A/N: The completion of Celine's story, because I didn't want to drag it out, even though pace-wise it could do with being staggered. (Yes, I critique my own work, ssssh!)

That night, Clary and Jace reached the final few pages of Celine's diary. They had been reading a few pages every day, taking turns to read aloud. The previous evening, Celine been talking about going shopping with Imogen the next day and about how the baby was making her very uncomfortable. Jace would twitch nervously at Clary's side almost every time he was mentioned in her words, but Clary could sense that something else was bothering him now. Because, sooner or later, Celine's diary would stop.

It was Clary's turn to read, which was just as well, because the second she opened it, she saw the lines of ink on the back of the page growing dangerously thin. She swallowed, already knowing what was going to happen.

"Stephen has gone, along with most of the other Shadowhunters fit and able. Uprisings. He has been gone many times before, but something is different about this time. I am afraid, Baby. Jocelyn wanted me to stay with her while the others went off to fight, but I couldn't. I wanted to be in my home, our home, waiting for your father.

"It has been several hours now. He will be back soon, I'm sure. Years from now, I'll read this back to myself and laugh, thinking how silly I was. I'll probably be able to hear Stephen in the next room, playing with you and your many brothers and sisters. It will all seem so ridiculous then, when this accursed war is over.

"He'll be home soon, Baby."

Clary looked up at Jace, searching his features for any clues as to what he was thinking. His face was white and taut, stretched over his bones like a mask. She could only imagine what was going through his mind, wondering if he was thinking, like she was, about the future Celine envisioned.

"That's it?" he asked.

Clary shook her head. She almost wished it was, because what came next could not be good, could not do Jace anything other than harm.

"Read it."

"Jace-"

"Just do it, Clary."

She swallowed, exhaling, and started the final chapter. The ink was scrawled and messy, splattered and splotched so that several of the words were almost intelligible, barely resembling writing at at all.

"Oh, my dearest Baby, I can barely write. My hands are shaking. I can feel my heartbeat in my ears and its the worst sound in the world, reminding me that your father- your father's heart beats no more. Word has just reached me that Stephen has been killed. I don't know what to do, Baby. I wish that you were here already, that I could take you in my arms and however small and tiny you are that weight would hold me up, keep me rooted to the world when everything else is gone. But I guess you are here, aren't you Baby? I can feel you inside me, kicking away, making your presence known, holding me here. I don't want to live in a world without Stephen in it, but Stephen is still in it. You're here, or will be very soon. I won't give up, Baby, not ever. Not as long as you're in the world. I will fight to keep you. You will be safe, happy, and loved. I promise you, Baby. I promise."

Clary stopped, closing the book quietly and placing it down, unable to tear her eyes from Jace. They were locked in place, waiting for him to speak.

"And a few hours after that, she slit her wrists," he said, as bluntly as if he were reading out the shopping list. "Cheers, Mom, some promise."

"No, Jace," Clary reached across and took his hand, fighting against his urge to pull away. Tears studded her eyes. "I don't think she did."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't believe that any mother, after promising that to her child... they wouldn't do what they said she did. She couldn't."

Jace shook his head, more forcefully than was necessary. "But she must have! She did. You can't know..."

Clary placed a hand over her swollen bump and closed her eyes. "No, Jace, I do know. Believe me. She said... she said she would fight to keep you. Do you not think-"

Jace swallowed, his face gray. "Valentine."

"He knew she would never give you up. He always knew he was going to have to take you by force. Maybe he used Stephen's death as an excuse, or maybe he orchestrated the whole thing-"

"And had them both killed." Jace's voice was dark. "You have to admit, that sounds like Valentine. He wasn't exactly one to leave things to chance."

Clary nodded, and gripped his shoulders, kneeling closer towards him, hating Valentine even more. Even now, there were still ways he found to hurt Jace. Clary thanked her mother silently, for getting out of that place, for making sure her daughter never had to know Valentine like Jace did.

"Jace," Clary was lost for words of comfort. What was there she could say? I'm sorry your father killed your mother?

And Jace had said it before. You didn't mean "sorry", you meant, "I share your pain."

"She didn't kill herself," Jace said slowly, as if the reality could only be made tangible by speaking.

"No," Clary said clearly, "she didn't."

"She wanted to live. She tried to... she wanted me."

"Of course she did," Clary cupped Jace's face in her hands, stroked back his hair. "Why, Jace, does that still surprise you, after all this time?"

"I just... I never thought..." his voice stumbled. "It just means something. Knowing that this person I never knew... loved me, before I even existed. How cool is that?"

Clary laughed, and felt tears trickle down her cheeks. "Very cool."

Jace bent down and rested his head against Clary's chest, wrapping his arms around her back. She could feel him listening to her heart, and the heart of the child inside her. How was it that he could love this baby before it was born, and not understand that his mother felt the same? Stupid Jace. Poor, stupid Jace.

"I love you," she said.

Jase smiled. "I know," he said. "I love you," he kissed her stomach. You too.

A/N: According to Cassandra Clare, this actually happened, and Valentine probably did take Celine's life himself. It seems to make sense- how else was he planning to take the baby from her? I toyed with Jace finding out his "real name" but decided against it- partly because I can't think of anything other than "Jace" that suits him, and also because I didn't want to confuse the poor boy! I really hope he can move on with his life now...