Chapter 21: Epilogue

Gasp! Last chapter! Ever!

Muffled voices came from Simon's room, clearly exasperated. He couldn't exactly hear what they were saying but was curious – who had Simon invited over? Curiosity won against listening to his iPod and he padded down the well-decorated corridor, listening to what seemed like a female voice. Jace was amused at the thought of Simon and a girlfriend. As he came closer, he cringed as he recognised Maia's loud voice.

Simon and Maia. Not surprising – the two had been friends since middle school. But he heard a softer, passionate, voice argue back and realised it was Clary's. At first he was confused but remembered the first time he had seen those amazing green eyes of hers – in the cafeteria with Simon.

Curiosity beckoned and he approached again, listening as the voices grew softer. The door was closed and he leaned on the wall opposite, confused as to what was happening. Their words were muffled by the door.

"…will achieve, Clary?" Simon asked.

"Clary, no matter how much Jace annoys me, or I poke him, or call him names," Maia began, "What you're doing is wrong, and cruel. I mean, Jace is completely in love with you. With you, Clary, and you're just gonna go break his heart for something he's never done, and will never do, to you."

Jace nearly fell over – which was definitely saying something. Clary was going to break up with him? Even though they'd only been together for a few weeks, they'd been the happiest weeks of his life. He adored her, loved her, loved everything about her – her stubbornness, her captivating green eyes, her fiery red hair, the way she blushed like her hair – Jace loved it all.

He had thought she loved him back – until now. He knew (from experience) that Maia was honest. Brutally so. She never lied, unless she really had to. And he knew that she wasn't lying now.

Clary sighed from inside the room. "Forget it." Jace quickly righted himself and made himself a mask as the door swung open revealing an exhausted-looking Clary.

The sight of her, beautiful, gorgeous, short, amazing felt like his heart was breaking. All this time, he thought he'd found his soul-mate, the girl he never wanted to leave. She was perfect for him.

But it had all been an act, a façade to lead him on – was the real Clary really an artist? Was the real Clary really that shy?

Did the real Clary love him?

He wouldn't, couldn't – tried not to – believe it, but he knew that this wasn't Clary. This was Barbie-doll Clary, programmed to be his perfect other half.

Jace kept his face still, his eyes blank and watched for her reaction: a small gasp, a look of horror in her eyes – his fears were confirmed. He could hardly restrain his anger and hurt, let alone open his mouth – so he headed back to his room, hoping that it was all a dream.

"Jace," Clary called. "I can explain." He ignored her, still hoping. "Just wait, please–"

He increased pace, but so did she. "I heard shouting from Simon's room," he explained. She hesitated, falling behind a little as guilt appeared on her frightened face.

The confirmation came again with that small pleading look and he cracked, opening his mouth to speak. Control, he told himself. "So, you were planning to break my heart?" he said casually. "Was it something I said? Something I did? Something I never did?" He knew he was quoting Maia – he knew he was hurting Clary and he was happy for it.

She recoiled, hurt by his barely concealed anger. "Yes, I-I planned to break your heart," she said in a small voice. "But you didn't say or do anything. Not to me."

Confused, Jace asked, "What do you mean?"

She hesitated before the words rushed out. "Think about before you met me. Think about last year. Think about who you dated. When you dated them," she pleaded. "Think, Jace. Why does Maia hate you? Because you broke her heart. You cheated on her. Like you did to every other girl you dated."

Again, the confusion. He thought about Isabelle, Maia, Serena, the quiet girl from his maths class, Alex, Myra, Roxanne, Lydia, Bea, Ariana – all the girls he'd ever slept with or dated. Hints of understanding dawned but she interrupted them.

"Jace, you dated more than 1 girl at same time," she said and Jace could sense her annoyance and frustration at that. "You lead them on; you told them you loved them. Then you slept with them, and dumped them. How do you think it makes them feel? Insignificant. Meaningless."

Jace understood. But he didn't care. "What does this have to do with you, Clary? Tell me, Clary," he said loudly. "How, and why, did you do it?"

She looked close to tears as she answered. "It was for your own good! You wouldn't have understood – you had no idea what you were doing!" she cried. Despite her anguished expression, her voice remained clear. "You left a trail of broken hearts. What we-I was going to do…I was giving you a taste of your own medicine. You only thought about yourself."

Not until I met you! Jace wanted to scream at her. I met you and you were all I thought about. Every single day! Instead, he soothed and calmed his anger, taming his voice to a whisper, asking the question he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to.

"Did you really love me, Clary? Or was it all a hoax to get me to fall in love with you?"

"Yesterday, with your ring and all," she said – Jace hissed in frustration at her answer. Pathetic. She was stalling. YES OR NO? "I realised I couldn't do this to someone who loved me so much. And I loved you too. I couldn't do it."

"So you did love me," he repeated, mildly satisfied with this. Other pressing matters emerged from where he'd ignored them. "But that doesn't make it better, Clary." The amount of hope he saw in her eyes made him hesitate as he spoke, but they died as she heard his words. "You're no better than me. I never meant to hurt anyone," he argued, "but you, on the other hand – you led me on purposely. What would've happened if you hadn't fallen in love with me? You would've broken my heart, and then what? How would breaking my heart solve anything?" he demanded.

A few tears spilled over but she didn't' seem to notice them. "Jace," she begged. "I'm so sorry." Once, he had loved her. But now, as she lifted her arm towards him he felt disgust and anger, hatred and hurt and he withdrew. "Once I fell for you," she continued, "I never meant to hurt you, Jace. I love you so much, and I…" She swallowed, wiping her tears away.

"And I trusted you, Clary," he said harshly. "I loved you and this is what I get." Just as quickly as it came, all his hatred and anger disappeared, leaving behind the hurt and betrayal. "Just go." He pushed past her, ignoring the sight of her agony and tears.

"Jace! Wait!"

He said one word. "Please."

She made no noise, no sound, but he knew, by the sudden ache in his chest, that she was gone.

The next day, Jace constructed an elaborate façade of sarcasm– someone who didn't care what Clary did, someone who didn't care that they were broken up, someone who merely wanted the company of all the girls in the school. This was the douche-bag side of Jace – the player, the uncaringly harsh, empty boy who lived in a world where everything and everyone revolved around him.

All it had taken was one little wink. The effect was immediate – the girl winked back and immediately began whispering, and the whispering spread like ripples in a pond. Wave after wave it spread – alerting girls that Clary was no longer a threat, that the Jace Wayland was single once again.

They fawned over him, flirting and wooing at as best as they could. Jace happily accepted the attentions of each and everyone one of them, trying to ignore the fact that none of them had flaming-red hair and scorching green eyes.

He suspected that she hadn't been alone in her scheming – the innocent, slightly naïve Clary he kne – he had known, he corrected himself, would have never been so devious. She probably would've never figured his "techniques" out unless someone explained it to her.

The prime suspect was Maia, of course, but Jace ignored it. By the end of the day, a miniature hierarchy had been established – Roxanne and Myra at the top and everyone else at the bottom. He enjoyed the company of the two girls most.

It was in the company of flirtatious Roxanne that he told his sad, woeful tale of betrayal – she had reacted with shock and horror while probably scheming as much as Clary. Jace didn't care – he was angry and hurt and he wanted revenge.

Roxanne had persuaded him to leak the story and by the next day, it had become common knowledge, with many variations. He had watched as his old friends rejected her – Simon and Maia, he knew why. He never knew that they cared about him that much.

Alec had accompanied him back to his player ways, acting like a seventh wheel or similar. Jace knew that his best friend and brother would have probably preferred to sit with his sister.

Again, he didn't care.

Clary had made a huge effect on the school, making the students gossip more than ever. Since he had returned to being the golden boy, Isabelle and Alex had been shoved down the social ladder a fraction, with Roxanne and Myra squeezing in between them and Jace.

On one particularly angsty day, Jace found himself reaching for a non-existent ring on his finger. This naturally made him feel more pissed at Clary and himself - how could he have been so stupid, so gullible to believe one red-headed midget – to believe her so well that he had given away his most valuable possession, the only thing that was left of his mother, to a scheming bitch.

Naturally, Roxanne took advantage of his furious state and he sent her and Myra off on what he knew now was a useless mission. All he had sent them off to do was retrieve one, simple, silver ring on the hand of a tiny newbie and they had come back with tears and a slapped face.

Jace knew that Roxanne and Myra were taking revenge in a rather petty way – water balloons, graffiti – but he just didn't care. Clary was nothing to him. Nothing.

Then along had come beautiful-sexy-gorgeous new girl Calla Thompson, the girl whose looks rivalled his own. She had been successful in taking – Jace refused to see it as stealing – the ring back from Clary and in return he had elevated her to around the same level as Roxanne and Myra – maybe even higher.

She was striking, hot – everything a guy could ask for. They both knew it was nothing to do with love; instead, it was more of a you're-hot-I'm-hot-let's-hook-up kinda thing.

It was unfortunately around this time with Calla that he realised that his anger had simmered down to a sense of betrayal, with plenty of hurt and hints of anger. And he had realised this when he had first kissed Calla at lunch and he had heard the loud clatter of a dropped lunch tray and he had seen the oh-so familiar red hair.

Jace tried to convince himself that he was still angry at her, that he still hated her, that she meant nothing to him but even his accomplished lying skills couldn't deceive him this time. Distractions could – distracting himself by kissing Calla was definitely working. The majority of his mind was focused on their intense make out session, while the rest were wondering about Clary.

But it was only a minority, and that was what mattered to Jace. He could ignore them – at least until Clary apologised to him in front of everyone he knew. Then Roxanne had come up and shouted and insulted her, and Isabelle, Alex and Aline had admitted that they had been part of the plan (Jace had been a little hurt and annoyed at that. Isabelle? Practically his own sister!) but they had defended Clary, and Simon and Maia had come up, and Simon had squeezed Isabelle's hand (which was kinda gross, seeing as Simon was his brother and Isabelle was practically his sister).

But then Jace had realised something when Clary said something about "moving away" – he didn't want her to. She still loved him, despite all the disastrous things that had happened to her – and he still definitely had feelings for her. That was all he had figured out, until Roxanne spat out more insults.

"It's not her choice," Roxanne said scornfully. "And who are you?" You're nobodies. You're losers. And guess what?" She smirked. "If Clary stays, she'll be worse than that."

Jace bristled internally at the insults to his friends, but more to Clary. He had feelings for Clary. He didn't want her to be a loser, he just wanted things to go back to the way they were. When they shared playful and witty banter, or when they were dating. Those were the good times.

The last few weeks had been fun, but unfulfilling – his only purpose had been to sleep with girls. As fun as that was, he grew sick of it. Roxanne and Myra were great, sure, but they just weren't Clary. Jace didn't want them, or Calla, or anyone else, but Clary.

She was the one for him.

"No, she won't," Jace spoke up. Gasps peppered the audience.

"Jace!" Roxanne said. "What are you talking about?"

"I want Clary to stay," he said calmly, "but I don't want you to bully her."

Myra gasped. "We don't bully her," she shrieked. "It's justice. She deserves it, after what she did to you, Jace."

"And I deserved what she would've done to me," Jace rebuked her. "I know I was a douche-bag, and have been for a while, but you made me. You helped me along."

"We just wanted the real Jace back," Roxanne whined.

"Just get out," Jace said coldly, disgust clear on his face. Gasping in hurt and indignation, the two girls stormed out, their furious voices trailing behind them.

"Jace…?" Clary breathed, staring at him with hopeful eyes.

The words rushed out of him. "Clary, I'm sorry," he whispered, walking over and hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for what I put you through. I'm sorry for not listening to you. I'm sorry that I was that bad that you had to teach me a lesson."

He crushed her once again and was pleased to feel her skinny arms wrap around him. "But if I hadn't, I never would've met you. I love you, Clary," he murmured, tilting her chin up so that they could kiss once more.

The next day, things were perfect. At least they were to Jace. Clary was with him; she still loved him and he loved her, Roxanne and Myra were gone – everything was perfect. He often looked at Clary, admiring her perfectness as if reassuring himself that she was still there.

The school grumbled but was in general happier, thanks to Jace being his true, sweet self now that Clary was back. True, things were the tiniest bit awkward between them – Jace still hadn't quite gotten over her betrayal, but he was willing to forgive and forget in time.

He had confronted Aline, Isabelle and Alex in private and they had confessed. Both sides had apologised and Jace had been mildly surprised when Isabelle went straight to Simon's side. The three had apologised to Clary, who apologised back. She'd also apologised to Simon and Maia, who had forgiven her as well.

And so, after about 3 months of feuding, it was over. Everything was as it should've been. Clary and Jace together? Check.

Simon and Isabelle? Looks like it.

Aline and Jonathon? Definitely.

Jonathon had also apologised to Clary but he was not as forgiven – Jocelyn had grounded him for another month, but it was ok for him since Aline came round frequently.

"Thanks, Jonathon!" Clary beamed at her big brother as he scowled half-heartedly at her. She hopped out of the car, running towards Jace with her arms outstretched. They embraced, both feeling the rightness of being together.

"I missed you," she whispered against his chest. She squeezed her arms tighter around him, giggling as he pried her off.

"I missed you too, Clary," he said solemnly, picking her up and kissing her like no tomorrow.

"Clary?" A voice interrupted their reunion. Clary stiffened and whirled.

She struggled to speak. "Calla?"

The beautiful girl was dressed with a white dress, her hair out and tangled as she looked pleadingly at the couple. "Clary," she begged. "I'm so sorry! Roxanne a-and Myra – they made me do it! I swear! I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt you!"

Clary narrowed her eyes. "And why should I trust you?"

"I'm your friend!" Calla cried. "I helped you, remember? I was there for you! I am there for you! I'm your friend!" Seeing Jace and Clary's dubious expressions, she tried another tactic. "They made me steal the ring! They blackmailed me! They forced me too!" Somewhere along her mini speech, she started crying.

Clary looked at her closely, looking past her beautiful exterior. "Nope," she announced. "I don't believe you. You're a lying, backstabbing bitch."

Calla's jaw dropped as she looked at them with amazement, her tears dried up. "What? B-but I thought we were friends! I thought you trusted me! Don't you trust me now?" she shrieked.

"Not a bit," Clary said calmly.

"But, Clary!" Calla said softly, her bottom lip trembling. "I'm your friend. I thought you were my friend." She glanced away, looking to the ground as she sobbed.

"Piss off," Jace said bluntly.

Calla looked up at them again, opening her mouth to protest. She saw only a furious Clary and an annoyed Jace – both of whom never wanted to see her again.

A hint of fear penetrated her cold heart, paralysing her sharp wit. "You-you-your mum's fat!" she burst, clapping her hands over her mouth and backing away.

"Clary..." Jace began.

"Done," Clary sang, skipping back from where Calla was running, clutching her red cheek.

Everything was perfect.

OK. That last bit was a little cliched. I'll fix it later. Maybe.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who's stuck with me throught this story. I love writing, and reviews are just awesome. They're like...awesomeness in fanfiction form. Thank you for all your advice and compliments - everything means so much to me. I swear, more than half of my inbox is filled with email alerts of reviews :D

When I started this story, I never imagined so many reviews. Anyway, I'm thinking about doing Maximum Ride fanfic or Skulduggery Pleasant, or maybe just some oneshots. Who knows?

Actually, probably Skulduggery Pleasant. My new obsession. And Alice in Wonderland. And Inception. And Sherlock HOlmes. And Rachel McAdams. She's awesome.

So. Thank you reviewers and favouriters. It's good to know I made people's days with this :)

smileysgoboing