All characters belong to Cassandra Clare, via the TMI series. Hope everyone is enjoying the updates. This chapter was a hard one as it would have been too easy to chuck Clace together with no complications. If they do however figure it out between themselves, they will be reuniting in a big way :) Stay tuned for more updates if your interested. Would love any reviews to hear what people think. It's my first fan fic and i'm really enjoying writing it.

Isabelles hands were clenched into fists, the muscles of her arms stiffened. She had been pacing the small room for several minutes, her lips tightened into a thin line of anger.

"You are the only girl I have ever asked Jace Wayland to stay away from! And what does he do? Kisses you!" She stopped, turning to look at Clary who had been silently sitting crossed legged on her bed for the last five minutes. It had been a rash decision to tell Isabelle what had happened, one she was now regretting.

"It wasn't like that. Not really. It just kind of happened, and I'm not helpless in all of this. I kissed him back" She said, unwinding her legs to get up. She was too on edge to continue sitting.

"But you don't know what that means Clary. I've known Jace my whole life. Next, you'll be dating. You'll fall for him while he uses you as an excuse to escape his reality. He'll play mind games with you without even knowing he's doing it. Then he'll realize how disinterested he is and move on. It's a pattern I've seen too many times" she sighed, slightly relaxing her stiff posture.

"Clary, It may not seem like it, but I care about you. You're my only girlfriend and I don't want to see you get hurt, and Jace has been my closest friend since I was five-years-old, I don't want to see him be the one to do it" Isabelle's jaw relaxed as she released the death grip she had on the end of her sweater sleeves.

Clary looked up, she didn't suspect that Isabelle often made declarations of friendship on a regular basis, if at all.

"I get it, I suppose I thought that maybe he would be different with me but now I say that out loud I realize just how stupid it sounds. I'm just Clary from Brooklyn, hell I've never even had a boyfriend before" she laughed, although her heart wasn't in it. She appreciated Isabelle's concerns and knew they were probably true but that didn't make her feel any better about the fact she had begun to fall for someone who was undeniably bad for her. Worse was the fact that no matter how many times she kept telling herself that, she couldn't help but think about that mind-blowing kiss and how it would feel to never kiss Jace wayland again.

She made her way to the shower, deciding to drown away her thoughts. She returned to Isabelle reading a book in bed. Gone was the clenched jaw and stern look of an hour ago, replaced by a relaxed smile. These shadowhunters and their emotions. If they weren't in a deep depression or angry beyond belief, they were riding the highs of life. Could she live that way? It seemed a pretty convenient way to receive emotional whiplash.

Izzy looked up from her book. "I've been thinking and I feel awful Clary. You shocked me at first but I don't think I've given you or Jace enough credit. I know you can take care of yourself and I know Jace has a good heart, the girl that receives it one day will be extremely lucky, but I'm just so used to how his behaved in the past with girls and it scared me that the same might happen with you"

"Izzy, its fine. I get were your coming from and I'm going to call things off between us. The kiss was great, but it was just that. One kiss. We would have never been right for each other anyway." Clary smiled at Izzy before curling up in bed and turning to the wall before letting a few silent tears escape her eyes, swiping at them before Isabelle would notice. Why was she such a mess?

After a terrible nights sleep Clary forced herself out of bed and showered before grabbing her art supplies and making her way to a small courtyard she had been craving to sketch ever since she had spotted it during her second day at the academy.

The courtyard was small in size, with large cobbled sandstone pavers. A small seat sat at the far side of the area. The grass in-between was perfectly manicured and such a brilliant green that Clary suspected it mayy have been charmed that way. Above the seat was an array of purple wisteria that hung down several metres, reminding Clary of a sea of purple rain. The roots of the tree sat under the chair, curling around themselves in beautiful tendrils.

Clary dropped her supplies on the ground, kicking her cons off and laying down on the grass. The sky above her looked like it would soon open up, it was so beautiful that Clary doubted she would move, even if it did begin to rain. Hearing footsteps on the pavement behind her, she quickly sat up, turning to see liquid gold eyes meeting hers, the boy behind them giving her a ravishing smile. God, surely he was an angel.

"I went to your room but Izzy said you were down here" He sat down on the ground next to her, pulling her small hand into his own.

"Oh…Hey" Clary could hear the distance in her voice. How could she tell him she didn't want this to continue when that was the only thing she new to be true right now.

"Are you okay?" His golden eyes lit up with a level of concern that surely couldn't be faked.

"Yeah, I'm just a little off. What was it you had planned for us?" She asked, attempting a smile.

"Come on" he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. "We have somewhere to be"

He led her to a cab and they were soon in downtown New York. Clary looked around her, seeing inspiration everywhere she looked. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a redheaded girl across the street, laughing and smiling with her friends. Only a month ago Clary would have looked at this girl with such envy. She didn't have to consider her fate, she didn't have to make a decision that would place her in one of two different worlds. She had the life that Clary was meant to have.

But now? Clary felt no bitterness or sadness for the life she had lost. It wasn't real. This was who she was now, and who she was always meant to be. She may not have been the best fighter, but she knew now she belonged in this world. The question now was, who did she belong in this world with?

Jace was a step ahead, rounding the corner to turn into a dark shop whose doors and windows were blacked out. The small sign above informed Clary the shop was called The odessa.

Pushing the door open, she followed him in, stunned by what she saw in front of her.

The shop was cramped. The entry opened into several different winding pathways, lit by old rusted lamps that lined each walkway. Everything was covered in a light layer of dust, with the shop itself appearing stagnant, as if forgotten by time.

A cabinet to Clary's right was glowing with the light of a shining white crystal, carved with the rune of angelic power. Next to the stone lay a row of sharp yellowed teeth, the kind that looked several hundred years old. Behind them again, an array of dark brown jars, each holding a thick black liquid whose surface bubbled every few seconds.

Clary looked around, taking in the multitude of magical paraphernalia that littered the store. Jace grabbed her hand, smiling at her quizzical and dumbfounded expression.

"There's something I want you to see" He led her to a side room, lit only by a small stained glass lamp that cast the room into shadow.

The far wall held an array of swords, each with hilts more beautiful than the next. Some featured large deep red rubies, others brilliant blue sapphires. Some bore no jewels, instead featuring intricate patterns of war and celebration. Clary looked around, not wanting to look at one thing for too long. There was so much to take in.

The next wall was home to a number of bows, she reached out, touching a deadly looking steal bow, whose accompanying arrows featured sharpened spikes to further impale the enemy.

"Everyone shadowhunter needs a rune, and a weapon. You've got your first rune, now it's time for a weapon" he said, gesturing to the room around him. He clearly loved this stuff and it made her happy to see him in his element.

Clary locked her eyes onto a small sword in the far corner of the room. It was dark silver steel and looked centuries old. The hilt was small and featured two emeralds that reminded her of her mothers necklace. She walked towards it, running her fingers down the edge of the blade; it was ice cold to the touch. Taking it from the wall she fastened her small hand around the hilt. It fit perfectly. She turned, pointing the blade in Jaces direction, rewarded with a small smirk.

"And I think you've found one" he laughed.

Clary placed it back on the wall.

"This looks older than time itself, there's no way I could afford this" She walked out of the room, glancing back at the sword before continuing down a winding walkway that featured cabinets with bones, feathers, wooden beads and daggers.

"We better make our way back, curfews in a few hours and I have to do a few things in the library for a runeology assignment" she said, promising herself she would have to come back and explore each of the winding pathways of the Odessa.

"Just a second, I have a few things to pick up" Jace said, before ducking behind a cabinet and talking to someone in the back of the store. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, merely hearing hushed voices.

Jace slid out of the cab behind clary, grasping her hand in his and walking her to her room.

Before she could talk herself out of it she turned to him, carefully pulling her hand out of his as she reached her door.

"I don't think this can continue between us" she spluttered out, turning to face him.

"I should have said something earlier but I just got so caught up in the day we were having. I just don't know how things would work between us. You have a reputation and I just think we will end up being bad for each other. I'd like to stay friends though" she said, biting the inside of her cheek to distract her from the pain that was spreading thru her chest. How could only one kiss have effected her this much?

He looked down at her, his eyes betraying the pain he felt before a look of distain took over.

"That's fine, I wasn't aware you based your opinions of me upon idle gossip. I'll make sure the next girl isn't so picky" he said, before turning and quickly walking away.

Well, that went swimmingly she thought. Shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath, she unlocked her door.

Isabelle was nowhere to be seen. There was however a large white box sitting on Clarys bed with a tag. Throwing her keys on the dresser, she made her way over, cautiously eyeing the box.

Use it well – J.

Clary grabbed some scissors, slicing the tape and opening the panels and prying thru the red tissue paper.

Before her was a dark steel sword with two emeralds. Clary could feel a lump in her throat and turned away as tears began to flow.