So, the time of closure is near! Sorry this took so long, but I've been rather busy recently. Thx for the followers/reviews/ everything!

Beep. Beep. Beep. No it's too early for my alarm! I ignore it and try to go back to sleep. Suddenly my body registers pain and I feel like I'm on fire. Jeez! What happened? I pry my eyes open. My eyesight is temporarily blurry, but when it refocus' I see nurses milling around in white clinic rooms. Hospital…obviously. Why? How on earth did I end up in hospital? I try to sit up but my shoulder sears in pain and the heart monitor protests loudly. A brown haired, friendly looking nurse comes rushing to my aid.

"Would you just like to sit back down for me?"

I obey and she does some remote thing and tips the bed up for me.

"Thank you"
"No problem. What's your name?"

"Clary"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lisa"

"I don't want to be rude Lisa, but could you please tell me what happened?"

"You're a hero, you dragged three people out of a burning building!"
"I did?"

"Yeah, with a broken wrist, concussion and a bullet in your shoulder. Not to mention all those cuts and bruises."

The events come flooding back to me.

"Oh, I remember most of that now. I don't remember being shot though"

"Really? Maybe it was the adrenalin?"

When could someone have shot me…I suppose Raphael could have whilst I was on the floor. Nice cold hearted move…

"Yeah, something like that. The people I saved, are they okay? Did anyone else die? Was anyone arrested?"

"The white haired boy is alive, although he has some serious wounds, but nothing he won't recover from. Amaranta, the girl is another of my patients and she is in surgery at the moment. Sebastian, is that his name?"

"Yes"

"Sebastian is in a coma and we're not sure if he'll wake up…" She gives me a sympathetic look.

"Okay. Was anyone arrested?"

"Yes, the police have managed to arrest a few boys."

"Raphael?"

"Yes, I think that was one of their names. The police will need to talk to you about what happened, but I'm sure you'll be fine"

"Did…did anyone die in that fire?"

She cast her eyes downwards. "Yes"

"Who?"

"Theodore. They recovered his body from the ashes"

Oh no, poor Amaranta...

"Thank you" I say, dismissing the nurse.

A few hours later, the ward's double doors are flung open dramatically by a blonde haired boy wearing sunglasses. The muppet is of course my boyfriend. I shake my head at him in despair as he flings the sunglasses to the floor and goes in for a kiss. Obviously I oblige. The heart monitor beeps wildly and I push him off me in embarrassment., the other patients look at me in disapproval. Jace shrugs the glares off and plonks himself down in the bedside chair.

"Apparently my girlfriend is a hero"

"Yeah and you better believe it" I wink at him.

"I was so worried. You weren't at school, and then I get a call saying you're in the hospital. I came as fast as I could, the others are coming a little later. What exactly happened?"

I recount the whole tale to him and his mouth gapes open.

"So, this all happened because of Jonathon?"

"Technically, but he did come to rescue me"

"Rubbish, you ended up rescuing them"

"Yeah I suppose did"

The next few days are made bearable by the visits from family and friends. Amaranta came out of surgery and is now in recovery. I've had three operations and many litres of morphine. (Don't do drugs kids) Jonathon got a few visits, but it turns out that he doesn't have many friends. What niggles me is that Sebastian and Amaranta's besides are depressingly empty. No-one not this whole week has gone to visit them. And Sebastian might be dying. I struggle out of bed one night, deciding to ask someone at reception if they could call someone. Walking isn't so bad anymore, so it's not too hard to reach the reception desk.

"Excuse me, does Sebastian Verlac have any family to call?" I ask the primp woman.

"No" She doesn't even look up.

"No?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Sorry" I say sarcastically.

I sit down next to Sebastian and listen to the calm beeping off the heart monitor, it seems too slow. I sit in the chair next to his bed side. I feel compelled to comfort him, I heard that coma patients can hear you. I take his hand in a hopefully friendly gesture.

"Hey"

No response. I sigh and ramble on to thin air.

"I saw you all alone and I haven't seen any visitors, so I thought I'd come over. You were shot by some of those guys, Jonathon is stable and I'm fine. You're safe now though, the doctors say you should live… I don't care about that time when you…you know…because it honestly doesn't matter. You came to save me and that's all that counts. Anyway, I know what it's like to lose control. It happens every day. I have a feeling you also know what its like to not want to go home, to just want to forget it all. The lady at the reception desk said you didn't have a family. I don't believe that. There's always someone who loves you, whether you know it or not, you just have to let them in…of course life won't be easy, but no-one ever said it would. I should know, I saw my mum murdered before my eyes. It takes a long time to forgive and forget when these things happen to you, but in the end it's the best thing you can do. I never gave-up on Jonathon, not once. I'm not saying I'm an angel; I've wanted to abandon him millions of times. But then I'd remember that you can't love someone and then give-up on them, he's family and it's not right. You learn to appreciate the small things in life, that's what happens when the big things get too much. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. Good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. So I just want to say…thank you. Thank you for saving me"

A nurse comes in and shoos me away before I can say a proper goodbye. I slink back to my own hospital bed in defeat. At least a bit of weight on my shoulders has been lifted off.

Amaranta comes to visit me today. I sit not entirely sure why until she starts to ramble on really fast.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean it I didn't have a choice my brother said he'd kill me and he would he doesn't care. Please don't be angry I couldn't do anything I wanted to get you out of there but I didn't get the chance and-"

"No. Don't worry about it. It's okay, I forgive you"

Her battered face lights up in astonishment.

"You do?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Because you're human and as far as I can remember I'm human. We all make mistakes"

"You don't want to know why?"

"Of course I do, but only if you want to tell me"

"Well, I erm…"

"You don't have to"

"I want to. I want someone to understand. So, here it is I guess. My mother died when I was born, we lived in a dirty, diseased ridden house in the heart of Knoxville, Tennessee. We couldn't even afford a doctor for her. My father left us after that, after all what's the point in staying with your nine icky children when there was no woman to mess around with? I don't remember much besides noise and sickness in that household. My brothers were heavily involved in gangs and most of my sisters were forced into prostitution. It's not like we ever had a choice. I was eight when Theo ran away with me, Theo was only thirteen himself, but he left with me to protect me from my other siblings. They blamed me for my mum's death, who wouldn't? I blame myself. We walked and hitched rides all the way to Brooklyn, Theo said he had mates there that would keep us safe. The saddest thing was that I thought life would change. It didn't, I went from one hell hole to the next. I thought I had more freedom here, but Theo didn't like me leaving. Of course, he didn't mind sending me off to Pandemonium to sell illegal drugs to the demons that lurk there. Getting him to send me to school took years. His 'mates' encouraged him to get wasted and I was less and less of a concern for him. He used to love me, but times change. And…and…now…he's….dead"

She breaks down into tears and I hug her until the tears stop.

"Sometimes the people we love to unthinkable things to us. They've changed and that was never our fault. The most important thing is that he loved you and you loved him, however much it was buried deep"

"But…but…where do I go now? Who'd want me? All my life I've been surrounded by violence and crime"

"I know a man, he's a very, very good man who runs a bookstore. He's called Mr. Garroway"

"Mr. Garroway? As in, my art teacher?"

"Yes, I suppose so"

"What makes you think he'd want me?"

"I called him. He said he'd take you on. I noticed you didn't have any family or friends so I called him."

"You've been kinder than anyone has ever been to me. Thank you"
"It's nothing, my life is easy compared to yours"

Luke comes to collect her the next day, the smile on her face as enough to make my heart melt inside. This. This is what she deserves. She waves goodbye and I wave back. The friendly nurse comes over to my bedside for the second time today.

"I think you're ready to go home today!"

"Really?"

"Yep! But first the young fellow in Ward C would like to talk to you. Sebastian's first word when he woke up was Clary. I think you better talk to him"

"I will, thank you"

I pack up my meagre belongings, get dressed back into normal clothes and stride into Ward C. Sebastian smiles when he sees me.

"Hey" I say.

"Hey. I heard you, you know. Thank you, the nurses told me I could've died. I might've if you hadn't given me something to live for"

"No problem" I wasn't really sure what to say.

"I didn't mean to come onto you like that. But, your pretty and I know I should be attracted to you, but…I'm not. Is there something wrong with me? Am I…you know"

"Gay?"

"Yeah"

"Maybe you should talk to Magnus Bane; he could give you a few tips"

"So…you're okay with that? Me being gay?"

"Well, usually the hardest part is telling your parents"

He eyes cast down at the mention of parents.

"I don't have any. They died when I was five. I was in the care system until I was fourteen when I ran away. I don't have any family."

"I understand. Go out there and show the world what you're made of. You never know, you might be surprised at what you find"

"Thank you, little red"

"Love a real man for me?"

"I will"

I see Jace at the door, I hug Seb goodbye and meet Jace outside the door.

"Ready to go home?"

I link my hands in with his.

"I'm ready"

(Psshht, Do you guys want an epilogue? Or shall I leave it here?)