Chapter 10 :D I had a little fun writing this. looking forward to writing up the next chapter so it might be up sooner. REALLY hope you like it. And again...thank you all for the supportive comments etc :D R&R!

DECLAIMER: I don't own anything.The last thing she'd expected was to see Jace there. He was standing there, looking down at her with a blank expression. Suddenly…she was worried.

Had she built this image of him as her "hero" in her head in her little breakdown? People were telling her she was crazy, people she trusted more than anyone. She was seeing things, she'd been attacked and her mother was missing. Isn't it normal for someone to want, no, need something positive to hang on to?

But now, she understood everything. She knew what she was…she knew why she saw everything and though she was dazed and a little confused still, it was like someone had wiped the muck from her mind, as though Magnus had cleaned it with the truth.

She saw clearly, and not just because she hadn't been to her scheduled "appointment".

What she didn't think she could handle was if Jace wasn't the Jace she'd been thinking of. If he'd been so nice with her because it was his job as a shadowhunter. If he was like that with everyone…The "if's" overwhelmed her and she had to look down to avoid the beautiful golden stare.

That was when she realized that she was only wearing her panties and a huge vest top that barely covered her. Oh. Lord.

She jumped back, hitting her head on the bed's headboard and fumbling to bring the blankets over her bare, freckled legs. But she'd been sleeping on the covers and so they were jammed underneath her.

Suddenly, there was a sounds of the springs squashing as an extra weight was added to the end of the bed. Clary looked up and saw that Jace had sat down. He held a blanket in his hands and as he leaned across the bed to place it over her, he tried to catch her eyes, which she did once she was covered. They stared at each other like that, Jace half lying on the bed next to her – propped up on his elbow – and her sitting with her back against the broad headboard, rubbing her head and clutching at the quilt that covered her up to her collarbone.

"Ahem"

As soon as they heard the fake cough by the door, Jace slid back into a sitting position at the end of the bed and Clary's head jerked up.

"I was about to suggest we go find ourselves a room and make this a nice two separate sets of two, but if these two are ready…" Said Magnus, much to all three teenagers' embarrassment – most of all Alec who almost fell from shock and wouldn't look up.

"Ready?" Clary managed.

"Yes. To leave." Said Magnus happily, as though the idea couldn't please him more.

"Leave where?" Clary asked, but by the question mark on the boys' faces, they were all clueless to the Warlock's suggestion.

"Wherever they keep the ickle angel people." He said sarcastically.

Alec and Jace stiffened.

Clary shrugged.

Magnus elaborated. "The institute."

Oh. Clary had learnt about the institute last night. She was intrigued .

"No." said Alec. Said suddenly, stepping forward so he was at the end of the bed. Closer to Clary, and Jace.

No one said anything. Jace's back was to Clary so she couldn't see his face but his shoulder tensed. Magnus was looking amused.

"And why not?" he asked, looking as though he wanted to give a chuckle.

"She-no one- She's not a shadowhunter. No mundane has crossed the threshold in-"

"Oh, but she is."

Now this is when they saw real reactions.

Jace stood up in a jerky motion and spun around to stare at Clary.

Alec gawked.

Magnus giggled a surprisingly high giggle.

"She's a shadowhunter?" Jace asked, still staring at Clary.

"Yes, she is. Now to me, that sounds as though she's your problem so in you don't mind…"

"Well thanks" Clary muttered, they all ignored her.

"She cant-" Alec began, but Jace cut across him.

"She didn't know, did she?" he asked. He wasn't angry or cold. But there was something in his voice that Clary didn't like. Like he peaced something together and didn't like the end result of the puzzle. He was disappointed.

Clary wanted to say something. But what could she say? "Be happy I'm like you?" Yeah, not creepy at all.

"Yes to the first. No to the second. She didn't know. Her mother kept it from her through me – blinding her with my abilities". Personally I find it all very dull." He said in a casual way, leaning against the door and waving his hand in a lazy gesture.

They all gasped for a second.

Jace didn't say anything. He simply stared at her. Then he stood up and picked something up from the floor. He placed it on the bed.

"We'll be outside." He said…then he was gone, Alec (spluttering something about "Talking to mum first") and Magnus trailing behind him.

Then she was alone.

It seemed that none of them wanted her at the institute. Save for Magnus of course, who couldn't be happier about the idea.

Jace didn't want her there.

Aaahh Fudge.

JACE'S POV

How could anyone do that to her? Why would anyone want to? Shouldn't she have a say in her own life?

Frustrated, Jace strut over to the opposite wall on the landing and pressed his back to it.

"Right, safe trip home." Said Magnus gleefully as he headed for the stairs. He turned around before he got there.

"You," he said, pointing at Alec, "are free to leave whenever you like."

Jace looked away, wanting to laugh, but Alec's beetroot face stopped him. Not that he was afraid of crossing any line, he just didn't want to go into anything, not now, with Clary in the next room. He had a few things to think about.

It didn't help that she was changing in the next room. Something that he didn't have room for in his head right now.

Why did she do this to him? He was Jace, careless, free-flying Jace. Then why was she able to make him speechless when not even the most beautiful fairy hadn't been able to do that.

"She can't be a shadowhunter." Alec cut across his wondering.

"Didn't you see her arm?" he asked

"No, why?"

"You, him, that's the one." Someone called from the top of the stairs. Jace looked up and saw his three breasted something standing on the stairs pointing at him with the hand not holding the empty bottle of Holy water while the five vampires came up to glare at him brom beside her. Uh oh…

haha. Thanks for reading :D