A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late, but I wanted this to be perfect!
So a lot happens in this chapter and it's a really long one (over 4000 words). Sorry if long chapters aren't your thing! If it makes you feel better one character is no longer in denial about their feelings for someone else... ;)
Also I've recently got up another fanfiction called United We Stand - check it out and give it some love if you want, it would help! :)
As soon as Jace entered the building flanked by the Morgenstern siblings, two cops who were talking to the receptionist lifted their gazes to the trio. One spoke into a walkie talkie while the other raised his hand to stop them moving any further. "I'm sorry, but I need you two to come with me." he said in a commanding tone, pointing at Jace and Clary.
Jace knew that Clary's dad had phoned the cops with the bullshit accusation that he'd kidnapped her. It was fucked up considering he was probably the one who needed to be behind bars, especially as Jace was absolutely prepared to argue about that. Question was, how did this man he'd never met know who he was?
"What for?" Clary queried, furrowing her brows in confusion. She was a good actress; Jace credited her for that.
"Your father's been panic-striken about you, Clarissa," the officer went on. "Said you were forced to leave the house by your companion here last night."
"Bullshit!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "My dad couldn't give two shits about me!"
The cop folded his arms and cocked an incredulous eyebrow. "We need to question you both. My colleague will take you Clarissa, and I will question you Jace. We'll get down to the bottom of this case."
Jace bit his lip to stop curses spewing from his mouth. He wasn't going to make himself look bad in front of people who were already judging him.
The officer who'd been on the walkie talkie came over and placed a firm hand between Clary's shoulder blades, but she flinched away immediately. "Don't lay a finger on me." she growled threateningly.
"She's a feisty one. Careful with her, Mitch," the first cop told him. "Though it could be induced by shock."
Clary gave him the most venomous glare she could probably muster as she was led away by Mitch, though her eyes went to a frantic state as she locked her gaze with Jace and mouthed "I'm sorry." He shook his head at her, feeling a bit guilty that she blamed herself. Okay, he probably shouldn't have taken her from her house, but there was something going on.
"Come then, Jace," the cop sighed. "You can call me Al, by the way."
The stroll down to the isolation room - Al had considered it a quiet environment - gave Jace some time to study the cop. Al was definitely over six feet and towered over everyone; in his mind Jace called him Giraffe Man. He had slightly tanned skin and was probably in his late twenties, with chestnut brown curls reaching his ear lobes and dark blue eyes that seemed to observe anything in his path, even the wooden planks they were walking on. For a supposedly hellish cop he didn't have much muscle and reminded Jace of a willow branch.
On arriving in the room, Al pulled up one of the plush blue chairs for Jace and got another for himself, propping his chin up with one hand. "Your friend will be fine, by the way. Mitch is one of the softest guys on the force." he announced suddenly.
Jace wasn't exactly sure what Clary was to him, but he wasn't going to argue with Al so he just nodded. The cop leaned closer to him in response. "I'm not going to use any fancy equipment on you, but I'd like to know that everything you're telling me is nothing but the truth. Can I rely on your word?"
"I swear on my life." Jace insisted.
"Okay, we'll begin." Al shuffled in the chair and looked Jace straight in the eye. "What is your affiliation with the Morgenstern family?"
"I know all three children but I've never met their dad and I know their mom's dead. Valentina is the youngest and I've picked her up from school once, so we're probably acquaintances. Clary is in some of my classes and I've stood up for her against morons, though I'm quite sure she hates me. Jonathan I've exchanged a few pleasantries with and it ends there really." Jace explained.
"So you haven't got anything against them?"
"I get bad vibes whenever Clary or Jon bring up their father but I have no quarrel with the children."
"Do you recall the events of last night?"
"Clear as day."
"Were you at the Morgenstern residence?"
"Yes."
"Explain your motive."
"In Music yesterday Clary was playing a song on her phone and I think after the lesson I picked it up thinking it was mine. I found it in my bag when I got home and after some snooping found her address so I decided to drive over and return it to her."
"Describe the atmosphere at the Morgenstern residence."
"I could hear slurred shouts that seemed to be somewhat angry on occasion, but I didn't actually enter the house. Clary answered the door when I knocked and she seemed very desperate for me to leave."
"Why didn't you?"
"The poor girl was visibly frightened and I wasn't going to leave her in an environment that seemed dangerous, plus the fact she was wearing this tiny dress she looked uncomfortable in somehow. She only slopes around in casual clothes, usually band merchandise."
"You took her from there, correct?"
"Yes, in the interest of her welfare."
"How did she react to the idea?"
"At first she was a bit skittish about leaving Val and Jon, but even though I offered to take them too she decided against that. I was going to drop her off at my best friend's house because she's friends with his sister, but she wanted to come to my house because she knew my family better."
"So she stayed overnight at your house?"
"Yes."
"Did you actually stop to think that she wasn't in danger?"
"Well Al, I think one might possibly have that in their mind if they saw bruises on the person's body, a mysterious gash too deep to be self-inflicted on their arm and the fact they get texts from their brother telling them not to come home." The words were out of Jace's mouth before he could stop. He hadn't wanted to tell the cop about Clary's private life if it wasn't his to tell, but it was too late now. Curiosity painted itself onto Al's tanned face. "Are you raising the accusation that Valentine Morgenstern - might I add, a man you've never met - is abusing his children?"
"Yes." Jace answered defiantly, though his brain was screaming at him to stop.
Al nodded curtly, biting his lip as he scribbled hurriedly in a notepad. "Thanks for your time. If you just sit here a moment while I have a word with Mitch."
Once Al had left, Jace held his head in his hands and groaned in frustration. Yes, it was good to tell the cops, but would Clary have wanted it to come from him when it was her story to tell?
Was she even telling them herself?
Al returned faster than Jace predicted, looking somewhat dazed. "Clary has told a similar version of events, luckily for you. However, when asked about abuse claims, she downplayed that completely. Get to know people before you make statements." he said firmly.
"I could say the same for Valentine." Jace retorted fiercely.
Al remained expressionless. "Nonetheless, we're not going to take any action so you're free to go. If you're desperately concerned about her just give the department a call and ask for Al or Mitch. We'll swing round there."
As Jace got up to leave, Al held the door open with what seemed to be a slight smile crossing your face. "By the way, I wouldn't be quick to think Clary hates you. If anything, she seems to consider you her only friend outside the family."
Sebastian had his arms around Clary's waist, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "So, excited for the party on Saturday?"
"I guess." she replied with a shrug, not really knowing what else to say. Sebastian was nice and all, but he just seemed so freaking clingy!
He suddenly spun her around so she was facing him, his hand tilting her chin up so she gazed into his intense dark eyes. "Could we hang out at lunch? I think it would be cool to introduce you to my friends."
"I'd rather not be around your friends," Clary mumbled. "I'm absolutely sure one of them vandalised my locker and stole my sketchbook."
Sebastian seemed sympathetic. "If they have, they'll have me to answer to, okay?" he said quietly.
Clary nodded hurriedly, just as Sebastian brought his lips down on hers. She panicked internally and froze for a moment at the action, unclear on what to do on the basis that it was her first kiss, and she'd lost it to one of the most popular guys in the school.
After five seconds of freaking out she returned the kiss with a much gentler force than he was showing, winding her arms around his neck. No regrets, right? Sebastian was a good kisser and actually cared about her unlike the rest, so she couldn't care less.
The slam of a locker door brought Clary back to her senses and they broke apart, though they kept their arms around each other. Sebastian grinned and waved in the direction of whoever had slammed the door. "S'up, Herondale?" he called.
Clary whirled round to see Jace rummaging around in his locker, not meeting either of their gazes. "Next time you intend on devouring each other, can you please respect the eyesight of others and take it somewhere else?" he queried boredly.
Clary could feel a blush creeping onto her face, while Sebastian was unaffected by the jibe. "Rich coming from you. The whole school knows you're a proud manwhore who couldn't really care less about where you make out with some random girl. You'd fuck anything with legs even if the whole world was watching."
This was news to Clary. Jace was a player? She knew he was a popular and could easily charm any girl, but did he just go from girl to girl?
Was she one of the girls he intended on using? He seemed pretty desperate to be friends with her.
Jace hadn't replied, though his jaw was set and there was a spark flickering behind his tawny eyes. He then muttered a furious curse when a book fell from his locker and landed directly on the top of his golden halo, rubbing his scalp with one hand and picking up the book in the other. "What the hell..."
Clary stiffened in Sebastian's arms. She knew exactly what the book was.
It was her precious sketchbook.
Jace seemed to know what it was too, because his eyes widened in what could only be shock. "Clary-"
"I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses," she snapped, freeing herself from Sebastian's embrace and storming over. "You're the sick asshole that vandalised my locker and stole my sketchbook!"
"I wasn't even in school when it was nicked!" Jace protested. "I was actually helping you after school and in the morning I was talking to people! I was no where remotely close to your locker!"
Clary snatched the book off him in blind rage. "All this time I thought you actually wanted to be friends with me, but you were just screwing with me! You're just using me for your entertainment!" She didn't care that she was screaming from the top of her voice; he deserved to be shamed for the crime he'd committed. "You're just like Meliorn, but he was less of a douche than you!"
As she turned on her heel to stalk off, Jace grabbed her wrist. "Clary, please hear me out-"
She slapped him straight across the face with the same force she'd used for Meliorn, ignoring the throbbing pain on her hand afterwards. "If you ever come near me again, I swear to God I'll kill you, Jace Herondale."
He stumbled back against the lockers, clutching his cheek with a pained expression clear on his face. Clary was glad she'd hurt him.
Unable to even rest her gaze upon him, she turned sharply and headed towards the girls bathroom, ignoring the ugly tears streaming down her cheeks as she went.
She was falling to pieces, and the one person who would have tried to pick her up had betrayed her.
"You've got to eat something, Jace," Maia scolded fiercely, pushing a sandwich in front of him. "A healthy diet is important. You know that better than most, being on the soccer team and all."
Jordan glanced up from his own lunch. "I'll eat it if he doesn't want it." he offered.
His girlfriend looked unimpressed as she rolled her eyes. "Not helping, Jordy."
"He's just throwing a toddler tantrum because he got found out," Isabelle piped up, glaring over at Jace. "I can't believe you actually stooped down that low. What empowered you to pick on the poor girl? You made her cry, Jace."
"What do you all take me for? Huh?" Jace really wasn't in the mood for lectures. "Do any of you actually think I'm innocent?"
Magnus raised a hand straight up immediately. "He can't have graffitied her locker because when Meliorn said that stuff about incest Izzy literally had to hold him down to stop him murdering the moron. As far as the sketchbook thing goes, he's not dumb enough to hide it at school, plus I saw Clary and Sebastian go to the principal's office before Jace even entered the building and we all know he wasn't at school in detention or whatever. He thinks too much of her to hurt her." he explained.
Jace's faith in humanity was restored. "Is Sparkles the only one with common sense today?"
"But that doesn't explain how the book ended up in your locker." Isabelle pointed out with a frown.
"It might have been planted on him. There's a bet to see who can get in her pants first at the moment and the guys are getting really het up over it." Jordan supplied, though his voice was slightly muffled because his mouth stuffed full of food like a little hamster.
If looks could kill, Isabelle would have murdered Jace on the spot. "Please don't tell me you're in on this monstrosity."
Jace gulped nervously. Magnus was the only one who knew as he'd avoided revealing it to Izzy during their chat before PE yesterday. "I wish I could, but my intention isn't actually to get cosy with her or anything along those lines. You may not believe me, but I accepted so it would be easier to get close to her without the populars raising questions. I think she's hiding something massive and I want to help. Ask my mom if you don't believe my word for it."
"Stupid question, but is Sebastian involved too?" Simon inquired, twirling a piece of spaghetti thoughtfully on his fork.
"Yeah. His whole thing with Clary is just so he can get fifty bucks." Jace's tone was remarkably bitter.
"You could just tell her." Alec pointed out dryly.
"If I tell her about either, she'll undoubtedly tell Sebastian and he'll blow my cover. She'll hate me more than she already does and I'd like to steer away from that if possible."
Rather than nonchalant, Alec now seemed unusually interested in Jace's trivial problems. "Of all the time I've been your friend I've never seen you so concerned about a girl, not even your mom. I think you've got a thing for little Clary Morgenstern."
Magnus suddenly perked up considerably, the seriousness from earlier gone without a trace. "Excellent detection, Alexander!" he exclaimed, ruffling the boy's messy raven hair before turning to Jace excitedly. "The boisterous playboy and the feisty artist; what a scandalous tale!"
Isabelle seemed rather incredulous about it. "You seriously pick the one girl you actually can't get?"
"Oh lay off. You're supposed to be my friends, not my matchmakers," Jace scoffed, though inside he was massively embarrassed. "And for the record, I don't think of her much more than a friend, even if she'd gladly burn me at the stake if given the opportunity."
"We've all seen you looking at her," Maia interjected with a chortle. "It's clear as day to us that you like her. Grow a pair and ask her out!"
In an ideal world Jace might have done just that. There was no denying that she was pretty, plus the fact that she was impossibly stubborn, bad tempered and even scary to some extent just made her all the more appealing.
Hang on, was he even hearing himself? Jace Herondale didn't believe in true love, and there he was slowly falling for the feisty redhead who'd captivated him from their first encounter. Even though he could never hope to have her as his. No, he'd have to endure inevitable agony as she was Sebastian's, and he was only doing it for show. It really pissed Jace off that Clary couldn't see the fraud she was becoming smitten with, yet she despised the one who sincerely cared. It was like a knife in his heart to see her in the arms of the snake commonly known as Sebastian.
God, he was delusional.
When the bell went for the end of the day, Jace literally went to the car park at the speed of light in desperate hope that he'd catch the Morgensterns. The plan had been simple - meet after school, discuss briefly and head off with the ambition of finding Val safe and well.
As he rounded a corner, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket which prompted him to check it, though he didn't know the number who'd texted him until he read it.
Hey - C has told me ur behind the incident which I don't believe for a second that u were involved. She's v upset atm but find us anyway so we can move, sky doesn't look gd :/ - J
On my way. Thanks for actually having faith in me.
Jace instantly quickened the pace as she glanced up at the sky, gaping at how dark it was.
On reaching the busy area, Clary's flaming locks gave away her location despite her petite frame. She was nestled against the front of a tall fair haired boy - hallelujah, it was Jon - who met his gaze steadily as he played with his little sister's hair. "Jace? Clary's going in your car because I can't deal with her rock music and I've decided we're splitting up, so it wouldn't be fair to leave you alone when you don't know Val all that great."
Clary pulled away immediately, eyes popping out of their sockets. "I'm not going with someone who just has no respect for people!"
"I'm not going to let you drive, so too bad," Jon's voice was firm and it was clear to Jace he wasn't backing down. "You guys take the north side of town, I'll take the south. Ring or text if you find anything."
Jace went to his blue BMW and turned the key into the ignition, just as Clary slumped in the passenger seat with her lip curled up in disgust. Rain drops were beginning to splatter onto the windscreen, so Jace turned on the wipers as he turned up the radio. A Love Like War by All Time Low was just beginning; Jace wasn't a fan though they were tolerable in his mind, but the expression on Clary's freckled face told him she was happy with the music choice.
Make a wish on our sorry little hearts
Have a smoke, pour a drink, steal a kiss in the dark
Fingernails on my skin like the teeth of a shark
I'm intoxicated by the lie
In the chill of your stare I am painfully lost
Like a deer in the lights of an oncoming bus
For the thrill of your touch I will shamefully lust
As you tell me we're nothing but trouble
Why did this song describe how he felt easily in eight simple lines? Okay, he was only just coming to terms with the fact that he actually was falling for her, but it made sense to him.
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
Fail-safe trigger, lock-down call
Wipe the dry clean-slate, quick, sound the alarm
No escape from the truth and the weight of it all
I am caught in the web of a lie
Yes, he really was caught in the web of a lie. The lie that he'd actually hurt Clary. If only he knew who'd actually framed him...
And the bitch of it all is that I'm running from
The desire of the people to whom I belong
At the end of the day you can tell me I'm wrong
'Cause you went to all of this trouble
To try and help her, Jace had indeed stopped being the freelancing stallion he had been (though he still had the looks that came with the full package; everyone knew and couldn't deny that), but he regretted it now. He probably should have been honest with her the first time rather than hiding who he really was.
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
(Let's go!)
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
It feels like war (it feels like war)
Love feels like war (love feels like war)
Love felt like a war to him at the moment, with Sebastian close to declaring victory.
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Heart's on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Love feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
(one more time!)
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
Is this the end of us or just the means to start again?
The last line lingered in his mind as the song drew to a close. Was this quarrel foreshadowing the bitter end of their 'friendship', or did it allude to restarting it with one hundred percent honesty? Whatever it meant, the immediate aftermath was killing him-
What?
Shaking his head to keep his infatuation at bay, he turned onto a long winding road and decided to create idle chatter that would hopefully break the ice between them. "What emotion did you give me for your Art project?"
It probably wasn't a great idea, but since he hadn't seen the finished product it had been occupying his mind for some time.
Clary didn't meet his eyes. "Don't talk to me." she warned him.
"I know you hate me right now-"
"Damn right I hate you!" She was visibly furious. "Izzy told me you never lied, but you did!"
"Clary," he began softly, surprising himself at his tone as he stopped the car for a moment and stared at her. "I don't think you realise how much I care."
"I know about how you couldn't give two shits about the situation." she answered as she gazed blankly around the street, drawing out her words in blunt yet venomous manner.
"No, I meant how I care about you. I hope you can take my word as I say that I would do nothing to hurt you, not ever." Jace was mentally slapping himself for being so weak, but it was too late now. "Yes, I wasn't honest with you about being a player and I regret that, but I swear on my life that I didn't write those horrible things or steal your sketchbook. It fell out of my locker, okay, but people have been known to break into lockers not belonging to them. Can you actually look me straight in the eye and tell me that I'm a liar?"
To his shock she actually did look at him, though her emerald orbs were unnaturally remorseless. "You're a liar."
That really wasn't what he wanted nor expected to hear, so he just accepted defeat and carried on driving through the now fully blown storm with nothing but the radio filling the car with voices.
After five minutes of this uncomfortable atmosphere Clary suddenly paled. "Stop the car by those garbage cans." she ordered.
In bewilderment he obeyed her without question and ground to a gentle halt, his eyes drawn over to a pastel pink bundle between two of the cans. Clary was completely focused on it. "Val has a pink rabbit onesie, so I think that's her!"
Jace immediately leapt out of the car and rushed over to the bundle, ignoring the fact it was chucking it down with rain and he wasn't wearing a jacket or coat. "Val?" he yelled out.
It stirred and whimpered at his voice, so he gave the thumbs up to Clary and she emerged from the car. "I'll call Jon. You can go home."
"Are you sure?" Jace queried, feeling a sense of reluctance at leaving the two in the pouring rain.
"Yes!" Clary snapped, scooping Val up in her arms. "It was nirvana, if you had to know!"
The last sentence caught Jace off guard and bemused him a little, but he brushed it off as he returned to his BMW.