This is the end. The moment that every other has lead up to.

After that long journey...we've come to our destination.

Its been an amazing year and a half. All the support I've gotten, all the kind things I've heard; it's enough to make anyone feel proud. I cannot thank you all enough for everything that you've given me. The opportunities that I've received, the beauty of this fandom uniting...thank you, not only for supporting my story, not only for the motivation, but for helping me realize that writing is more than just stringing together a bunch of words; it's putting power and meaning into them, it's making the writing worthwhile to read. I can't thank you enough for that.

(This chapter, I'm changing up the writing style a little bit—changing it to present perspective. You'll see, because I'm terrible at explaining.)

For this, I've decided to create a powerful and meaningful ending. When you read it, I hope you realize how much heart and soul that I poured into this, and how hard it was for me to write. But meaningful things aren't supposed to be easy—they're supposed to impact us.

I hope you take something away from this. Whether it's to never give up, or whether it's the fact that 'meaning' isn't just a thing, it's emotion—I hope that you can remember my story, that it isn't just another cliché fanfic out there.

So for the last time...

...I present to you...

Back to your Heart.


Ten years later...

CLARY'S POV

"Yes, Jace, I'll come straight home from work today. Straight back to your heart." I laugh. Jace, being as protective as he always is. "I'd better go now. Break's over soon. Love you."

I press the red 'end call' button, and quickly check my reflection on the small, black screen.

I'd say that I got pretty lucky. Married the man I love, got my dream job.

Shortly after Jace proposed to me, I had started up again on my acting. Jia and I finally met up again, and I got the lead role of a new film she was working on. It quickly became an award winning film, which I would never have believed.

About two years after that film had made it big, I put a short halt to acting to pick up my singing again. I wrote a few new songs, found a good record label. Before I knew it, I was on tour across the United States. Jace tagged along, and I'm pretty sure they were some of the longest months of his life.

When that was finished with, I started to pick up acting again. I managed to get a large, but time consuming role, on a television show.

Now, four years ago, I had given birth to Jace and my daughter. We had called her Vivianna, because of her constant ability to be energetic.* I put a halt to everything, so I could care for her.

Two years later, I decided to go for acting again. This time, I found another tv show. I couldn't believe my luck. It's been a good two years, leading up to here.

Here I am, as of now, taking a lunch break.

I pass by Max, our youngest member on set. Only nine, I believe. He has a very bright future ahead of him, I'm sure.

"Hi!" He grins from ear to ear, waving at me.

"'Sup, kiddo," I wave back to him. I can tell how much it bugs him to be referred to as a kid, being constantly surrounded by people older than himself. He glares at me.

"My name is not Kiddo, Clary!" Max exclaims.

"Alright, alright, Max." I say. "Let's go and head back to set. Lunch break is over."

"I left something back in the kitchens. My comics..." He mutters.

I sign and walk off, knowing that he would be responsible enough to be quick.

The corridors of the studio weren't easy to navigate through, but after two years of this, I've gotten pretty good at finding my way around. As I walk, I think about Vivianna. Wonder what she's doing—probably driving her grandmother mad.

A sudden blare of noise shakes me from my thoughts.

I furrow my brows, as it takes me a second to understand.

Then it clicks together.

Fire alarm.


JACE POV

I turn on my radio, hoping to drown out the silence.

"—caught on fire. Our live footage reveals that most people have safely evacuated the premises, but many still remain in the hazardous building. Firefighters are trying their hardest to put out the fire, to no prevail, however. Two have already been found severely injured, and still counting. More to you soon."

Fire? What fire?

Realization hits me like a truck.

Smoke is coming from Clary's filming studio.

I slam onto my breaks, and U-turn towards the burning studio.

Clary, please, please be okay. I can't live without you.


CLARY POV

The smoke is already polluting the air. Everything's getting more and more grey and clouded.

I cover my mouth and nose with my sweater sleeve, and run through the corridors, until I see the red exit sign.

I hope Max made it out on time.

I slam my hip against the door, swinging it open wide. I inhale the fresh air, panting and sweating. Immediately, Jia comes to me.

"Clarissa! You're alright! Oh, I was so worried..."

I nod, still catching my breath. I scan my eyes across the mass of land, trying to spot a young boy with black hair. He is not here. I look to where the smoke seems to be the closest at. The kitchens. Max was at the kitchens.

"Wait...where's Max?" I say, deathly slow.

"He hasn't left the building...no one knows where he could've gone! That child better be okay!" Jia rambles.

I start to dash to the doors again, ripping the edge of my shirt to wrap around my nose and mouth, preparing to enter the halls of smoke. I feel a hand grip onto my wrist. I look up to see Jia furiously shaking her head.

"If there's any chance at all that Max is still alive...I've got to save him, Jia. It's not a choice." Without seeing Jia's reaction, I pull my arm away, and run. My eyes are watering, my lungs are starting to burn.

My knees are weak, I can't feel them. But I need to get to Max.

"Max! Max!" I yell. I try to run further, until a wooden beam falls in front of me. It's on fire.

"No...no..." I whisper. I whip around and try to run back, try to get a firefighter to help. Anyone. But another beam falls again, this time, behind me.

I'm trapped.

My lungs are starting to burn, I can't breathe. The heat—it's searing. I know I'm not going to survive this.

I sink to my knees, not able to hold myself up anymore.

My eyesight goes blurry. I close my eyes, not wanting to see the blinding flames, which surely will be the death of me.

I am not afraid. I think of Viv and Jace. I wish them a good life.

"Good...bye..." I manage choke out.

Black spots dance across my vision, swallowing me whole.


JACE POV

I twist around the corner, hoping I got here in time.

"Jia. Jia!" I call the woman over. She has tears running down her face. I already feel a sinking feeling in my gut.

"Clary...she...she ran in..." Jia shakes her head, trying to clear her voice. "She ran in to save Max. She hasn't come out yet."

I shake my head.

No.

"All survivors have evacuated, Jace. I'm sorry. She tried to save Max...she died a hero."

I drop to my knees. My heart drops; it might as well stop beating.

Then I feel tears. How could my entire life suddenly be ripped away from me in a matter of minutes?

No. She can't have died.

But she did.

I let out a cry. A cry of emotions. Anger, that she had to die. Hatred, to the kid who hadn't been able to get out himself. Sorrow, as I'll never see her smile again, I'll never hear her laugh. Loneliness, the fact that I'll have to live without her.

Now, I lay sprawled onto the ground. There's the pattering sound of rain, the sound of cars, the fire alarm still going off. I can't hear it. Not even my jagged sobs. I hear a dull pounding, a dull ringing.

How can I go on? How can I wake up in the morning to find her side of the bed cold?

I lay there, a sobbing mess. I don't care. I don't care about anything anymore.

How can I go on?


After

(Third Person POV)

He was never the same. At first, he locked everyone out. Even his daughter. He would hardly eat, sleep, do anything. Just stare up at the walls, just cry. Eventually, people learned to leave him alone.

One night, he heard a small, faint knock on his door. He ignored it, like he did for everything else. He didn't care any more of what was going on. The knocking never stopped, though.

Grunting, he walked to the door, and swung it open.

"What do you–" he abruptly stopped, as he saw a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes, looking up to him. His heart broke all over again.

She had the same emerald eyes that Clarissa had. Her eyes were wide, yet full of tears.

Vivianna held her arms out, and looked at Jace pleadingly. Now, this broken man looking at his broken daughter...

Jace opened his arms to her for the first time in years, as the six year old girl walked into them.

"Hey, Viv." He whispered, again and again, patting her hair down. He couldn't lock this girl out, could he? She was all that was left, so why had he locked her out? And her eyes, they were so much like her mother's.

He hugged his daughter, who kept crying like she had never before.

It made Jace realize how he needed to stay strong for his daughter, who had also lost a mother that night.


Twelve years later

"Hello, Clary." Jace sat in the grassy area, beside a grave. "It's been a while."

He sat there for a while, just in his own thoughts, staring at the flowers he left for Clary. His heart ached. After all these years, he still had not gotten used to living without her. Yet, over time, his memories of her had dulled.

"Pa?" Jace turned his head over to the voice, finding the eyes of his now eighteen-year-old daughter. "This—is it...Mum's?"

He nodded. Silence danced through the air, until Vivianna spoke up again.

"What was she like? Was she pretty?"

Jace had never talked to anyone about Clary, not since she had died. There was a long silence.

Then, Jace began to faintly smile.

"She was beautiful. The most vivid green eyes, scarlet hair that was soft to the touch. She was also kind. Stubborn, yes, but the kindest soul there was. It never mattered what she said, it always would sound like music to my ears."

Jace had continued to talk to Vivianna about Clary, and had told her about all the things they had done together, all the places they went. Vivianna intently listened, devouring every word he said.

Deep in his heart, he was still hurting. Time was never enough to heal his broken heart.

But time had helped.

He never got over her death. He never would.

But he learned to accept it, to move on.

Life moves on.


*Vivianne means lively, alive, etc.

I never intended to end my fanfiction this way.

I never intended to write about tears.

I never intended to cry while writing this.

But I did.

This ending, to me, is meaningful. I'm trying to tell you, through this chapter, that no matter what happens, no matter the troubles you go through, you can survive it. Life does move on. It's painful and it's hard, but there is always beauty in the world. Make sure you remember that.