So… I'm not dead? :D Okay I know, loooong absence. Defence? 4 and a half A levels. I realise most of my readers will probably have forgotten that I exist but those of you who are still here= GOLD MEDAL! I love you. SIRIUSLY! Bad pun… Spent the weekend at 'The Making of Harry Potter'! OMG I WISH I WAS IN HARRY POTTER! Anyway… Enough of that… Alright so I just found myself needing to write today so I'm going to. It might also be because I'm supposed to be tidying my room… You'd think I was 7 not 17… So I will own up now that updates will most definitely be sporadic and I can't make any promised. Yes it's Christmas but I have beasty January exams. However, I will make a promise: This is my last school year, after that it's off to university (Hopefully Bangor, North Wales), so I will be tying off any loose ends in the three months of summer this year! This story is my priority and my other MI ones will follow. I might even finish the Noughts and Crosses one I started. Anyway, you're bored now so… Story!

My head hurt. A lot. I could feel something sticky on the side of my face and my ankle felt numb and tingly. I couldn't recall where I was or how I came to be lying on the floor; what happened to me? I tried to will myself to sit but my body felt heavy and fatigued. It did respond, but slowly. My eyes opened and I sat up looking around me. There was crying and running and commotion.

I followed Jace into the crowd of panicking bodies but I had lost sight of him as soon as I had entered. I saw Magnus and Alec duelling a demon the size of a Grand Piano; it took vicious swipes at the dodging Alec whist Magnus tried to get his magic to work. I saw Sebastian next. He was stood in front of a group of cowering girls, Kaelie and Aline among them. He was fighting off two smaller Demons at once whilst simultaneously trying to calm the girls down. I saw him next. A little boy. Black hair, too big glasses and a terrified expression as a demon cornered him. I ran forward and struck out from behind, only slightly grazing his back. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough to piss him off. He turned away from the small boy who proceeded to slip past the demon to hide under a nearby table, and face me. He looked almost human, but also as far from it as possible. His eyes were red; not just the iris but the whole eye was a deep crimson. Where his nails should have been, there were instead long ink coloured talons but what scared me the most perhaps was the cruel smirk plastered on his face, his sharp pointed teeth stained with blood. Fresh blood.

"Looksh at thissh!" He slithered at me, flecks of blood spitting out from behind his teeth. "A fieshty littsle girl. Whatsh your name prettsy?" He reached out to me and I raised my Seraph.

"Don't touch me!" He chuckled retracting his arm.

"Hmmm… Really fieshty justs hows I likshes 'em." He snarled at me and advanced. I couldn't tell you what I did, how I moved, even how my blade ended in its chest. But it did. It was almost as if my body had acted of its own accord, willing me to perform how Jace had taught me. After he had fallen to the floor, I looked to the boy who was still cowering under the table.

"Wow! You were amazing!" He said, his eyes so open they had become circles.

"Yeah well, I had a good teacher." I mumbled blushing.

"When I grow up I wanna be just like my brother and his friends, they're so brave and strong, but I always get scared." He frowned and I felt instantly sorry. He had a lot to live up to, I understood that. "I'm Max by the way. Max Lightwood." He said grinning again. I smiled in return.

"Clary Fray. I know your sister, and your brother. You couldn't hope for better siblings." I held my hand out for him, "let's go find somewhere safe for you to go okay?" He nodded and took my hand.

"Clary!" I heard a high pitched scream from nearby. "What is going on?" Isabelle stood a few metres down the wall trying desperately to blend in with it and failing badly.

"I don't know but you and Max have to get out of here." I passed Max's hand to Isabelle and pointed to the doors that lead to the hallway where Jace and I had been sat previously. "Go that way, it should be clear, and as far as I know a broken vase is the only damage is in there."

"But what if the demon that broke the vase comes back?" She asked her voice rising in pitch. I looked at her meaningfully.

"I broke the vase." She nodded and pulled Max towards the door. I didn't have time to see them close the door behind them until I heard it again.

"Clary!" This time the voice was much lower though. "Clary lookout!" Jace called at me. At that point something hit me in the head. Hard.

"What the-" My head span and I only just retained my balance. There was a warm hand on my back and I looked around to meet golden eyes.

"It's alright, it's over." He whispered into my ear.

"What ha-"

"What the hell were you thinking Clarissa Morgenstern? You embarrassed your entire family. Imagine if Jonathon hadn't come back and knocked you out. You would have gotten yourself killed!" My father screamed at me, his eyes bloodshot and fists clenched.

"Wait," I frowned, "Jonathon hit me?"

"Of course! He had to get you out of the way, make you stop acting like an idiot! Can't you imagine how embarrassing this looks for me? My daughter for Christ's sake! You're a girl Clarissa! It's about time you acted like one!"

"But-"

"NO!" He was really fuming now. He advanced and grabbed my arm painfully. "I don't know how I got stuck with you as a daughter! I have a perfect son, and then I have to put up with you! A spoiled, embarrassing, weak little girl who always have to have her own way! You're my daughter and you'll do as I say!"

"But Max would have died." I whispered; more scared of him that I was of the demon from before.

"I don't care. It doesn't embarrass me if he gets himself killed." He said menacingly. He tugged me to my feet; the pressure his hand left on my arm caused my eyes to prickle. My sprained ankle twinging as he pulled me away. "It's going to be a while before I let you out again."

-LINE-

I sat alone in my room. I had showered and pulled my wet hair into two plaits. I wore only pyjama bottoms and a vest top clearly showing the bruise in the shape of five fingers. I had stopped crying sometime in the last hour after receiving another lecture from my father, and one from both my mother and brother. I was just thankful they didn't know how I really spent my summer.

I wasn't allowed to see Izzy although she had mouthed a silent 'thank you' to me as I was pulled in. My mother had been consoling her about how scared she must have been, she might as well adopt her and disown me. I lay down, but I knew it would be a long time before I would succumb to sleep. I tried anyway and eventually I fell.

When I woke up I felt something crisp on the pillow beside me. I opened my eyes and found a note.

'I should be angry, but I just can seem to be able to.'

You've had a beast of an AN so I'll keep it quick. It's been a while so I hope that I'm not rusty and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Drop me a review and let me know, if you have time.

Unscenced X