Chapter 14

"Do you think we have enough evidence to get this guy?" Will sighed, putting down his case file. It had been a long and hard six months. Stephan Herondale was the hardest person to ever catch and now he was so close, he couldn't bear to lose her now.

"We have an actual survivor." He said, flipping to Tessa's picture. Loathing flickered in his soul. He wouldn't wish this job on his ors enemy much less a naïve young woman who has absolutely no one to care for her. He didn't know what it was about her but he felt so protective of her, she was hi responsibility. Perhaps it was because she reminded him so much of Cecily. His fists tightened at the thought of her name. No, there was no time for this. He had to focus on the case, focus on keeping Tessa out of Herondale's grasp. "How's she doing?" Will asked.

"Sleeping peacefully given the circumstances." Jem handed him a cup of coffee which Will took gratefully. "What's the next step?" Will sighed. This was becoming all too real, coming face to face with the man who destroyed his life. He held up the picture, a picture of the only person who has a chance of getting to Stephan.

"Next, we go after the son."

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Clary groaned, shielding her eyes from the bright light. Her mouth tasted like cotton and it seemed like all of her senses were in overdrive, so sensitive to the slightest thing. She slid her legs out of bed, disoriented by her surroundings. Her bed was not usually this soft and her room was definitely not this big. Her feet touched to cool wooden floor as she padded across the floor, her body aching from sleeping in her uniform.

"Well someone is a lightweight." Clary closed her eyes and her heart sank in dread at the sound of his voice. Of all the people she could have gotten drunk in front of…She cleared her throat.

"Why am I here?" She asked. Jace raised an eyebrow.

"Well I thought you'd rather be here than wandering around New York completely plastered."

"You really don't seem like the type who does that sort of thing for people." Clary said as she pulled on her heels, wincing as they pinched her feet.

"What is your problem? First you were all over me-"

"I was not all over you." Clary snapped. "I was just doing my job. My problem is your arrogance, you're a trust fund baby, and you can get everything you want- why are you coming back to me? Is this some sort of game to you?"

"You're one to talk." Jace scoffed. "You play games with men all the time." Clay's eyes darkened with anger. How dare he? He didn't know who she was.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Clary snapped.

"I think I do…I ran a check on the hospital…found out your records…or rather your mother's records." Clary froze, her heart thudding with fear. "Diagnosed with severe depression after your father left…attempted a murder-suicide…

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"Mom?" Clary peeked her head through the front door. It was silent. Silence seemed to rule the apartment ever since dad just packed up his things and left, no note, no phone calls nothing. She silently set her book bag down; it made a low thud with the weight on two History books in there. She made her way to the kitchen, seeing her mother sitting silently at the table.

Clary used to think that her mother was so beautiful with her delicate features and willowy frame but now her eyes were sunken and outlined in bags and she had grown thin. Her mother looked up; smiling seemed like such an effort for her. Clary wanted to kick herself; she shouldn't have gone to school yet, not with her mother like this. It wasn't as if she had any friends that were worrying and the teachers taught the same mundane things over and over again.

"Hello honey how was school?" Her voice was a bit raspy as she spoke. Clary fetched her a glass of water.

"It was okay I guess….how are you mom?" Her eyes lit up with a glint that Clary had not seen in a long time. Even though she was finally showing life, Clary couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by her stare.

"Great, everything's great…I made you some cookies…chocolate chip…your favorite." Clary's favorite was white chocolate with macadamia nuts but she wasn't about to object. She hadn't tasted her mother's cooking in a long time. "Tell me about school honey." Clary took a bite and chewed. These were really good…unusually sweet thought…

"Uhm well…Marcie was at school today." Clary chewed thoughtfully. In fact these cookies tasted a bit…off. She was about to ask if any of the ingredients were overdue but her mother continued.

"Oh I remember her…is she giving you trouble again?"

"Always, she and her posse laughed obnoxiously throughout my entire oral history lesson and I only had a few days to prep." There was something wrong. Clary's speech was getting slowed. Suddenly the kitchen light was too bright. Clary clutched her head as she could feel the Earth shifting beneath her. Her stomach rolled at the motion.

"Oh I'm sorry. Don't worry darling, I'll take care of her soon. Mothers always protect their daughters…" Clary gasped, cold sweat settling on her brow. Her muscles suddenly lost their strength as she couldn't find the energy to sit. She could feel her body hit the floor.

"M-M-mom…s-s-s-something's wrong…"Her words were slow and garbled to her as her mouth moved slowly, the sounds not matching up right. Darkness started closing in and the last thing Clary felt was her mother's stroking her hair.

"I'll protect you," She whispered, "I'll protect you."

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"And that wasn't even the extent of what she did to you…" Jace's voice came flooding back as I squeezed my eyes shut. No, drugging me wasn't enough. But Jace didn't have to know that.

"Shut up." Clary said quietly, shaking with anger, "Shut up about things you don't know a thing about. You're no one. You think you're a big shot in this city, well your nothing but an arrogant, egotistical fraud. You make the papers alright, but your name is riddled in debauchery and that is all you will ever make of yourself, daddy's little poster boy." She sneered. Jace's eyes got cold.

"Get out." The two words didn't need to convince Clary. She was out the door before he even moved.

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Jem chewed thoughtfully on the eggroll. He was glad it wasn't that hot as he and Will were crammed in a car together.

"How exactly are we going to get him through his son? Jonathan Herondale isn't exactly the most accessible person." Jem asked. Will grinned.

"That's because we don't talk to him." His eyes were focused on the red head weaving in and around the pedestrians. "We talk to the girlfriend."

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That is not the end to Clary and her mother's story, there is so much more trust me. I haven't updated this story in a while but I do have another fic going so it's going to take me while to figure out the plotline. Anyway what did you think of this chapter? I hope you guys enjoyed it and thanks for reading!