AN: I couldn't leave you like that...I would hate myself. So here you go. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If someone else (probably with a bit more skill) has it already copy righted, it's not mine.
Chapter 11: Another Dictator for the Books
"Mom?" I ask. Jace is trying to keep me behind him, but I have to see her, have to know if she is real. In a move I don't quite understand, I find my back against the car with Jace's arms placed on either side of me. I'm blocked mostly from the sight of my mother, but Jace's anxious glances away tell me he is still watching her carefully.
"Clary," Jace says, glancing into my eyes before back to where my mother is standing. "She's dangerous, I need you to do what I say."
"Jace," I don't mean to whine, but I can't do what he asks. He stares into my eyes.
"Please," he begs.
"Now, come on, Jace," Mom says coldly. Jace spins around, his back is close to me and hiding me completely from view. "I just want to see my daughter," she continues. I don't remember her voice being so cold. I shiver a little at her words. Jace's back tenses against me.
"Now's not a good time," he replies easily.
"Tsk, tsk, we'll that's really too bad. Boys?" Jace's muscles strain, ready for action. From around his side, I can see two men step out and I'm sure there are more I can't see.
"Don't harm the girl, but I don't want her to get away," Mom says to the men. "We have things to discuss, Clary." I can feel Jace thinking. I don't know how to defend myself, but even I know it isn't possible for him to take all of them down and protect me from all of them at the same time. I feel Jace sag a bit in front of me.
"So let's talk," Jace says.
"Alright, you leave Clary here and you can go," Mom says. Heat rolls off of Jace in angry waves as his muscles tense again.
"No," he bites out.
"Then the hard way it is."
"Wait," I cry, slipping out a bit from Jace so I can see her face. "Don't hurt Jace. If you do, then I won't talk."
"I will only talk to you Clary," she says.
"Jace goes where I go," I say, sternly. She appears to consider my proposal for a moment.
"Alright, right this way." She points to a black stretch limo. Jace steps away slightly so I can slip out from behind him, but reaches for my hand and holds it tightly. Hand in hand we walk to the limo. I am aware of the six other men watching us, though I know Jace is more aware than I am. Mom slips into the limo, followed by me then Jace. The limo begins to move and I miss my canvas.
"Where have you been?" I ask after a moment of silent. "And why are you here now?"
"To take down your father's organization," Jace answers beside me without taking his eyes off of my mother.
"What?" I look at Jace. His thumb runs over my knuckles, but he posture doesn't relax.
"She is the threat to your father's organization, the reason he assigned me to you," he replies and squeezes my hand. My throat is dry.
"Oh."
"Clary," my mom says, starting into my eyes, my own green eyes looking back at me and blazing with anger, "Valentine is a monster. He needs to be stopped for good."
"Why did you leave me?" I didn't mean to ask that, but the words tumbled out. Hurt crosses her face before a curtain falls across her features to hide all emotions.
"I didn't have a choice. Back then Valentine knew I wanted to leave. He kept you under lock and key or supervision at all times. He swore up and down that if I took you he would never stop hunting us. And once he found us, he would make you suffer for me leaving. Before I walked out, he said if I had any contact with you again, he'd kill us both, slowly."
The air is thick in the limo, and heavy. I wasn't really surprised and I knew that he would have made some threat, but it was still odd listening.
"Why didn't you stay then? Stay and be with me?"
"So I could come back like I am now. I've come back for you." My eyes snap quicking to hers.
"What do you mean?" I dare not hope.
"I'm here to take you away. Once I've destroyed Valentine's operation and killed Valentine and Jon, we will get away from this place, go somewhere new, be someone knew."
"Kill them?" I cough the words out.
"I have to, this will never stop as long as they are alive. We will never be free," she says.
"Free? You were free, why come back?"
"For you. He can't have you, can't make you like Jon. I wish I could save him too, but it was too late even before I left."
"How'd you know it's not too late for me? You've been gone for ten years!"
"Clary, Clary my baby girl. I know you, I can see that it is still you. You are not like Jon or Valentine. You are you, just as you've always been." A calloused thumb rubbing over my knuckles seems to be the only thing anchoring me to this out-of-spin world.
"I'm not the same," I whisper and I can feel the years heavy upon my shoulder. Jace squeezes my hand.
"Clary, let's do this and then we can go and truly be free." A nagging thought at the back of my mind won't let me forget what she said about Jon.
"And if I was like Valentine and Jon?"
"Well you would have been truly free by the time I was done either way." The meaning behind the words hits me like a freight train.
"You would have killed me too." The blood is cut off in my fingers as Jace's grip tightens and his muscles strain. I rub circles into the back of his hand hoping he'll calm a bit.
"There is no need to focus on any of that," Mom says briskly. "For the matter at hand, before we can go I need some help from you to complete our mission here."
"Why can't we just go? You obviously have means," I ask.
"We'll never be free while they still breathe."
"We'll disappear."
"No!" Silence falls after her outburst. Coldness settle over me. My mother's voice is icy when she speaks again, "Clarissa, I need certain information about the organization."
"What information?" I cut in.
"Are you agreeing to give it up?" My eyes narrow. "I'll tell you what when you agree to help." She hands me a card. "This is my untraceable number. Call when you are ready to be free. Valentine needs to be taken down and I will make sure he is one way or another."
The limo stops and we are at our car. Jace slides out pulling me with him. I let him secure me in the back seat and start the drive to the house. It had been fifteen minutes before I said anything.
"She's so cold," I say.
"Yes," Jace agrees.
"Why?"
"She spent the last ten years building up and planning to kill your father and his organization. Hate like that...it's poison."
"Why? She was free! She didn't have to deal with him hitting her, with him dictating her life, with him destroying everything he touched!" I swing my fit in the seat beside me. I'm sobbing. The car slows, but I don't recognize the area when I look out the window. Jace puts it in park then gets out and slides into the seat next to me. He pulls me into his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder and cling to him.
"Why is she here? She says its for me, but I don't matter."
"Clary, you matter."
"Not to anyone. There is no one in this whole world who really knows me and wants me for me, not what they can get from me." Jace pushes away to look me in the eyes, then brings his lips to mine. His kiss is hard and desperate. He crushes me against him. He pulls back and stares into my eyes a second later. The golden orbs are on fire.
"You matter to me," he whispers, completely serious. I throw my arms around him and nuzzle my face into his neck.
"Thank you," I whisper. We stay just like that until I have stopped crying and my breath returns to normal. I take a deep breath and pull away. I wish I could stay in his arms forever.
"What do I do now?" I ask.
"Do you want to help your mom?" he returns. I think about it and shake my head.
"I don't want to trade one dictator for another. She spent ten years becoming everything she hates just so she can destroy one man. I don't want to be like that or live like that."
"Okay. You will have to tell your father what happened or he will assume the worse, since he will probably know soon that she talked to you. And in that case, he might not be safe to be around." I nod.
"Okay." Regretfully, I slide from him lap so he can drive us to the house. I am planning what I will tell to my father and wishing I could spend my time with the canvas instead.