant for her ears, and as quietly as she could she left the room, holding in her gasp.

Outside of the door, opposite the bathroom, was Jace, eyes closed and leaning against the wall in his usual stance. His eyes flew open, sensing her presence, and he opened his arms as she approached him, wrapping her in his embrace. She was shaking hard, the emotions she had been trying not so show bubbling up and trying to escape. She choked down a sob, and he held her tighter.

"His dad." She choked out, shutting her eyes.

"I know." Jace said calmly.

"He… hurt him."

"I know, Alec explained." He let her grip the fabric of his jacket, breathe in his scent.

"It's so shitty. I… I'm… I'm angry. God, I'm furious. If I ever meet this man…" She trailed off, still shaking, trying not to cry. She pulled back. "I think I could kill him." She said, and Jace watched her with burning eyes.

"So could I." He said, and he pushed off from the wall, shrugging her bag onto his shoulder and slipping his hand into hers. "Come on." He said, starting off down the hall.

"Where are we going?" She asked, speeding up her walk to catch up with his long strides. He turned a corner.

"To get Izzy; she hates seeing Magnus like this, but she was worried about both of you." He looked back at her. "So was I."

"He's been like this before?" She asked, still moving quickly. Jace sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"He used to be like this all the time, and Isabelle-" He broke off, stopping in his tracks, and Clary spun to face him. His face was tight, visibly upset, and his mouth was set in a line. Clary searched his face, touching his arm gently.

"What is it?" She said quietly, her voice ghost like in the empty hallway. Jace looked up at the ceiling.

"She's really upset. And I hate it, I hate seeing her cry, especially when I can't help her; I feel so helpless too. And Magnus is family, and every time I see him like this…" He broke off, and Clary wrapped her arms around him, comforting him. She wondered if he would start crying, the way his voice had cracked.

"I'll talk to Izzy, don't worry." She, on her tiptoes so that she could reach his ear. She stepped back, watching him. "You go check on Alec, make sure no one goes in that bathroom. I think they need some privacy." She told him, and he nodded, giving her a final look before turning off down the hallway.

She sighed to herself and walked briskly back to the carpark; she had missed her appointment, but she doubted the counsellor would mind, and all she could think about was Magnus. She spotted Isabelle's car immediately, but she could tell that she hadn't driven herself because she was hunched in the back seat. Clary pulled the door open and slid in beside her, and Isabelle turned to look at her with red rimmed eyes. Her arms were open immediately and Clary pulled her in for a hug, gripping her tightly. There used to be a time when Clary hated people touching her, and now she liked the feeling of being held, being safe.

Isabelle sobbed into Clary's jacket, and Clary held her tightly, and when she was done she pulled bask, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry." Isabelle whispered, and Clary held her hand. "It's just; God, we thought all of this was over with, but how is he supposed to feel safe when his dad shows up at his door ready to beat him down."

She closed her eyes, bit her lip, then spoke again.

"Last year… I was dating this guy…" Isabelle said. "And, I mean, he wasn't the nicest. He shoved me around a lot, and Mags noticed the bruises straight away, told me never to see him again even though I was being stupid and stubborn and proud. Then he beat the crap out of him." Clary sucked in a breath at the story, gripping Izzy's hand tight. Tears rolled down Isabelle's cheeks once again. "Magnus, who hates violence, beat up a guy because he hurt me. That's the kind of person he is. And I'm so mad because I can't protect him." She finished, and Clary rubbed her arm.

"It's going to be okay Izzy; he has Alec, he has you, he's got all of us. And we'll do whatever we can to help." Clary said, watching her friend. "Are you okay?" She asked her, and Isabelle nodded, running a finger underneath her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Are you okay? I mean… you found him." Isabelle sniffed, looking at Clary meaningfully. Clary nodded.

"I just hope he's okay- will he have somewhere to stay tonight, somewhere safe?" She asked, and Isabelle nodded.

"He'll either stay with us, or Alec will stay with him." She replied, still wiping at her eyes. "God, shitty things keep happening." She said with a sigh, and looking out the window they could see that the school had become busy.

"Do you want to go in today?" Clary asked, watching her face, and Izzy nodded reassuringly.

"Magnus likes to pretend that everything is normal, so that's what we'll do." She replied, so Clary nodded, getting out of the car as Isabelle grabbed her bag.

"Hey, Clary." Isabelle said, pulling her stylish coat around her. "Where's your bag?" She asked. Clary looked to her side and realised that Jace still had it.

"Oh, Jace has it. I'll call him." She said, and Isabelle watched her curiously, still sniffing.

"Jace?" Isabelle said, and Clary nodded, phone to her ear. Then she blushed.

"I just… He was there with Alec, and I said I was coming to find you…" She trailed off, and Isabelle laughed, linking their arms.

"It's fine, Clary. Don't hurt your head over it; but when this blows over I will be bringing up that blush again." She said with a smirk, and Clary blushed harder as they made their way into school.

Their lunch table was full and talkative that day; usually Jordan and Jace wouldn't sit with them, and often Alec was at football practice, but after the morning's event's everyone had rallied round to support Magnus, and when Clary told Isabelle that she was home alone she was eager to invite herself and Simon over, with Magnus and Maia agreeing to come as well, which meant that Alec agreed to go as well. Jace just winked at her and told her he's skip this one.

After school they all squeezed into Clary's apartment, spreading themselves out on her couch or floor and turning on the TV, keeping he atmosphere loud and energetic in order to stop the underlying tension from breaking through the surface. Isabelle ordered pizza, something that Clary was beginning to get used to, and they sat around playing gin rummy for far too long.

"You cheated!" Maia screamed at Simon after their seventh game, throwing down her cards as Magnus cackled. "There is no way you won that, give me your cards." Maia said, reaching across the small coffee table and grabbing at Simon. He yelled at her.

"Don't get jealous, Roberts, it's just rummy." He threw the cards onto the table and leapt up, throwing himself onto the couch, squashing Clary in the process. She squealed.

"Stop!" She laughed. "You're squashing me." He dug his pointy elbows into her side as a response, trying to tickle her, and he only let up when a knock came at the door. They all pretended to ignore Magnus' flinch, and Clary kicked Simon out of her way.

"That'll be pizza." She said, and everyone went back to their game as she crossed the apartment to open the door.

But it wasn't the pizza guy.

"Jace?" She said, confusion colouring her tone. "What's wrong?"

His eyes were glassy, moving slowly and sluggishly, and he was leaning against the wall by her door. There was a small cut on his bottom lip, and as Clary watched him he seemed to sway uneasily.

"Jace…?" She said again, and his usually composed expression was marred with a lopsided smile. He reached out for her hand, his gold eyes sliding to look behind her, then back.

"Cla-ry." He slurred, and Clary immediately recoiled. He was drunk. He frowned at her rejection, reaching out again, and before she could shout at him in front of all of their friends she shoved him from the doorway, stepping out and pulling the door shut behind her. Jace looked hurt by her anger, and she crossed her arms over her chest, glowering in his direction.

"What the hell are you doing, Jace?" She asked him, watching him try to gain his balance on a spider plant growing in the hallway. He was a mess, and Clary didn't like it.

"I wanted to see you- and Magnus…" He trailed off, his grin sliding from his face like a melting ice sculpture. Clary could feel the anger, the hurt bubbling inside of her.

"Are you drunk?" She asked him quietly, and he just laughed.

"Drunk… drrunk." He said in a singsong voice, staring at his hands. He laughed. "Maybe." He finished, and Clary couldn't help but take a step further back from him.

"Seriously? You thought it was a good idea to show up to my apartment off your head; and yeah, Magnus is in here, but did you ever consider that maybe you showing up in the same state that his dad did might upset him? Because I don't think you did." Clary seethed, preparing to shout but trying not to. Dorathea would have a field day. She looked to the ground.

"I think you need to go, Jace. Call a cab, but I can't look after you with Magnus here." She said, wringing her hands. He looked up at her, the image of her fuzzy in his head, and he reached out. Only for her to step back in resignation. He let his hand drop again and turned away, stumbling back down the corridor and down the stairs. Clary felt awful for making him leave, but she felt even worse about the fact he had shown up like that in the first place. With a sigh she turned the handle to her door, stopping only when a pizza delivery guy came rushing up the stairs, three huge boxes in his hands.

At around ten everybody left her apartment, Magnus swooping down to kiss her cheek as he left. Alec had arrived to pick him up and drop a bag off for Isabelle, and then it was just the two of them in Clary's apartment, and it was only when they were alone that Clary finally let out the tears that had been threatening to spill during Jace's visit. Isabelle rushed to her side, frowning, eyes wide, and pulled her into a hug.

"Hey! Clary, what's up?" She said, and Clary tried to slow the panic within her.

"Jace." She managed to sniff out, gulping for breath, She didn't know how to explain, so Isabelle steered them to the couch where they sat themselves, intertwined.

"What about Jace, hun?" Isabelle asked again, worried about her friend. She knew something like this would happen. "Did he do something?"

Clary just sniffed, pulling back and wiping her eyes. She had to tell Izzy, she couldn't keep it to herself any longer.

"I kissed him." She whispered, looking at her hands. Isabelle sucked in a breath but stayed quiet. "Yesterday, I kissed him because I wanted his to, because I… I trusted him." She stopped. "I trusted him, and then he comes and shows up at my door… drunk…" She trailed off and looked up to Izzy with her big green eyes.

"I didn't let him in because I thought… I thought Magnus wouldn't like it. I didn't like it." She finished, sniffing and letting Isabelle rub her arm soothingly.

"Clary… I love you, and I love Jace, but he's…" Isabelle blew out a sharp breath. "He's trouble. Like, the kind you're friends with, but not the kind you trust to bail you out of a bad situation. He's the kind of guy to add gasoline to a fire." She said, rolling her eyes. Clary hiccupped.

"The thing is, he has been there for me. Which is why I trusted him…" She said quietly; could she still trust him? It wasn't even two days ago, but the kiss felt like a lifetime away, and already in her eyes he seemed like a different boy.

"He makes things worse; and I think he cares about you, but he's not… right for you." Isabelle said gently; she was going to be having stern words with Jace after tonight, and Clary seemed seriously shaken. She looked at her hands again, biting her lip.

"I think you're right." Clary whispered, touching a hand to her lips; it seemed her fleeting relationship with Jace was over before it had begun.

….

The next morning Isabelle was a storm, rushing through Clary's apartment and whisking them to school early; she claimed to have a headache the second that the bell for homeroom went, so Clary waved goodbye to her with tired eyes as Aline dragged her to homeroom, chatting about Helen's birthday plans. Knowing that Clary was safe, Isabelle ran back to her car and sped off in the direction of home; she already knew that Alec wasn't in, and she knew that Jace, after his bender, would be.

Crashing through the front door, the first thing she did was scream his name.

"Jace Herondale, you ass, come here right now!" Isabelle yelled, dropping her bags to the floor and stomping into the kitchen. Knowing that he would be a miserable son of a bitch with a hangover she put the coffee machine on, then stormed up the stairs.

"Jace!" She shrieked again, bursting into his room to see his tired face emerge from his covers. He shielded his eyes from the light and shot her a deathly glare.

"What the fuck do you want?" He asked her, rolling into and upright position and landing his feet on the floor. Isabelle stuck her hands on her hips, long hair streaming around her face.

"We need to talk about Clary." She said, watching the twitch in his face. "So either come downstairs, or I'll be back with a bucket of cold water."

She turned on her heel and exited his room, making her way into the kitchen and fixing two cups of coffee, then handing one to Jace as he trudged through the kitchen and took a seat at the bar. He grimaced.

"You really fucked up." Isabelle said, sipping her drink, and Jace raised his eyebrows.

"How's that?" He asked, tugging a hand through his hair. Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"Do you even remember any of last night?" She said incredulously and Jace grimaced.

"Yeah; I went out, got smashed, came home. It was a rough day." He said, eyes searching the room as if looking for a cigarette. Isabelle glared at him.

"More like; got smashed, made a scene at Clary's house, went home." Isabelle mocked, putting down her mug. Jace frowned.

"I wasn't at Clary's." He said. "I told her I wasn't coming…" He trailed off, then looked at his hands.

"You definitely were at Clary's- you scared the shit out of her, and then made her kick you out of her building. Do you know how fragile that girl is? How hard she's got it- she doesn't need you making her life worse." Isabelle said, getting heated up. A flush grew on Jace's neck.

"She's not glass, Izzy." He said, trying to hide the fury he was feeling toward himself. Isabelle waved her hands in frustration.

"I know she's not glass, but she is fragile. And you seem to be doing your best to fuck her up even more- she told me about the kiss." Isabelle said pointedly, crossing her arms. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, Izzy. I just thought, for once, I'd not think and I'd kiss a girl that I like more than I've ever liked a girl. I…" He rubbed a hand across his face, then looked his sister in the eye. "She asked me, Iz. She asked, she said she wanted it. How am I supposed to refuse that girl anything?" He muttered, clenching his fists. What had he done?

"Well, I hope for both of your sakes that she takes my advice," Isabelle said, pouring the rest of her coffee into the sink. "Because you both have some serious issues that you need to deal with before you get involved."

Jace's heart stopped

"What do you mean, advice?" He said, and Isabelle glared at him. "What did you say to her, Izzy." He growled. She sighed.

"I told her the truth; that you aren't right for her." She said, and Jace felt like he was chewing on rocks, swallowing them slowly. He gulped.

"And what did she say?" He whispered, and for the first time Isabelle's expression softened in sympathy for him. She looked him in the eye.

"She agreed."

After Isabelle had ditched her at school, Clary had an uneventful day, but Simon (who was on drop off duty) seemed to sense that Clary was upset, and so instead of taking her straight home he took her to the comic book store that he and Eric frequented. He thought it would be funny; he didn't realise that Clary would light up like a Christmas tree around the paraphernalia, and he didn't realise that they could spend a good hour talking comics.

"Spiderman?" Simon said incredulously. "He's your favourite? No, I'm not having this- I refuse." Simon said, shaking his head as Clary laughed indignantly.

"What's wrong with Spiderman?" She laughed, and Simon pretended to plug his ears, and he swatted her.

"Spiderman is a joke- he's a cocky bastard, enough said." Simon huffed, pulling at the comics on the shelf. Clary tutted.

"You're just jealous." She said tauntingly, and Simon placed a hand over his heart.

"Clary Fray, I will have you know that I am a far cockier bastard than Spiderman ever could be- I just don't like him." He mocked, and Clary laughed harder. "I didn't know you were a comic fan…" Simon said, watching her. An odd expression crossed her face.

"My brother was a big comic nerd… he used to get the old ones from the thrift store for like, 5 cents." She said, smiling wistfully. Simon frowned.

"I didn't know you have a brother." He said, watching her and wondering if he lived in their tiny apartment. Her smile slipped slightly, but held on.

"I did- he passed away. It was a long time ago." She confirmed, giving him the side eye to watch his expression. He just nodded ruefully- she remembered that he had lost his father, and the feeling must be similar.

"Were you guys close?" Simon asked, picking up another comic and flicking through. Clary grinned; it felt good to remember the positive things, to talk about them.

"He was the best- he was nearly ten years older than me, but I adored him. He was my hero. He used to let me tag along with everything, carting me around on the handles of his bike. Mom said she should fit a basket on the front for me." Clary said, and Simon laughed. There was an ache in her chest, and she thought about her dream. She was fine; and so was he.

"I'd pay to see you on handlebars; you're like the clumsiest person I know- after myself, of course." Simon stated, and Clary grinned. It was nice talking to Simon, because there wasn't a lot of pity in his eyes. Just understanding. She looked to her watch.

"Oh crap!" She said, grabbing her bag from the floor. "I need to get back; my mom is expecting a delivery." Clary said, waving at him- they were close to her apartment, and Simon was supposed to walk her home, but he was absorbed in a comic. He waved her off, and she set off down the open streets for home. Her mother was beginning to get into art again, and Clary had helped her choose a meagre selection from the local art store to be delivered to their apartment, and Clary couldn't wait for

There were a few crowds, and Clary felt jostled every time someone bumped into her. But she made it to her apartment quickly and rushed up the stairs, hoping that she hadn't missed the delivery. But she needn't have worried, because the package was on the doorstep when she arrived. Picking it up, surprised at the lightweight, and unlocking the door she entered the apartment, dropping the box onto the kitchen table and heading to take a shower. It had been a stressful week already, and there was one thing that she had been avoiding thinking about.

Jace.

The way he had looked the previous night had her shaken up; she didn't like drunk Jace, in fact she didn't really like drunk anyone after the way that her father got when he had had a drink. She grimaced at the thought and stripped off her clothes, getting ready to climb into the shower, when she caught a glimpse of her body in the mirror. She usually refrained from looking because it repulsed her so badly, but for the first time in a long time, she took a long, hard stare.

She was short, her figure like a stick, and she could permanently see her ribs sticking out. Her face was plain, pale and freckled, and her green eyes clashed horribly with her red hair. She wished that she was statuesque like her mother, or strawberry blonde like her brother. Instead she was a walking cartoon and it made her uncomfortable; she had met Kaelie, she knew what Jace was used to. Tall, busty, blonde. Beautiful. All things that she wasn't.

She glanced at her body again and stopped herself from looking away. The puckered burns on her arms and legs had long since lost their purple hue, now just echoes of bad memories, taut pink skin raised in the shape of a star, dozens scattered across her body. She stared at the long, thin scar on her stomach, tracing the line with her finger. It didn't hurt anymore, but the longer she looked at it, the longer she thought she could see the yellow and purple bruises flecked across her body. She blinked hard and turned the shower on, looking away from the mirror and scalding away the memories under the hot water.

How could anyone love a body like hers? How could she be with someone like Jace, when she was so broken…

When Clary exited the shower, pulling her robe tightly around her, she was surprised to hear a knocking at the door. Her mother had a key, and no one was due round. Pulling her robe tighter she frowned, moving to answer the door; the knocker was impatient and she rushed to pull the door open.

"Delivery."

The man in front of her was young, with a thick accent and a clipboard in his hands. He was holding it out for a signature, a small box under his arm.

"Sign, please." He said, holding out a pen. Clary frowned, confused.

"We didn't order…" She began, but seeing the logo on the box made her stop; it was from Wellworth's, the art shop. Frowning still she signed the paper from the impatient delivery guy and took the box from him with numb fingers: her mother avoided buying anything online, as they didn't tend to use credit cards (too telling) so the arrival of two deliveries, one unexpected, threw her. Shutting the door tightly she shuffled into the living room, placing the box on the coffee table and turning to the kitchen table. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen and used it to slit open the packing tape, dropping it to the side and pulling open the box. She held her breath at the contents.

There was a large rock taped to the bottom, holding down an envelope. She sucked in a breath. Pulling the edges of the tape and removing the rock she grabbed the envelope, tearing it open. Inside was a piece of paper, and one photograph.

It was of her mother, laughing as she left the diner. Once again it was obvious that her mother had no idea this had been taken, and Clary felt the fear consume her. They weren't safe. But she wasn't running this time. Dropping the photograph back into the box Clary shuddered, opening the paper.

'I'm watching you.

Meet me tomorrow, 8 AM.

Keep this between us or she gets hurt.'

It was signed with a kiss, typed onto the paper, and below the message was a messily scrawled address. Clary sucked in a breath- it was starting.