Warnings: Discussion of abuse and Violence

Luke walked into the hidden room that had been made into the magic cell to hold Valentine. He sat in the center in a meditation pose unmoving. "You and your son will leave Jace alone during this trial. He has been through enough and I will not allow you to torment him more," he warned.

Valentine slowly opened his eyes and glared at the lycan. "You act as if the brat was your own Lucian. He's a pawn to get what we wanted, what the circle wanted; Raziel's power." He got to his feet, careful not to touch the barrier that was holding him. "You remember the plan, I know you do."

"I remember before you went mad Valentine. I remember wanting to save people and the rules the clave imposed on those that were willing to help down worlders and others. The laws weren't fair then and are still not fair but you went well beyond what the circle wanted. You went mad with power! You stopped wanting to help people and started wanting to be the ruler of everyone. You wanted to become God! What did you end up as? Powerless, imprisoned, and hunted by everyone. You have no friends, no support and no family because you destroyed it."

"I was the only one fearless enough to accept the responsibility of power! To try to save the pure bloodline of the Nephilim!"

"Pure bloodline?" he scoffed angrily! "You fed you're pregnant wife demon blood! How is that keeping the bloodlines pure?"

He stopped and looked at Jonathon who was in a cell next to his. "He was my biggest success."

"What about me Valentine," Luke sounded hurt. "You were my parabatai; my brother and you tried to have me killed. When that didn't work you told me to kill myself."

He turned his back on Luke, "You would never have agreed to what I had to do Lucian. I have to get rid of you. Between you and Jocelyn the clave would have killed me before the experiments were over." He looked up at him, "I thought they would kill you. I never imagined you would be cursed with the life of a down worlder, tainted bloodlines and weakness."

Luke's eyes snapped up. "Experiments? I thought that Jonathon was the only one you experimented on?" The evil look on Valentine's face sent chills through his body.

"Jace was a bonus I'll admit but Stephen and Celine Herondale were one of my best experiments to date. I talked Stephen into leaving your sister and marrying Celine because she trusted me and Amatis did not. I regret having to have Stephen killed but it was the only way I could get to the baby. He was going to go back to the clave."

"So you had him killed, like you tried to me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, as you can see with more success then I had with you. I did not expect Celine to commit suicide though. If Hodge had been any later in getting to the house the kid would have died in the womb. As it was Hodge took a knife and cut him out."

Luke shook all over in anger and tried to control himself. Changing now would not be good with the electric prison. "Why? The boy was an innocent victim. You hadn't experimented on him yet." He saw Valentine's eyebrow raise and a smirk cross his lips.

"Oh but I had. Jonathon was not the only one who got blood in the womb," he taunted.

The door creaked open and the clave council walked in. "What are you doing in here Lucian? No one is to speak to him until the trial."

"This isn't over Morgenstern," he growled as he left the holding room.

Jace looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. He looked perfect! Leather pants, new t-shirt and the leather jacket Luke bought him made him look ready for clubbing. Clary had called and wanted to meet him at Pandemonium. He hid a few weapons on his person just incase and headed out to meet her.

Clary was listening to Simon's band play, drinking coffee and waiting. Several people had approached and asked her to dance but she declined waiting for the one person she wanted to be with. She had about given up on him when she felt a soft kiss on her cheek. She stood and hugged him. "I thought you weren't coming."

He lifted her off her feet and kissed her. "It takes a while to look this good," he smirked. "So what is Simon calling his band this week?" he asked taking a seat.

"I don't know," laughing, "It changes by the second anymore."

"I hate to say this but they are sounding better," Jace admitted.

"Wow," she eyed her coffee.

"What?"

"Just never thought you and Simon would be friends is all."

"I thought that was what you wanted," he said confused.

"I did, I mean I do," she sighed.

He took her hand in his, "What's wrong Clary? Talk to me."

"Its nothing really I'm just, I guess things are different now and I don't know where I fit in anymore."

"You fit in with me," he kissed her hand, "and Luke and Simon and Alec," he continued.

"No, that's you. You have Luke and Simon now," she looked down at her lap. "I just don't know where I fit into that anymore."

He felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "I'm sorry Clary, I didn't realize you felt that way. I just thought you would be happy for me."

"I am Jace, honest but I just feel out of place right now and I need time to figure things out." She saw how much she'd hurt him and took his hand, "I am happy for you and I do love you."

"Then don't do this Clary, please. Don't make me feel guilty because someone else chose to love me," his voice sounded defeated.

"It's not that," she looked incredibly uncomfortable. "I saw Jace, I saw everything."

He was confused, "What are you talking about?"

"When Valentine had control of me I saw everything he'd done to you." Jace's body stiffened like a bow string but he didn't say anything. "I saw the beatings, the torture," she whispered, "the abuse."

Tears filled his eyes but he refused to let them fall. "I'm sorry you had to see that but it doesn't change anything. I love you Clary."

"But it does changes things Jace." She looked away from him, "I can't be with you knowing what happened; what Valentine did," tears slid down her face,

He couldn't breath. His heart stopped and for a moment he thought he was going to faint. Embarrassment and shame over came him and his face burned red. "I'm sorry," he whispered before running out of the club.

She allowed herself to cry to hell with the people staring at her. How could she allow herself to be happy know that what happened to Jace should have happened to her. If her mother hadn't ran away then Valentine would never have gotten Jace because he would have had her. She didn't know how Jace could ever forgive her for that; for what happened to him.