Sorry it took so long to get back to you all. College soccer and classes tend to take up a lot of my time, but I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It was hard to right, even harder to think of.


Jace picked up the pace once he met up with Alec, running down the sidewalk towards the football field. Both boys were ready to get this confrontation over with, considering what already happened. It caused a bad vibe for the team, for the players, and they didn't need that tonight.

Last week, when Jonathan and Sebastian decided to drive all the way to East for a 'chat', was different. It was just about being manly, proving who was strongest, and trying to make a point. It happened all the time. In fact, between Jace, Alec, Seb, and Jon, they were all guys and liked to show who was boss, and this happened more times than not on a Friday afternoon. It was at least a monthly thing, but not a weekly thing. And besides…

Clary made everything different, and knowing that Jonathan and Sebastian were so close to her physically was unsettling. It was bad enough that she actually trusted Sebastian, but the two being so close mentally and physically was terrifying. Jace didn't like that. He hated it.

"What do you think this is about?" Alec asked.

Jace shrugged as they slowed to a walk nearing the field. He wasn't about to suggest this was about Clary. "Hell if I know. Last week was a threat, so maybe they're finally going to go through with it."

Alec groaned, fixing his bag on his shoulder. "You should probably know now that I'm not fighting Morgenstern. I'm not planning on getting my ass kicked anytime soon, especially before tonight."

Ass kicked? Jace stopped in his tracks, staring at his friend with a shocked expression. "Who says we'd get our asses kicked?"

"I didn't say we," Alec said and pointed to himself. "I said me."

"Have a little faith, Alec."

He gave Jace a look of annoyance. "I have plenty of faith that Jonathan would kill me in a fight. Have you seen how fast his punches are?"

Jace rolled his eyes. "Then just stay behind me and try not to piss yourself," he said when he picked up the pace.

Both of them started jogging towards the field, dodging a few stray students that had yet to get on the buses or find their cars. It only took a few minutes before the field house was in view, along with two guys standing outside the visitor locker room, backs to the brick walled building and heads down.

The pair stopped at the top of the hill, Jace looking down on the two North kids. He could easily tell them apart, considering Jonathan's almost white hair could be seen from a mile away. Both were in just white t-shirts and jeans, like they were trying to hide the fact that they weren't from around here. Like that would happen, Jace mentally thought, considering Jonathan was known around the county as much as Jace was.

"Let's get this over with," Jace announced and he dropped all of his bags, Alec doing the same, until they were free of extra weight and started walking down the hill.

"It's about time," Jonathan looked up and said when he heard Jace and Alec approaching. He didn't move, didn't smile, and didn't change his posture at all when the pair stopped three feet away from them. He looked calm as ever, relaxed and at ease. "I was starting to think you were standing me up, Herondale."

Jace shrugged casually. "I never miss a date. But I don't remember asking for you presence in the first place."

The smile that formed on Jonathan's mouth was unsettling, and Jace glanced towards the quiet Sebastian, mainly out of curiosity.

But the boy wasn't meeting his gaze. Sebastian was staring at the floor, arms crossed over his chest with his head down. It wasn't like he was uncomfortable, but it looked like he couldn't care less about the fact that he was there. That was a first. Normally, he'd be as into a fight as Jace and Jonathan.

That was different from last week, and that fact was getting more annoying by the second. Last week they were all bantering, talking shit, threatening each other until Jonathan finally left because Daddy called. But now, it was like Jace vs. Jonathan with a quiet Sebastian on the side and an invisible Alec who was just trying not to get his balls ripped off.

"You didn't ask," Jonathan said, bringing Jace's golden gaze back to his dark one. "But I came because I heard some pretty disturbing news."

An eyebrow poked up in Jace's face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you do." Jonathan narrowed his eyes a bit.

"I don't," Jace answered with conviction. "But I do have a warning for you." He stepped forward a few steps, Alec muttering behind him until Jace finally stood a few inches in front of Jonathan, close enough to punch him if he had to. "Stay away from Clary, understand?"

Sebastian's head shot up, a warning look in his eyes. "Jace, I wouldn't–"

"You know Clary?" Jonathan's eyes were full of challenge now. It sparkled, and the pit of Jace's stomach dropped at that look.

Jace nodded slowly. "And whoever hurt her," he pointed between Sebastian and Jonathan, "which ever one of you did, I'll kick your ass." Then his finger landed on Sebastian permanently. "Especially if it was you."

"You don't know Clary if you think I'd actually lay a finger on her," Sebastian said. Now this was the Sebastian Jace was used to. The one who fought battles, argued, and didn't take shit.

Now things were getting interesting, but something still bothered Jace.

That was the second time someone told him that today, and he was getting sick of it. He knew that he didn't know Clary, not as much as he wanted to, but he was working on it. It wasn't something that happened overnight. If it killed him, he'd finally figure this girl out and be able to say he knew her better than anyone else. Even if he didn't have a good explanation as to why he wanted to do it, he'd still do it.

"All I know is someone hurt her, and my money is on you two."

Jonathan rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Honestly, your money should be on me." Jace's eyes went right to Jonathan's and the other boy just nodded and one corner of his mouth tilted up in a calm smile. "I did it."

That broke him. Jace suddenly acted without any sensibility, and his fists was flying before he could even stop it. It had all the strength, the anger, the frustration, the annoyance, and the fight that he'd been holding in. There was a pop, his knuckles connecting with Jonathan's face before arms surrounded him, pulling him back in a tight grip.

"Jace! Stop it!" Alec yelled, yanking Jace away a few feet.

He didn't want to stop. He wanted to pound Jonathan's face into next week. Even if he broke his hand in the process, considering it was already throbbing. But one hit wasn't enough. Even if Jonathan suffered punch after punch, it wouldn't be enough for what he did to Clary.

Jonathan was dealing with his own issues. He had briefly touched his lip when he hit the brick wall behind him, looking down at the blood forming in the corner of his mouth. It only took a second of realization to hit him before he jumped off the wall to fight back. The fire was there, the same fire that Jace always had during fights. Both boys were ready to fight until unconsciousness.

But Sebastian was already there. To Jace's surprise, Verlac didn't let him even get close. Sebastian had tackled, actually tackled, Jonathan to the floor, twisting his right arm behind him until he was pinned. One knee dug into Jonathan's face, pushing him into the dirt and grass in a not so comfortable position.

"Calm the fuck down, mate," Sebastian growled, twisting Jonathan's arm at a slight angle. "You're being a bloody idiot right now."

Jonathan wrestled against the hold, his glare going back and forth between Jace and Sebastian. "Fuck off, man! He punched me."

"Because you deserved it!" Jace shot back, trying his best to shake Alec's grip. "Don't fucking touch her again!"

"Jace!" Sebastian's face turned towards him, and what Jace saw was shocking. He wasn't angry, even if his best friend just got the shit punched out of him, but he was more sympathetic. His voice sounded like he was pissed, but his eyes were different. "Threats against Clary's brother aren't going to get you anywhere."

Brother? Jace froze. "Shit, here we go," Alec muttered, and his arms fell from around Jace, letting him go.

No way. It wasn't possible. Jace couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't even react as he stood there, staring at Jonathan as he struggled against Sebastian's hold, cursing up a storm.

There wasn't a single resemblance, nothing that showed Clary and Jonathan could be related in any way, shape, or form. She had green eyes. He had black eyes. She was small. He was huge. She was pale. He was tan, in a white kind of way. She was a redhead. His was blond and pale. Not to mention she was a Fairchild and Jonathan was a Morgenstern.

"That's not possible," Jace muttered, still frozen in his place. "Her name is Clary Fairchild, not Morgenstern."

Sebastian sighed, shaking his head. "No, her mum's name was Jocelyn Fairchild before she married Valentine. When Clary was transferred here, she got the teachers to change it and play along with it so no one would know of her connection to Jonathan or her father. The last thing she wanted was to be associated with this wanker," and he emphasized the insult with a shove to Jonathan's shoulder, digging it into the ground.

"Thank God," Jonathan interrupted, and that only caused Sebastian's knee to push against him even harder. "I don't want her as a sister anyway. She can fuck off for all I care."

"Say another word about Clary, and I'll break your arm." To prove the point, Sebastian's grip on Jonathan's arm tightened. His jaw set in pain, refusing to show any other sign that it hurt.

Jace realized something that moment that he should've seen before. Sebastian wasn't near as awful as he originally thought, not that he'd ever admit it. Even after all the crap they've both put each other through, he was actually defending Clary, which is something Jace would've done in a heartbeat.

The fact that they were similar wasn't something Jace liked.

"Calm your tits, man," Jonathan muttered, the fight draining out of him. Eventually, after a few more threats and insults were passed between the two North boys, Sebastian got up and off of Jonathan, letting him rise to his feet. Jonathan brushed off his jeans casually, glaring at Seb. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love with my sister, Sebby."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, commenting something back but Jace was so far gone that he didn't even hear them.

So much – no, too much information was just thrown at him, and he was having trouble processing all of it. It actually explained everything, why she was so sketchy, scarred, and messed up in the head, just as bad as he was. Her home life had to be hell living with people like Valentine and Jonathan Morgenstern. He could only imagine...

But he still couldn't get his mind around it. It was so far out of his reach, like a child trying to get a cup off the top shelf, that he couldn't even grasp the concept. She couldn't be a Morgenstern, someone that his family, his coach and current Legal Guardian, and Jace himself always hated. He was always taught that the Morgenstern's were scum. They were lying, cheating bastards that will screw you over, and it was proven true his whole life.

Including now. It didn't matter that he didn't even know Jonathan had a sister. She had lied. Clary lied about her life, right to his face, and fooled him right from the start. He knew that trust had to be earned, but seriously? She could've told him that she was the sister of someone Jace has hated since he was twelve. Mortal Enemies is the best way to describe Jace's relationship with Jonathan and Sebastian, and the girl he liked was related to one of them while being the best friend of the other.

This was so fucking complicated. Was she even worth it?

"Jace?" Alec's hand descended on Jace's shoulder, pulling him back to reality. His voice was low, quiet as Jonathan and Sebastian argued back and forth. "Are you okay?"

"Did you know?" he asked, tilting his head back slightly to look at his friend.

Alec nodded.

"How?"

Alec sighed, tightening his grip on Jace's shoulder. It wasn't reassuring. "Isabelle and Magnus could be part of a CSI team with all of their connections and investigation skills."

Jace closed his eyes, looking away from Alec to the floor. "So Izzy tried to get me and Clary together, knowing full well that she was a Morgenstern?"

"Looks that way."

"Jonathan, we need to get out of here," Sebastian announced, and Jace looked up. The boy's eyes weren't trained on him, but behind him, back towards the school where a mass of fifteen football players with bags were heading towards the four of them. Sebastian shook his head. "I don't fancy a fight against that."

"Being a pansy again, huh English boy?" Jonathan teased, glancing up at the football players walking towards them.

"Fine, you stay," Sebastian's said as he started to walk away. His shoulder brushed Jace as he passed, but neither acknowledged anything. Jace's eyes were still frozen on Jonathan, trying to comprehend it. "I'm not though. If you want to threaten Jace about Florida, you're on your own. I'm not getting my arse kicked for you though."

Jonathan, much to his obvious dislike, followed Sebastian past Jace and up the hill. "Fine! Let's go then. My dad's already pissed out of his pants."

And with that final comment, Jonathan took off after Sebastian, leaving a still stunned Jace and a quiet, sympathetic Alec to their thoughts.

Alec's grip on Jace's shoulder dropped, and he moved forwards until he could actually look him in the eye. "As much as I hate Clary, I'm sure she had a reason for this."

"I'm not so sure," Jace mumbled, looking towards the floor. "It's not like I can trust her to begin with. She didn't even tell me her name without lying to me. For all I know, she's not even a real artist."

Alec scoffed and shook his head. "Don't be such a baby about this. So she lied to you. Everyone lies."

Then, for the first time, Jace met Alec's blue gaze. "I don't."

There was no answer, and Jace knew that he got Alec that time. It was true. Not a single lie had ever come out of his mouth. Honesty was something his mother beat into him. She didn't tolerate liars, and he didn't either.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he silent reached down, pulling it out. "Yeah?"

"We just saw Jonathan and Sebastian leave the parking lot. What the hell happened this time?" Isabelle asked, sounding frantic and confused. Jace could also hear Clary in the background, asking all kinds of questions. Jace's grip on the phone tightened at the thought of her.

"I punched him," Jace said matter-of-factly.

"YOU PUNCHED HIM?"

"That's not important," he said. "Are you taking Clary home?"

Isabelle was quiet for a moment, and Jace could hear Clary's voice in the background. There were a few words exchanged, nothing very nice and lovey, before Isabelle finally spoke again. "Yeah, I am."

"I need to talk to her, now." He emphasized the now.

Isabelle sighed. "You know," she said, and it was obvious that she finally figured it out. It was more of an epiphany than a statement.

Jace's hand tightened on the phone and he glanced back towards the school where Jonathan and Sebastian were retreating at a run. "I do. And I'm not fucking happy about it."


"TOUCHDOWN! NUMBER 16, JACE HERONDALE!"

Jace dropped the football as he rolled onto his back, hopping back up to his feet. The safety had already got off of him, thank goodness. He had just caught a forty yard pass, thanks to Alec's amazing arm, and earned his fifth touchdown of the night. But that tackle was more painful than the others.

This was how it had been the whole night. Jace was on fire, for reasons he couldn't explain, not that he was complaining, and the other team was letting him have it with tackles. Maybe it was because he was so pissed off that he had to get this off of his chest. He'd definitely deliberately pissed the other team off a few times, for sure. Or maybe it was because playing and really focusing on the game was the only way to get Clary out of his head. Maybe it was because he wanted to prove to the Florida coach that he deserved to be there in two years, even if Jonathan made it too. Maybe hew as just trying to prove a point, although who that point was going to was a mystery.

"Well done," Alec said quietly as he slapped Jace on the back. The crowds were roaring, chanting his name as he started walking towards the sidelines, Alec right alongside him. "You're killing it tonight, man."

"Thanks," was all that Jace said before he started jogging. He didn't want to talk, and didn't want people to ask questions. All he wanted was water and to get back on the field as fast as possible. Words weren't going to help him at this point.

He went straight for the water bottles, grabbing his own and walking away from the rest of the team. The bleachers had plenty of screaming girls, yelling his name and begging for his attention, but he kept his head down. Now was not the time to deal with his fan girls.

With a grunt, he yanked his helmet off and dropped it on the track surrounding the field. Sweat poured down his face, falling to the floor and he just dumped the water on his head, trying this best to clear his mind and the taste of salt. He normally loved it, loved the feeling of getting tired, of working, of kicking ass and taking names, but all he wanted at this point was to get it over with. He wanted the game to be over, because Clary was waiting for him.

Isabelle had promised that Clary wasn't going to watch Sebastian play tonight, but that she'd be in her room after his game. And he liked that, even if he was angrier than anything with her. The last thing he wanted was to argue and fight with her, and he hoped that the other alternatives that kept popping in his head would work. There were plenty of ways to avoid a massive confrontation, and he prayed that she'd be just as willing.

"Jace!"

He looked up, meeting the eyes of Michael Wayland as he jogged over towards him. Since he was a good thirty yards from the rest of the team by now, it took a minute, but eventually his coach and legal guardian stood before him. One hand was on Jace's shoulder and the other was holding a clipboard of some kind.

"Don't ask," Jace muttered, looking away from the prying eyes.

"I actually have something to tell you." Michael dropped his hand and pulled his phone out, smiling the whole time. "He called me."

Jace glanced up. "He?"

"The coach from Florida. He had to leave to make it to the later quarter of the North game for Morgenstern, but he was impressed and very, very interested." Michael beamed as he spoke, pride shining in his eyes.

But Jace couldn't bring himself to be too excited. He just smiled weakly, nodding a bit. "That's great."

Michael barely noticed his quiet side. "So as you know, Jonathan is a year older than you and he's focusing on him right now. But the coach is extremely interested in you. More than I've seen of any of my players in a long time. You're lucky, son. Very lucky. Your parents would be proud, just like I am." He patted Jace's shoulder once, smiling before walking back towards the sidelines to coach.

Well, he did it. At least that was one less thing he had to worry about. His college was pretty much set, even if he wasn't sure that's where he wanted to go, especially if Jonathan would be there. That would be a disaster waiting to happen.

The crowd erupted into a loud uproar suddenly as the next kick off started. Jace stood upright, taking in the sight before him. Both bleachers, the home and away, were packed full with other people finding refuge on the hill and the rest lining the fences. The student sections were going crazy, waving flags and signs, and the cheerleaders were definitely going all out with their flips and stunts. One day earlier and Jace would've thought this moment would be perfect.

That changed quicker than he would've anticipated. Clary really did change his view on everything, even if she meant to or not. It wasn't the same. Just having people chant his name, wear his jersey, and cheer only for him wasn't enough anymore. He wanted her in the stands, even if she was Morgenstern. He wanted her yelling his name, wearing his jersey, smiling when he won the game, and cheering for him as he'd find her in the crowd. That's what he wanted now. Not this mess of people that he didn't even know.

He glanced towards the scoreboard. 42 – 31, East was winning with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. He sighed, wishing that it would just end so he could get out of here. He needed to get out of here. The noise was getting too much. The lights were too bright. The timing was too wrong.

With a sigh, he slowly walked back towards the bench, tugging his helmet off and ruffling his hair, earning a few sighs from cheerleaders as he walked by. Sadly, it didn't even bring a smile to his face. In fact, he barely even noticed.

He'd only notice one girl from now on, and he really needed to get to her. He needed to see her, to hold her, and it scared him that he needed her so bad. It shouldn't be like this, but it was whether he could stop it or not.

And he had a feeling that tonight, it wouldn't be stopped. It couldn't be stopped. The anger inside him was pushing him away from her, but he was fighting it with all he had. As long as the right answers came out of her mouth, they could fix this. They could work this out. He'd do anything to get her back, to get her to be who she wanted with him, to get her to give in.

He just hoped that she was really worth it.


Clary paced back and forth in her room at the Lightwood's. Her mind wasn't calming, neither was her body, so she just let them do what they needed. Her feet had been carrying her back and forth for about an hour. Her mind kept picturing Jace, how pissed he would be, how upset, how angry and all of it would be directed at her. She didn't want to picture that, but it was like she couldn't stop it.

When she glanced at the clock, she forced herself to stop all the pacing and attempt to relax. It was only nine o'clock, and Jace wouldn't be here for another hour or two. She had time to kill, and refused to waste it pacing like she had for the past hour since Isabelle left.

That's how she found herself on the window seat, music playing in the background. She pulled her knees up to her chest, balancing a sketchbook on them and letting the pencil slide across the paper with the music. It was the only way to let her mind go, to block it all out, and it was working. Clary didn't keep track of anything. Not the time. Not where she was or what she was doing. She was just kind of there, doing what she loved and not having to think about it.

And that's how she wished things always were. Sometimes, she felt like society always beat her to come out of her shell, to do what they asked, and she hated that. So what if she just wanted to stay in her room and draw sometimes? She likes that better than those damned football games. It was more peaceful, more tranquil than having hundreds of people yelling and chanting in her ear. It wasn't always that bad, but most of the time it was hell to pay.

The only times she ever went anymore was for Sebastian, and even then it would be hard to actually enjoy it. She liked to watch him play, watch him kick ass like she knew he could, but being surrounded by people that she couldn't care less about always killed that enjoyment. It would be more bearable with Isabelle of course, but there were reasons that Clary couldn't go to the game tonight.

Like Jace.

Her heart started pounding again, and the pencil stopped moving against the paper. All of the unshed energy came back in a rush of emotion and worry.

What was she supposed to say to him? He knew that Jonathan was her brother now. What else did he know? She wouldn't have put it past Jonathan to spill some secrets just to ruin her life. Jace probably knew more at this point than he ever bargained for. There were so many things that she never told him, never told anyone but Sebastian, and she didn't think she could even tell him if she wanted to. The words wouldn't form on her tongue, and she'd be as speechless as if he had kissed the breath out of her. This was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Even if she could tell him, how would he react? She couldn't imagine him being understanding about it at all. He wasn't that type. He'd have too many questions, too many demands to be understanding about her reasoning.

But that was her reasoning right there. She didn't tell anyone because she didn't want to be known as Jonathan's sister. She didn't want people to look at her differently, which is exactly what Jace would be doing. She'd no longer be Clary, or Tiger, or that girl that couldn't get her fucking emotions under control, but Jonathan Morgenstern's sister. She'd be Valentine's daughter.

She'd be the last thing that he wanted.

Shit. Now that it was nearing the time, would she be able to handle the rejection? She hadn't thought about that, and wasn't exactly confident that she'd handle it with grace and integrity. Something about Jace, something about the way he walked, talked, and acted drew her in more than any boy ever had, and she was going to lose it when she just got it that morning.

Regret started to push into her chest, making it hard to breathe and physically painful. She was an idiot for pushing him away the whole time, even if she was just protecting herself. He wasn't who she thought he was. He wasn't some cocky bastard that thought he was the shit, used women, and just wanted to show off to his friends. That morning was different with him. He was more broken than she'd ever expected. He was more fragile, more caring, more loving. He wasn't a jerk, and she found herself to actually care about him.

But if it didn't even make it twenty-four hours, maybe it wasn't meant to be in the first place.

That was stupid, illogical reasoning for all of this.

She glanced out the window just as a pair of headlights came down the massive drive. Her anticipation heightened instantly when the familiar black truck stopped in the circle drive and Jace stepped out of the passenger side. He had his football bag over his shoulder, and glanced back in the window, saying a few words before the truck started back down the drive, leaving him in front of the house.

This was it. He was here, and Clary was no closer to an explanation as she had been that afternoon. There were no words, no more help from Isabelle, no wise words from Simon, and now comfort from Sebastian to get her through this. It was just her, and she was ninety percent sure that she'd fail miserably.

Jace made his way towards the house, dropping his bag halfway before he started to sprint towards the door, and then he disappeared. He looked to be in a hurry, and Clary swallowed against the foreign feelings rising in her throat. What did that mean? Was running a good thing or a bad thing?

She felt his presence in the doorway before she actually saw him. Her door had been left open for that reason, because she wanted to know exactly when he got there for some reason. But even if she knew where he was, she still couldn't bring herself to look. Her gaze stayed on the front yard as he stepped inside, the door clicking closed behind him.

The music from her stereo was the only thing that filled the silence between the two of them. Neither spoke, moved, or even tried to start up a conversation. Clary just didn't know what to say, and she could only imagine what Jace was thinking at this point. He was probably just trying not to put his fist through a wall.

When her music was turned down to a softer tone, she knew that this was about to happen. She'd actually have to explain it to him, explain it all to him, and she wasn't ready for that. Her eyes closed, her body tensing when his footsteps started to approached her window.

This was it. All the anger was about to come out of him in a wave, and she wasn't sure she was prepared for it.

But words still didn't come out of either of them. Jace reached down, his palm against Clary's cheek as he pulled her gaze towards him, her eyes opening to meet his. The gold was curious, confused, and hurt, but before she could ask him about it, he leaned in and his lips were on hers.

Her eyes immediately shut against the sensation despite the shock, the feeling of his perfectness pressed against her mouth, the taste seeping in and taking over. She could taste the salt from his sweat, even if he showered, but the mint and Jace taste overpowered the rest of it. Even though all she wanted was to pull him harder against her, that want begging to take over, she didn't let it. He was going slow, both his hands cupping her cheeks softly as his lips lightly kissed hers, sometimes barely brushing and never deepening it. She had no right to take over. This was his show, and she'd have to wait and see what happens.

One of his hands left her cheek and grabbed her sketchpad, lightly placing it on the end of the window before he grabbed her hand, pulling her up to stand.

She did as he instructed without words, their lips never leaving each other's until she was on her tip-toes to kiss him back. Nothing about it was rushed like the other times. It was like he was trying to talk to her like this. Not with words but with the kiss.

She wasn't sure what she liked more at this point. The rougher, driven Jace that she had earlier that morning against a brick wall, the more emotional, needy Jace that she got at his old house, or the sweet, sentimental Jace that was kissing her breath away at the moment.

A better question though: Which one of those Jaces was the real one?

He pulled her back towards the bed when he released her, using only his hand in hers to guide them. Still, no words were spoken as he laid her down, taking the spot next to her. Both of them were on their sides, facing each other and when Jace didn't move to touch her or kiss her, she stayed put.

It felt like he looked at her for hours before he finally reached up, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. "This wasn't how I planned this to go."

"I definitely wasn't expecting you to touch me," Clary agreed. "I figured you'd never want to again."

Jace's face creased. "You mean just because you're a Morgenstern?" She nodded, closing her eyes when Jace's fingers ghosted over her lips. "That's not why I'm upset, or why I was pissed off. I can't be mad at you because of who your family is."

"So you are mad at me?"

He sighed, nodding once and looking solemn. "Yes."

Clary frowned, looking away from his gaze and down to his shirt. Instead of his football uniform, he was now in just a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that clung to ever part of him. Her, on the other hand, was in a pair of grey sweatpants that Sebastian had given to her last year and a sweatshirt, even if it wasn't all that cold outside. The air around her had made her freeze for the past few hours, waiting for Jace to scold her and let her have it, but now she was burning up with him so close and touching her.

Jace's hand dropped from her face, trailing down her throat until it started playing with the strings of her sweatshirt. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes," she answered honestly. But on the inside her heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings as she waited for the dreaded question.

"Why do you like me, Clary?"

Her eyes widened. "Wh – what?"

"Why do you like me?"

What kind of question was that? Who asks something like that after kissing somebody? Clary tried to come up with something, with a good explanation, and it wasn't like she couldn't, but she was just…

"Is it because of your family?" Jace asked. His eyes weren't on hers anymore, but following the path that his fingers made across her sweatshirt. "I can understand that. Jonathan and I are being recruited by the same school, and if they make me look bad by messing with my emotions by using you, he'll get in and I won't. It only makes sense that you would toy with me for your family's benefit."

Clary's mouth dropped open, shock etching across her face, but she couldn't think enough to form any words.

"In fact, Jonathan made it quite clear that he caused those bruises too." Jace touched her chin lightly, frowning down at it before going back to trailing with his hands. "And honestly, I wouldn't put it past him to force you into it. But then I kissed you about a minute ago, and I guess I was hoping that you'd be over it by now. That you'd just be so done with this act and I'd realize that it wasn't real. That you played me. I could handle that, and eventually my feelings for you would fade. At least, I hope they would. But you weren't. You kissed me back differently. And it was a good different."

She tried to open her mouth to speak, but Jace covered it with his finger, shaking his head at her.

"I'm just trying to figure out what you're feeling. If this," he gestured between the two of them, "is because you can't control yourself any more than I can, or if this is happening because your family put you up to it."

"They didn't," she finally said, almost blurting it out. He hand came up , gripping his and pulling it away from her mouth. But she didn't release it, and held it between the two of hers protectively. "Jace, I promise you that everything that happened between us today is because I wanted it just as much as you did."

"And then there's that other thing," he continued like she never even spoke. "You lied to me. Big time. Which only makes me feel like this was just a plot to make me fuck up tonight's game, which didn't happen by the way, but it all just points to some kind of plot against me. And it doesn't help that even if you try to explain it, I can't trust you with that. You've lied to me before, so what stops you from lying to me again?"

"Jace–"

"And it wasn't just you. I find out that my best friends lied to me, that everyone's been lying to me. Alec and Isabelle knew the whole time. They knew who you were and kept me in the dark." Jace closed his eyes, and Clary could see the pain across his face. His hand fell from her body, and he fell backwards, staring up at the ceiling. "I guess that today was the day I realized that I really am alone. I've always accepted that, but I never really thought about it until now."

Clary sat straight up, looking down at him. He looked to be so tense, so frustrated. She wished that she could smooth the lines on his face, release some stress in his shoulders, but she was scared to touch him. He seemed so unreachable. "You're not alone though. Alec and Isabelle–"

"Max is the only one that hasn't intentionally hurt me," he interrupted. "And that's because he doesn't know how to be anything but honest. Everyone else kept plenty of secrets," and then his eyes drifted to hers, and it was not a kind gaze, "you in particular."

She bit her lip, looking down at her hands that gripped his own. "None of us intentionally hurt you." Against all the warnings in her head, her hand finally reached out and brushed a stray piece of hair off his forehead. To her happy surprise, he didn't pull back, but he didn't register the movement either. "I never meant to do that."

"It still happened."

She nodded. "But Jace, for some reason hurting you is the last thing that I ever wanted. All afternoon I've been worried that you'd hate me, that you'd come in here, yelling and screaming and telling me to get out of your life. I don't know why it really scared me to lose you, but it still does."

His hand reached up and caught hers as it trailed down his cheek. "Is that what you thought was going to happen?"

Slowly, she nodded.

He sighed, pulling her hand down until he rested on his chest. His fingers danced across her palm, almost like he was doing it absentmindedly. "Clary, this thing happened so fast. You say that you don't want to lose me, but in reality, you never even had me. Not that in that sense. Yes, I like you, a lot actually, but we were never together, never dating, never a couple. In fact, we still aren't."

"I never said that we were."

Jace closed his eyes, and Clary took the time to study him like this. He might have looked awful compared to his normal-day smirk and cocky appearance, but she couldn't help but like him even more like this. Not many people had ever seen him like this. He was too headstrong to let that happen and yet here she was after a week.

After a few minutes, Jace's eyes opened again and he cocked his head to the side to really look at Clary. "That's my point," he said. "You never wanted us to be together in front of the world, and you don't want to lose me either. You're being nothing but contradictory, and it's hard to keep up with."

"I know, and I'm sorry," she breathed out. "I know that I'm complicated, and the best thing for you to do would be to act like today never happened."

Jace shot up instantly. He almost knocked Clary back in the process. "What?"

"Jace, I'm way too much baggage for anyone to handle. I never know what I want. All I do is bring trouble everywhere I go. My family is insane, not to mention brutal, unfriendly, and has major anger issues. Just like them, I can't even control myself most of the time, which is how I get myself into shitty situations. Everything about me is so messed up that others get caught in the crossfire, and –"

"It's better than everything about me," Jace interrupted, reaching forward and cupping Clary's cheeks with his palms. "You're not the only wrecking ball in this room, Tiger."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm worse than a wrecking ball. I'm pretty sure that my life is the equivalent of Armageddon meets World War Two meets the Wrath of Khan with a bit of The Expendables thrown in there for effect."

He rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean that I want to just forget you or let this die out. I don't know what the hell this is, but I don't like the idea of you walking away." He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. She took a deep breath. He smelled so good, even after the game. Like sunshine, spice, and something that was unique and only him. "You made an impression, Clary. More than any other girl."

Clary's eyes closed finally, and her hands came up, wrapping around his neck. Neither of them moved, and it felt like neither of them was even breathing. They just held each other, the music filling the background with a low hum as songs played. She didn't pay them any attention though, because she was still trying to figure out where this relationship went from here.

Before she had the chance to really think about it, Jace pulled back. It wasn't much, but enough to open her eyes and find a pool of gold looking down at her. "You're different for some reason," he said. His eyes danced between hers, making her heart race under his gaze. "There's something about you that really pisses me off because I have no idea what it is. Not even a clue or an idea. All I know is that it's there."

"And that's a good thing?"

"I don't know." Jace sighed, looking down momentarily.

She slipped one of her hands back towards his front, cupping his chin and pulling it back to her gaze. "Jace, what's the point of this?"

He recoiled slightly, but not far. "What do you mean? Like us?"

"I mean, is this," she gestured between the two of them after letting his chin go, "just two kids trying to figure out how to deal with forces out of their control?"

Jace's hands dropped from her cheeks. "If you're talking about mourning my parents, then no. This doesn't have to do with my family, your family, or anyone else but the two of us."

"Then what–"

"Is it so hard for you to accept the fact that I have feelings for you?"

"Yes!" Clary screamed out.

Her hands flew in the air in exasperation, but Jace caught her wrists quickly, throwing her on her back. Her head hit the pillows, looking up at the ceiling before Jace was there, hovering over her with a presence that she welcomed more than she should. His hands pinned her wrists down next to her head, and he slid his body on top of hers. The feeling that erupted was indescribable. Having his body pressing against hers completely and in every way possible was better than she imagined. All they needed was to ditch the clothing.

Jace peered down at her, his hair falling into his eyes and passed his forehead. With the light in the background, it made it look like a halo across his head. But all of him was shining, including his eyes.

His hands slid into hers, his fingers curling in between her digits and squeezing. "Clary, why is that so hard for you?"

She honestly didn't really know. Looking up at Jace made her want to give everything, to not hold back. How did someone she barely knew make her feel so much?

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, a sign of the frustration fighting inside her. When she looked up and met his gaze, she could see the softness and pain that he held inside.

"This is just complicated," she admitted, squeezing his hands as she spoke. "My brother hates you, which means my father will too. I don't have a mother to get on my side so it's just me. And you terrify me Jace, just because you make me feel so much without trying and I hate that."

"And you think I like the fact that I can't control myself?" He shot back. "It's not easy for me either. I've never…" he paused, closing his eyes and his head dropped to hers again. It was something about having him so close, so close that she could kiss him, that made her whole body flood with a want that was getting out of control. That kiss earlier wasn't enough. If her hands weren't locked in his, she'd have pulled him against her and kissed him by now. "I don't know how to do this." He took a deep breath, the air brushing against her cheeks and causing them to warm. "I don't know how to be that guy."

"I don't know how to be that girl either," Clary admitted.

Jace's mouth quirked up in the corner and he chuckled to himself.

She frowned. "What's so funny?"

"This isn't exactly the most stable… situation I've been in."

"Stability is overrated," Clary said quickly. Jace pulled back, looking down at her. It wasn't until a few seconds later, after she registered Jace's look and what she said that she actually got it. "What I mean is, sometimes, it's better to not know what's going to happen. Because when things always go right, it gets boring."

Jace laughed slightly, causing her to frown up at him. Was he making fun of her right now? Her hands were finally released when Jace propped himself on his elbows, lowering his clothed chest to hers. The relief was instant when his hard body settled against her, the strength and muscles that moved with his every breath.

His hand came up, stroking her cheek with a few fingertips. "For someone who has so much wrong in their life, you only want more?" He stopped when his fingers ran down her cheek to her jaw and settled on her bottom lip. "You've got to be the most confusing girl I've ever met."

"Is that a bad thing?"

He scanned her face, and slowly his mouth turned up on one corner, then the other, and it finally reached his eyes, turning into the brightest smile she'd ever witnessed. "Not at all, Tiger. Not at all."


REVIEW! I've got to start thinking of ideas for the rest of this, and your opinions will help tremendously. The point is, I don't really know where to take it form here. Help me! Tell me what you want more of!

More Jace vs. Jonathan?

More Jace and Clary?

More Clary and Sebastian?

More Sebastian and Izzy?

More Izzy and Simon?

More Alec and Magnus?

More of WHAT? I DONT KNOW!

And stay tuned or more too. That's important. :)