The message the next morning was brief, but to the point.

Prepare for battle. Source undefined. Total of attacked Shadowhunters in Los Angeles – 23. Tonight, invade the streets. We are enforcing a curfew for mundanes. Demons will be there in the thousands.

Clary, Jace, Lila, Simon, and Izzy poured over the note at the park beach. It was hot, but the heat was not the reason for Clary's uneasiness.

"23?" Lila said. "That's ridiculous. Was anyone killed?"

The unknowing silence that followed was eerie, and hung in the air around them.

Izzy spoke next. "I guess we should get ready."

"But for what?" Simon answered. "We don't know what's coming."

"I guess we'll find out." Jace said shortly. He grabbed Clary's hand and dragged her into the park.

Lila, Simon and Izzy looked at each other.

"We don't follow them, do we?" Lila said tentatively.

Izzy sighed, and flicked her hair back. "We never do."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jace and Clary walked together in silence for awhile. It was the silence that was most comforting, the knowledge that they were together. No one knew what came next. No one knew when, how or what they were going to do. No one knew if they were going to live of not. Jace had noticed more demons around. It was getting big. Really big.

After awhile, they reached a children's playground, and sat down on a bench. Jace held Clary's hand, and traced his finger over the back of it.

"Clary?" Jace said quietly. "I want you to leave LA."

She looked up in surprise, but her realization was quick. "I can't."

Jace's eyes were tired when they met Clary's. He leaned down, and his lips lightly pressed against Clary's.

"You haven't trained enough, Clary," He murmured in her ear. "I need you to be safe."

She pushed him away.

"So what do you want me to do?" she hissed at Jace. "Wait somewhere, not knowing if Simon or Izzy or -" She broke off in frustration. "You're alive?"

She shot up from the bench. "No!" Her eyes were sharp enough to cut. "I know how to handle weapons, I've fought before!"

Jace stood up next to her. "What about the MUGGERS, Clary?" He shouted, exploding. "That could've been the end of you!"

She slowly looked up at Jace. "You mean to say," she said, "The night when I was weaponless, out numbered, and alone? That's why?"

He grabbed her shoulders. "I can't loose you Clary! I need you! Don't you get it?" He yelled.

Her words were laced with disbelieve. "You can't hide me away forever, Jace. I can fight."

"No you can't Clary!" He shouted. Clary eyes were dripping with hurt. "I don't want you here! Leave, go!"

Clary shook. "Of course you don't Jace. Why would you want to know that I'm safe with you? Why would you want to be with me?" She yelled, with tears spilling down her face.

She wiped the tears away, and replaced the look with fierce determination. "I guess I can do without you too, Jace." And she stalked away.

It had hurt. Every pore in Jace's being screamed to go after her, to explain.

It was on purpose. She wouldn't have been safe in battle. But she wouldn't have left if Jace stayed. She needed to be hurt. For her own good.

He watched Clary's red curls swing behind her back as she ran away. She was beautiful. And now, she was safe.

He abruptly turned around to a small hand pounding on his leg.

"HEY!" A little girl, maybe six years, with strawberry red pigtails looked up at him with a firm scowl. She reminded Jace of Clary.

"Can I help you?" Jace said, annoyed.

"Yeah!" Her pigtails swung around her face. "You're a bully!" She pointed at him. Jace noticed in her other hand, she held a limp rag doll.

"Guys don't yell at their girlfriends!" She shouted up to him. "My boyfriend never yells at me!" She pointed behind her to a little boy in the sand box. He had dark blonde hair, and was playing with a toy car.

"And he even says that we're gonna be married!" She said. "I hope your girlfriend never ever sees you again! I hope you never see her again! MEANY." She stomped off to the sand box, and sat down next to the boy with the dark blonde hair. She dropped the little rag doll.

The boy looked at her, smiled, and kissed her cheek. The boy picked up her doll, brushed the sand off and handed it back to her. She blushed the same color as her hair, and had a huge smile on her face. She looked at Jace, and stuck her tongue out at him.

There was a mental image permanently burned in Jace's head. A girl, with strawberry red hair, and a boy, with dark blonde hair, playing together in a sandbox, happy to be together. It was almost like seeing an aging mirror, but Jace realized that Clary had left.

He smiled. The little girl's eyes were green.

He felt a pang of loss. The girl was right. He might never see Clary again. He might die knowing Clary would hate him.

"What the hell did you do?" Someone yelled at him. Jace sighed. He knew who it was.

Lila stormed up to Jace. She dragged him away from the park, to where they could talk alone.

"I just saw Clary running away crying. She says she's packing up and going back to New York! You asshole, everything she's done for you?" Lila hissed.

Jace rolled his eyes. "I don't care Lila, ok? She's gone. And safe."

Lila punched his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Don't even pretend that you don't care." She said quietly, but firmly. "I know you do."

Lila glared up into his eyes. "You can only hurt her 'for her own good' so many times, Jace. Hearts shatter. And, you're dealing with a species built with experts of holding grudges and revenge."

"Women."

And with that, Lila turned from Jace and ran away.

OoOoOoOoO

"Clary?"

Simon didn't know how to approach this situation. He didn't want her to leave, but he could see Jace's point. He tapped her shoulder.

"What, Simon?" Clary said, agitated. She was hovered over her suitcase, seeming to pack.

He shifted awkwardly. "Jace only wants to protect you."

She turned to him. When Simon entered the hotel room, he didn't notice what she was wearing.

Shadow Hunter gear, a tight, black suit with two very scary looking blades attached at the waist.

Simon's mouth dropped. "I thought you were leaving!"

Clary gave a wicked smile. "So did Jace. Now, he won't even suspect I'm fighting. Because I can." He emerald green eyes flashed.

"You're insane."

"Don't be jealous of my genius-ness."

He laughed. Only a laugh that Clary could give him.

And before he even thought about what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Clary was too surprised to rebuke.

And he kissed her.

A/N: Woaahhh, Simon drama. Anyway, it's very hard to stay motivated when no one reviews. JUST SAYING.

And yes, those two kids in the park were supposed to represent Clary and Jace when they were younger, even though they didn't know each other.

PLEEAASSEEE review.