You guys will have 2 wait till the next 2 chapters 2 find out who ends up with who...

Right now, though, I'm writing about Clary and Jace, my two favorite people...besides me, of course. ;)

And sorry 4 not UD in 4ever. I've been on vacation in a internet free zone...

JPOV

Her exotic green eyes stared up into mine, making me feel naked, and clear like glass.

Well, she stared for what felt like two seconds, before snapping up and whirling around to scowl at me. "What in the hell are you doing?" she snarled, looking very much like a tiger.

I realized that I'd been stroking her face, and might've touched her scar.

She was crouched in front of me, her wild fiery curls framing her lovely pale face. She had her lips pulled back in a snarl, ready to strike.

I'd only been abused for the first five years of my life, but I knew what it was like to feel threatened and unsafe.

I held my hands out carefully. "Shhh," I whispered. "I won't hurt you."

She whipped her hand out, and before I could stop her, her nails raked my cheek, and my head whipped to the side, blond curls slapping at my eyes.

If anyone else besides her had done that, I would've rearranged the bones in their face.

But since it was Clary who had struck at me, I did nothing but stare at the ground.

"So, now I'm what, an animal that needs to be tamed?" she hissed, slamming her fist against my jaw, causing me to fall.

I lay there, unmoving. I wasn't scared of her. I was scared of what her past was doing to her.

CPOV

The minute I saw Jace fall, I knew something was wrong. Jace didn't seem like the type, that, you know, backed away from a fight.

I bit my lip nervously, and crawled slowly over to him, and crouched beside his crumpled figure.

When I saw the blood slowly coming out of his mouth, I felt a wave of guilt wash through me.

"Jace?" I whispered hesitantly. Jace didn't move, his blond curls covered his face so I couldn't see if his eyes had opened.

I slowly brushed them away with a shaking hand, my fingertips lightly grazing at his cheekbones.

With the curls tucked around his delicate ear, Jace opened his golden eyes. It took all my will-power not to cry with the guilt I felt then.

His eyes were filled with confusion, and hurt at thee touch of my hand, and probably the slap.

I bit down hard on my lip at the sight of his red, narrow mouth that was slightly dry.

"I'm sorry, Jace," I whispered, still brushing away the stray curls out of his face.

His eyes softened, and then his red mouth pulled up into a smirk. "Couldn't keep your hands off me, could ya, Fray?"

My guilt quickly faded into annoyance. "Nope," I agreed. "I needed more." My eyes glinted evilly at his surprised expression. "Now, where did I put those condoms...?"

Jace quickly sat up, winking at me. "No worries, angelcake. I have a secret stash in my boxers..." He slowly reached his hand down as if to take them out.

I through up my hands to cover my face. "My eyes," I wailed. "You've ruined my eyes!"

Jace coughed to cover his chuckle. "Let me fix them, then." He gently pried my hands away from my eyes, which were squeezed shut in mock pain.

I felt a gentle brush of softness pass on both eyelids. My eyes popped open, only to see Jace smirking in satisfaction.

I couldn't help but glance at his lips, which looked softer than before.

He noticed the direction of my stare and smirked, a little.

I stood up, ignoring the slight trembling of my legs, and looked over at the Forsaken. "D'you think we should do something about that..?"

Jace rolled his eyes at my weak move to change the subject. "No, unless you think we should carry around a 760 pound, dead, rotting, thing."

"But what about the neighbors-" I was cut off by a low moan. I blinked at Jace, who looked surprised, which wasn't a common expression for him. "What the hell was that?"

Jace raised a golden eyebrow. "My guess is that it's your neighbors."

I scowled. "But it came from there." I stabbed a finger at the Forsaken.

Jace shook his head. "Actually, angel, the shitwad's dead."

Smiling sweetly at him, I touched his waist, fingers lightly dancing towards the hilt of his seraph blade. Jace's golden eyes widened, and I couldn't help but notice that his breath was slightly shallower.

"No, it isn't," I breathed.

He smiled softly, and wrapped warm fingers around my hand, and against my will, my heartrate sped up.

Then, before I could shout in indignation, his foot swept under my ankles, releasing my hand and letting me crumple to the hardwood floor, smirking.

He knelt beside me, his lion eyes taunting. "You do not know how old that move is, Angel."

I scowled at him, sitting up and ignoring the throbbing pain in my head. "C'mon," I begged, grabbing and shaking his arm, ignoring the shock of electricity I felt from his touch. "Let's just check it out."

Jace rolled his eyes, reaching down and wrapping his fingers around my elbow, pulling me up. "Just for a second," he cautioned. "We have to get back to the Institute."

I nodded, not listening. "'Kay."

He obviously noticed my absentness, shaking his head and keeping his hand on my arm, led me over to the Forsaken.

We came to a stop, Jace's hand still on my arm. I waited patiently for him to remove it, but he didn't. Not that I cared.

I looked nervously over at Jace, who shrugged helplessly, gesturing that I was on my own.

Sighing, I bent over and poked the shitwad with the ruby dagger.

The Forsaken was still.

Jace touched my shoulder lightly. "Is it alive?"

I shook my head, fighting back disappointment. "No."

We heard another moan, coming from the Forsaken.

Jace opened his mouth, but I elbowed him in the knee, cutting off whatever he was about to say.

We heard it again. I leaned over, pressing my ear to it's slimy stomach. From behind me, I could hear Jace making gagging noises.

The moaning came again, from the Forsaken's stomach. I pulled away in disgust, wiping slime off my ear.

"There's something alive in his freakin' belly."

Jace wrinkled his perfect nose with distaste. "Lovely."

I swallowed. "What are we going to do about it?"

Jace looked at me as if I was crazy. "Hell if I know," he said, twirling a braid with his finger. "How do we know it's not just a demon?"

I rolled my eyes. "Let me see your wand thingy."

Jace frowned. "You mean my stele? How's that going to help?"

I ignored his question, holding out my hand expectantly.

Jace sighed, pulling out his stele from his belt loop, pressing it in my hand reluctantly.

"I don't see how runes are going to help grab a demon from the stomach of a Forsaken..." he said, looking at me with curious eyes.

I rolled my eyes, turning my back on him with the stele poised like a pencil.

Jace cleared his throat. "Uh, Clary?"

I exhaled angrily, blowing strands of scarlet hair out of my eyes. "What?"

"You're holding that upside down."

I flipped the wandlike instrument, laying the sharp end on it's stomach.

"Clary." Jace's voice was tinged with nervouseness. "May I ask what the hell you're doing?"

I didn't answer. My forehead was practically dripping with sweat; from nervousness or concentration, it was hard to tell.

Open. Rip. Open. Rip. Thinking these words, I stabbed the stele on the Forsaken's stomach, my vision white.

I could feel my hand move, lapping into circles and curves and lines. There was a warm, stinging sensation in my hand, spreading throughout my body and through the stele, and into the drawing.

The warmth ended, and I blinked, my sight returning.

I heard Jace suck in a breath, murmuring, "Oh my God", and I could see the mark I'd just made on the Forsaken's stomach.

It was the overlapping of three circles, connected to a broken star, with two lines sliced diagonally across.

"Clary." Jace's voice in my ear was urgent and worried. "Clary, back away. Slowly."

I couldn't hear him, I was in a trance, seeing nothing but the rune I'd made.

"Clary-"

It was too late.

The Forsaken's stomach began to stir, shifting from side-to-side, pushing up and down.

Then his stomach ripped open and exploded.

My face was coated with snot-colored slime, and my clothes were hardly recognizable. I wiped my face silently, waving the dripping slime off of my slippery hands.

I looked up at Jace with a scowl, who was laughing so hard he'd fallen on the floor next to me.

"Shut up," I growled angrily, wiping off as much slime as possible, which wasn't that easy.

He shut up.

I blinked, splattering green in my vision. "Jace?"

He was staring behind me, at the remains of the Forsaken's stomach. "Holy shit," he breathed.

I turned, my mouth dropping open.

Laying curled up in the slime, was a girl.

She had mahogany brown red hair that spilled in different directions, her skin a sickly color.

She was also alive.
_

So...what'd you think?

Review and I'll update 2day.