**ALL CHARACTERS AND EVERYTHING MORTAL INSTRUMENTS RELATED IS OWNED BY CASSANDRA CLARE**

Chapter Songs: Broken - Lifehouse

We are Broken - Paramore

*All lyrics to Broken and We are Broken belong to Lifehouse and Paramore (respectively) and their respective owners*

As Clary approached her house with Jace by her side she noticed something on the front porch. When she got closer she saw that it was a large picnic basket and a blanket. She smiled and looked up at Jace who happened to be looking down at her.

"What do you think?" His smile was just as wide as hers.

It was a beautiful day, the perfect weather. "A picnic sounds perfect."

"Should we go to the park?"

Clary thought about this. She knew what they were going to end up talking about. If she was going to talk about Jonathan then there was only one place she was going to do it. Silently, she grabbed Jace's hand and led him behind her house to her backyard.

Clary stopped at the path to entrance to the woods and nodded at Jace. Even though he was slightly confused, Jace didn't question her decision as he laid down the blanket. Out of the basket he pulled two sandwiches, two apples and two cans of soda.

"I thought this would be a good idea for a first date."

"A first date? Really?"

They both sat down on the blanket, facing the woods, and grabbed one of each item.

Jace nodded, "I thought it was about time, don't you?"

Clary smiled and nodded. But her smile quickly faded as she thought of something else. "Um, Jace? Speaking of 'about time' and all, I think I'm ready to talk. I just want to say that I'm sorry for last night." She looked down at her uneaten sandwich and suddenly didn't feel like eating. She thought she was ready, but now she felt more tears threatening to invade.

Jace gently pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and lifted her chin so her eyes met his. "You have nothing to feel sorry about, love. Nothing. What Sebastian did…what he… God I want to kill him. But you do not and should not feel sorry."

A few tears escaped and ran down Clary's face as she said, "But it is, Jace. It is all because of me."

Clary saw Jace's confused expression and stopped him from protesting. "Let me explain." She took a deep breath and dived into the story of her past.

"My brother and I were pretty much inseparable. My father was a drug lord. He ran all kind of underground and back alley transactions. I never really understood the whole thing. But he told us that he loved us, and being so, so naïve, we both believed him. When he wasn't dealing with drug shipments or anything like that he was home with us. He was a great father. Until Jon turned 14, I was 13."

Jace saw that Clary became angry and grabbed her hand as he listened to her continue her story.

"Our father thought he would try something new. He had one of us go to the drop sight for him and retrieve his smaller shipments, figuring that no one would question young children. Once we were involved he no longer came home as often, and when he did it wasn't to spend time with us. He used us and gained our trust to further his business. It went on for two years. Jon and I alternated drop days. Then one day I was sick with the flu and Jon offered to go in my place. My mother begged him not to go and to get someone else to do it. She hated the idea of us risking our lives for our father. She tried to stop it more than once, but it never worked out in her favor.

Jon went to the drop, that night it was a small marina, a few miles away. However, the drop was a set-up, intended to catch our father. Once the goods were passed from the deliverer's hands to Jon's all hell broke loose. They ended up shooting five people total, one of which was Jon. The cops said that they tried to avoid Jon, but I don't know how much I believe them."

Tears were now streaming down her face and Clary vaguely felt Jace wipe them away. She told the last part of her story through her tears, trying not to sob too much.

"They caught two of the survivors and I guess they quickly gave up our father. But Jon didn't survive the night. We received a call that night letting us know that our father was arrested and my brother was dead. In one phone call – one night – our family fell apart, broken.

My mother locked herself in her room for days at a time. She's been on a downward spiral of depression for the past three years, each day retreating more and more into herself until…well you saw. She left all together."

Clary couldn't control the sobs that now racked her body. She didn't even realize that Jace moved and now held her close to him. "I never had a chance to say good-bye to Jon. And I caused it all. It was all because of me. That's why my mom left, she couldn't stand living with the cause of her son's death."

"No, Clary. It's not your fault; you can't blame yourself for something that was out of your control."

Clary didn't say anything while Jace spoke words of comfort and ran his fingers through her hair.

"The only way I could cope was through Sebastian. He was hurting just as much me, only he didn't know why Jon died. We told him that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think he ever really believed us, but he accepted it. We helped heal each other and eventually fell in love. Except now I don't think it was ever love. I think that we just used each other to feel better about Jon's death. I'm so sorry."

Jace knew that she wasn't apologizing to him, but he didn't know if it was to her mother, father, Sebastian or Jonathan. Or all of them.

He held the empty shell of Clary's broken soul as she continued to sob into his chest, whispering her apologies to all those she loved and lost.

"Tell me about your childhood." Clary asked once she stopped crying.

Jace had taken a bite out of his apple, when he was done he asked. "Are you sure you want to hear about it? It's not that great."

"Doesn't matter. I want to know about you. Tell me at least one memory, please?"

They were now lying side by side on the blanket. Clary grabbed Jace's hand and he began making small circles on the back of her hand.

"Okay. Let's see. This one time my mom took me to a zoo. I was ten or eleven. At the time I thought it was really stupid. But now that I look back on it I feel like I should have taken advantage of every moment I had with her. The beatings were brutal and I guess she wanted to take me away for a day. I saw so many animals."

He stared up at the sky for a while before saying anything else. "I really loved my mom. There are times when I get so angry that she took herself away from me and for being so selfish. But most of the time I miss her, so much. My father was never a father. She was all I had."

Clary used her free hand to move his face so that they were looking at each other now. "Not anymore, you have me. You'll always have me."

Jace brought their intertwined hands up to his lips and softly kissed Clary's hand. "I know that now. Thank you." Then he brought his lips down on hers.

The kiss was slow and gentle, but Clary wanted more. She fisted her hand in his shirt and pulled him closer. A small moan escaped her mouth as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth to his and their tongues greedily tasted each other. Jace moved down and began leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses along Clary's jaw line, up to her ear and down to the base of her neck. He pulled her closer and closer and closer until he was just hugging her.

She felt so safe in his strong arms. With him she felt that she could begin to heal.

They stayed in each other's arms until the sun began to set. As they packed up their picnic Clary checked her phone. She frowned when she saw three missed calls and one text message – from Sebastian. The text message simply read: I need to see you in person so I can properly apologize. Please, I need you. ~Seb

"What was that?" Jace noticed she closed her phone harshly.

"Um, nothing. Just another hair crisis with Izzy." Why she lied, Clary had no idea, but she figured that Jace wouldn't be too happy that Seb was bothering her.

He didn't question her. He folded the blanket, took Clary's hand, and walked back to her house. Clary shoved her phone in her pocket and ignored the calls and the text message.

It had been a week since their picnic and Jace had fallen right in with their little group. It was like he belonged all along. They kept the same routine when she had class: he would walk her to the Institute and be there when she was finished. Aside from the constant calls and texts from Sebastian, Clary couldn't be happier. She had called Luke and found out that her mother wasn't any worse, but wasn't getting any better. Luke told her that she spent her days sitting on the couch or in her room and just stared off into space. Clary missed her mother so much but she didn't have it in her to go back to the way things were, back to when she took care of her mother more than she took care of herself. With Jace by her side she felt more, hell, she just felt in general.

"So, Pandemonium tonight?" Izzy asked, bringing Clary out of her thoughts.

"Hell to the yeah! Let's have some fun." Magnus agreed excitedly. Alec and Simon both nodded.

"I'm definitely in. Jace?" Clary looked up at Jace and he smiled and also nodded.

A few hours later the group was in the club dancing the night away. Alec and Magnus were at the bar, Izzy and Simon were dancing together, and Clary was wrapped in Jace's arms just swaying to the beat on the dance floor. Izzy had dressed Clary in a tight green dress that came to mid-thigh and brought out the color of her eyes. Her hair was up in a messy bun but some strands were left out to frame her face. Jace was in a pair of black jeans with a white button up that showed off his abs, but kept his scars concealed. Clary had to keep herself from attacking the small groups of girls that conveniently danced right in front of them and Jace threw cold glances to any guy that he caught staring at Clary's petite body.

Clary's back was pressed up against Jace's chest with his arms securely around her waist. His nose was gliding up and down the back of her neck and she shivered each time she felt his hot breath on the soft spot where her neck meets her shoulder.

Twisting in his arms so that they now faced each other, Clary wrapped her arms around Jace's neck and played with the lower hairs on the back of his neck. "Are you having a good time?"

Jace was leaving a trail of hot kisses up her neck and when he reached her ear he said, "Mmmm, yes, I am." Then he playfully bit her earlobe.

He brought his face up so that now he was looking right into her eyes, his lips just out of reach of hers. Clary parted her mouth and her tongue darted out and wet her lips in anticipation.

He grinned and chuckled a little. "Expecting something?"

Clary gave him a flirty smile and looked up through her eyelashes, "Maybe."

"What do I get in return?" Even though he was whispering, Clary could hear him loud and clear.

"What do you want?"

Jace's mouth traveled back to her ear and he said sweetly, "Only and always you." Then his lips came crashing down on hers. Their tongues instantly began to tango and the rest of the world seemed to fall away, leaving only them, wrapped in their tight embrace.

At least until Simon coughed next to them, "Get a room already."

Smiling at each other, Clary and Jace broke apart and followed Simon and Izzy to the bar. Magnus and Alec were still closely conversing and didn't even notice Izzy and Simon sit next to them. Clary sat down on the bar stool next to Simon and Jace sat next to her.

"Gin and tonic, love?" Clary nodded at Jace and turned to talk to Simon.

But when she saw the very pretty bartender walk over to Jace all of Simon's words were lost. She watched as the bartender placed her elbows on the counter right in front of Jace and leaned forward, causing her boobs to practically fall out of her top.

"What can I get for you, Hot Stuff?" Her voice was nasally and breathy.

"Gin and tonic and two shots of whiskey."

"Mixing drinks, Jace?" Her hand was slowing moving across the counter and Jace pulled his hands back and placed on Clary's lap and kept the other in his own.

"One is for my girlfriend."

Clary saw the bartender give her an unimpressed look and throw her blonde hair over her shoulder. She moved even closer to Jace over the counter. "Well, are you sure you don't want anything else?"

If Clary didn't want to claw this girl's eyes out already she as hell did now.

Jace said two words, very clearly, "No Kaelie. " Effectively ending their "conversation".

He looked at Clary with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry."

She wasn't mad, just annoyed, so she just shrugged. Turning back to Simon she realized that he was talking this whole time and she didn't hear anything he said. "I'm sorry, Si. What did you say?"

"It's okay. I said that my band is playing a gig next week, you should come see it."

Clary smiled at her best friend, "I wouldn't miss it." Then she faked gagged and mumbled under her breath, "Whore alert." Simon burst out laughing as Kaelie brought the drinks over and set the two shots in front of Jace along with Clary's gin and tonic.

Although she didn't lean over the counter again, Kaelie planted herself right in front of Jace. "You should know, Jace, I don't need you anymore…"

"Good."

"I have a boyfriend of my own. He's at the end of the bar." She grinned, but it was so fake. Both Jace and Clary knew that she didn't want him; she still wanted Jace.

At the same time, they both looked to where Kaelie mentioned and saw Sebastian grinning back at them. Clary didn't feel anything towards him. Not shock, fear, affection…nothing. He was just another person who entered and left her life.

She tore her gaze away from him when she noticed Kaelie now standing in front of her. "Have fun with my sloppy seconds." She sneered.

"Have fun with mine." Clary spat back. She watched with satisfaction as Kaelie couldn't hide the shock on her face.

"Whatever," Kaelie stomped off.

Jace had done his shots, Clary was half way through her gin and tonic, and Sebastian was still staring at her. She'd be lying if she said that he wasn't bothering her a little. Unable to take it anymore, Clary kissed Jace.

"Let's go home," she said when they broke apart. Jace nodded, stood up, and led her out of the club. They walked the few blocks to Clary's house in silence.

When they were back in Clary's room, she unzipped her dress and let it fall to the ground. Jace's eyes widened but they were a shade darker than usual. She stepped out of her dress and over to Jace where she went to work on the buttons on his shirt.

He grabbed her wrists, stopping her where she was. "Are you sure?"

"Jace, please. I need you." Her eyes and voice pleaded and Jace couldn't fight it anymore.

He removed Clary's wrists from her shirt and quickly undid the buttons himself. His shirt was on the floor and Clary's hand immediately felt the hard plains of his chest, scars and all. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. Clary's hands traveled down until they reached the top of his jeans. She undid the button and unzipped the zipper and with a push, Jace's pants were around his ankles. They were both left in their undergarments.

Jace laid her down on the bed, his arms were wrapped around her but still held most of his weight, and the rest of their clothes were quickly removed.

"I want you, so bad." Jace looked right in to Clary's bright green eyes.

"Then take me, I'm yours." Clary said, looking right back into those dark golden orbs. They weren't empty like the first time they met. Now, Clary could see the emotion in them. They were so full of care and affection.

Clary pulled Jace's face down to meet hers as he sank into her. Their bodies found a steady rhythm and as they neared their climax they began to move faster.

Jace fell on Clary as they came down from their high. They were both still panting when Jace moved them on their sides and pulled Clary into him. Clary clung to that safe feeling that came with Jace's arms around her as she thought of how well they fit together – in every sense of the word. Both were damaged, broken, and Clary couldn't help but think that this made them perfect for each other. They were supposed to be right where they are, at that exact time. It was fate.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter moved a little fast, the story is winding down and I want to make sure that I tie up all lose ends. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me! There is only one chapter left and an epilogue.

Thanks again to everyone who read, review, and added this story to their favorites/alerts! :)