Thank you everyone for waiting patiently for the next instalment andI appreciate your support whilst my exams were on. I acknowledge that the rights belong to Cassandra Clare and Yoko Kamio. I know I told several people this was the last chapter but since writing it, it has separated into two parts. This is the second last chapter and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been on the journey with me the entire time. Your tireless support, constant reviews and private messaging mean a lot to me. Thank you so much.


Chapter Twenty-Five: The Time Of Our Lives

Imogen looked carefully at the chess piece in front of her and after considering her move for several minutes, slid it diagonally right. She then looked up to her invisible and non-existent opponent and exhaled, a tense yet relieved sigh. Outplaying your opponents was easy but it was hard when you had no one supporting you. You had to have the strength of everyone encapsulated in one person.

The door to her private study opened and she looked up, as Aline walked through the door. She gave a small smile and walked forward towards Imogen's desk. Imogen smiled back before returning her gaze to the chess board, moving a piece from the opposing side into a safe position.

"Mother" said Aline but before she could continue Imogen said

"A promise is a promise".

Aline nodded and said

"I understand. Jace made you a promise. He knows he has to fulfil it".

Imogen raised an eyebrow and said

"He told you then".

Aline smiled and said

"It's not exactly a hard promise to figure out. I'm sure he appreciates the fact you didn't meddle with the scoring".

"I don't meddle' said Imogen, 'I advise. Is there anything else you wanted?"

"Just to say goodbye' said Aline, 'I'm flying back to Los Angeles tonight. My husband is coming home and I want to be there for his arrival".

"Indeed' said Imogen, 'well you have definitely been here long enough. Clarissa will have to learn to stand without you".

Aline laughed and said

"I doubt Clary needs me to stand by herself. She earned her position in that competition. No matter how much training Jace and the boys gave her, she was the only person who could win for herself".

"Thank you, Aline" said Imogen in a dismissive tone.

Aline turned to go but when she reached the door, she turned for the final time. Her eyes flinted with amusement and she said

"Have you been reading some of the after show comments?"

Imogen didn't look up. Aline continued.

"Everybody can't seem to get enough of Clary, a poor, scholarship girl from Brooklyn beating out most of America's elite. Even the winner, Kaelie is from new money. They think it marks a change in the competition, the new wave of winners. A lot of people are saying that the last time someone as feisty, interesting, intelligent and thought-provoking came onto the show, it was the year the competition changed from showcasing debutantes to actually empowering women".

Imogen still hadn't looked up but a muscle clenched in her jaw. Aline opened the door and said

"Maybe you don't like her because she reminds her too much of you when you were her age".

The door shut behind her and Imogen looked up, her fingers clenching, once again lost for words. She sat in silence for several minutes until the door opened again and this time, her son walked through.

"Jace' she said, 'how good of you to give me your time".

Her sarcasm wasn't lost on him and he slouched onto the seat in front of her.

"Chess?' he said, 'are you regressing?"

She didn't bother with that remark. Instead she said

"Let us not beat around the bush. Clarissa Fray lost Teen Of New York. Therefore you must do what you promised".

"I wouldn't be sitting here if I wasn't prepared to fulfil it".

Surprise flickered through Imogen's eyes and she said

"No matter what?"

Jace just looked at her and she shrugged.

"It's time you took responsibility. You have been using the Wayland reputation, the Wayland name, the Wayland money for your entire life and now you must give something back".

Jace nodded and she continued.

"You must go to Tokyo with me. Study business management, see how the business runs, gain insight into the company. You must also travel to each respective company around the world and do work experience under the CEO. When you takeover Wayland Pty Ltd, you must be the best director required for the company".

"So you are still letting me takeover the company?" said Jace, scornfully but Imogen sent him a quelling look.

"I dislike your choice in partners' she said, 'but that does not mean I am stupid. You are qualified to become a director and owner, you are able and you have the intelligence and capability to be as ruthless and effective as possible".

Jace nodded slowly and said

"Okay. I'll do what you say".

"Good' said Imogen, 'because we are leaving tonight".

Jace froze then and said

"What?"

Imogen smiled at him and said

"I have wasted enough time in New York and the shareholders are growing agitated. It will give them a peace of mind if I return not only with the future owner but also with potential investors. And before you complain, you have no choice in the matter. You are coming otherwise I will appoint a new owner. You will not inherit Wayland Pty Ltd and you will lose your inheritance. This is not because of Clarissa Fray, Jace. This is because now you have to grow up. You are almost 18".

Jace said

"I know...that. But what about Clary?"

Imogen swallowed hard and said

"If you come with me tonight...I will consider backing off when you return to New York in three years. However you must break off your relationship until you return. I cannot have you distracted".

"I can't do that" said Jace simply.

"You have to' said Imogen just as simply, 'I suggest you start packing".

Jace realised he had been dismissed and stood up. There was nothing he could say to change his mother's mind. As he left, he said

"Don't expect me to thank you".

"You never have' said Imogen, 'nothing I have ever done you have thanked me for".

Jace slammed the door behind him but he doubted his mother even looked up. He wasn't going to give up on Clary no matter where he went. He pulled out his phone and rang Simon. Time was precious and he needed help.


"Hey, well done Clary".

Clary turned around in the school hallway and saw yet another girl she hadn't spoken to in her life, smiling at her and giving her the thumbs up. She nodded and continued walking down the passageway, for once in her life feeling utterly perplexed by everything and everyone. In the space of four days, she had gone from the on-off girlfriend of Jace Wayland to the runner up to one of the most lucrative and watched competitions in America.

All around her, people who normally either pretended she didn't exist or acknowledged her whenever Jace was around, had suddenly become much more inclined to shake her hand. Clary didn't know whether to be flattered she was no longer seen as the girlfriend of someone or annoyed that it had taken a competition to earn some respect.

Shaking her head, she pushed open the door to the cafeteria and made her way through the crowd, up the stairs and towards where Simon, Alec and Sebastian were sitting. They were in deep discussion as she made her way up to them and she caught snatches of the conversation.

"She can't actually..."

"...made the promise".

"Jace is too reckless..."

"That I can agree with' said Clary, sitting down, 'what's he done this time?"

They all physically jumped and immediately developed guilty looks. Clary looked from face to guilty face and narrowed her eyes.

"What has he done this time?"

Simon looked down at his hands. Alec coughed and said

"I'm gonna go make some...tea".

He quickly jumped to his feet and Sebastian followed him with his gaze. Then he suddenly jumped up and said

"I'm gonna go make some...coffee".

Clary raised an eyebrow and said to Simon

"What are you going to make, a cake?"

"Of course not' said Simon, shifting in his seat, 'Clary. Jace made a deal with his mother".

"Oh god' said Clary shutting her eyes, 'let me guess. It involved leaving us alone and a promise".

"You know?" said Simon, surprise evident in his voice.

"Lucky guess' said Clary, 'so what? He actually made a promise with his mother? What was it, I was suppose to win the Teen Of New York competition?"

Simon looked at his feet and the last hopes Jace may actually possess common sense faded from Clary's mind. Slowly she lowered her head onto the table and exhaled in fury. Simon rubbed her back slowly and said

"It's not the end of the world. Imogen is forcing him to go to Tokyo with her, to gain insight into how to run the company, achieve higher skills in business and finance, basically improve everyone's confidence in Wayland Pty Ltd that its not going to be taken over by an imbecile".

"Right" was all Clary said.

"He won't let her ruin your relationship".

"Mmm" said Clary.

"Neither will we. She's a bitter and self-reliant witch, who just happens to be very good at playing a game none of us are used too. Don't worry. I mean you just won Teen Of New York, most of the world thinks you are a genius. There isn't a lot she can do except..."

"Except take Jace away' said Clary, raising her head, 'I can't just nip over to Tokyo whenever I feel like it. Yes, you guys could pay for me but I am not going to continually take your money. For all I know, she probably will block all calls to Jace, have a SWAT team watching our calls and I won't see him for about ten years. When is he going?"

Simon didn't respond. She glared at him.

"Simon?"

"This afternoon. He's going to come to the school to say goodbye".

Clary looked down at her feet before looking back up at the ceiling. It was a light blue-grey, a soothing, relaxing tone, which made Clary feel anything but. God damn Imogen for trying to yet again control her life. The roof blurred and she realised she was crying. Quickly she blinked and wiped the tears of her cheeks, Simon pretended he hadn't seen. She stared at the roof again and through her tears, it looked like water, a gentle rippling body of ocean.

"SIMON" she hissed and Simon jumped, confused and scared by the sudden change in mood.

"How much does it cost to fly from New York to Tokyo?"

"What?"

"If you missed a flight, how much would it cost?"

"Oh' said Simon, 'the Wayland's have their own private jet. Actually they have four".

Clary rolled her eyes and said

"What time does Jace come?"

"He will be here in about ten minutes', said Simon, still confused at the appearing smile on Clary's face, 'Clary, you are scaring me. Why are you smiling?"


Jace sighed as the car stopped outside the school. His mother adjusted her sunglasses and said

"You can go say goodbye to your little friend. I won't stop you".

Jace opened the door and got out, scanning the growing crowd for Clary. He had wanted to tell her himself but his mother had only given him an hour, so he had relied on Simon to do it for him. He was pissed off beyond belief and wanted to punch something but he knew that nobody here had done him any wrong. If he hit them, it would only show his mother how much she had got to him.

Suddenly Clary appeared at the top of the stairs, her long red flowing in the breeze, a sad smile on her face and he moved towards her up the stairs. As soon as he reached her, he threw his arms around her, clutching her to him, whispering he would be back soon, he would call her every night and that he would fight his mother about their relationship every step of the way. She held him back, looking at the long, black Mercedes and said

"You sure know how to make an entrance".

Jace laughed but he said

"Don't talk. Just let me hold you".

Her grip tightened around his back before suddenly she let go, pushing him off her. The rejection hurt but it was probably what he deserved.

"Clary?' he said, 'I know you are mad..."

"Simon needs to talk to you" she said and turned towards the entrance of the school.

"What?"

"Simon needs to talk to you. Quickly".

Bemused, he shouted what he was doing to his mother, in case she thought he was running away and followed Clary into the school. She didn't say anything but she slipped her hand into his, her grasp warm and tight and his heart thudded in his chest. She was so beautiful. He went to move into the cafeteria but she led him away from there, pulling him along the hallway.

"Isn't?' he said, 'isn't he in there.."

"Fire escape' she said, 'he's out there. Wants this to be private".

Jace frowned but let her lead him towards the fire escape. Simon did like his privacy but this was quite unusual. Clary swung open the door and pulled Jace through, her eyes scanning the empty corridor before quietly shutting the door. Jace looked up and down the stairs for Simon before turning to Clary in confusion.

"Where is he...?"his words trailed off.

Her face was flushed, her eyes were sparkling and she was wearing a pair of sneakers instead of the customary brown shoes. Before he could speak, she kissed him briefly, a spark flew between them before she was grabbing his hand and pulling him down the stairs. Wordlessly he allowed himself to be dragged down the stairs and towards the back gate. As they sprinted across the lawn, he gazed back at the school and saw a security camera trained on them. He stopped, almost pulling Clary over and they stood there, looking at each other.

"Clary' he said, 'we can't run from the promise I made. I made it and I must fulfil it. I'm not going to run from my mistakes".

"I'm not running' said Clary, 'I'm buying us time. I'm not going to let your mother dictate when or where our relationship begins or ends. I want us to have one last day together before you go. Just us. Not your friends, not mine, not our families, not the television can but in. Just one day".

"But my mother can easily track us down. She controls most of the security in New York, she can easily track us by our phones..."

"Oh shut up, Wayland' she said, 'your three friends have it all under control. And as for your mobile..' she reached into his pocket and brought it out, tossing into a bush, 'live without it for one day".

She tugged on his hand and said

"Do you want one more day?"

He stared at her before smiling. Then they were both running, out the gate and towards the street, where an old dusty pickup truck was sitting. She opened the front door and slid into the driver's seat, pulling the clutch and starting the car. He hopped in next to her and she grinned at him.

"Let's blow this joint".


Cecilia watched as the truck tore out of the spot and down the street, an eyebrow raised. Clarissa Fray was like a battery toy whose battery never depleted. Where did she get all that energy? A shot from above caused her to look up and she saw three men, dark glasses, bulky frames tearing down the stairs. She stared at them as they came towards her and one of them stopped.

"Did Mr Wayland and Clarissa Fray come this way?"

Cecilia stared at him, openmouthed. Was that why they had run off so fast? An elopement of some kind? Her day had just got better. Now she could pay Clarissa Fray back for everything she had ever done to her, everything she had ever said, for beating her in Teen Of New York, for stealing Jace Wayland's affections.

"Well?" he hissed and she opened her mouth.

"Red haired girl' he continued, as she was silent, 'small, freckly. Green eyed".

"They ran that way' she said, pointing towards the spot the truck had just vacated, 'the truck headed towards Broadway. She's originally from Brooklyn, it's quite possible she thinks they can escape there".

"Thanks miss' he said, holding his phone up to his ear, 'I want every security camera in New York looking for them, I want a SWAT team employed immediately, I need his phone tracked, I need you to talk to all members of his and her family and their closest friends. I also need you to trace where she lived in Brooklyn and the frequented spots she used. NOW".

"MISS?"

Cecilia blinked and saw the man staring back at her and realised she had imagined their entire conversation or rather the part where she told them where they had gone. She opened her mouth to actually say that when a little voice in her head said

"Really? Does she really deserve that?"

"Auburn' she said to her own disbelief, 'the girl who ran past had auburn hair. Very different to red. Different tones".

"Does it matter?" screeched the guard and she said

She eyed him disdainfully and said

"It matters if the person he ran off with has auburn hair rather than the red hair you claim Clarissa Fray has".

The guard looked like he was going to explode and said

"She has AUBURN hair. HAPPY?"

"Oh' said Cecilia, sweetly, 'she went that way".

She pointed towards the side gate, which lead towards Central Park and said

"Obviously they feel the park can conceal them. A lot of muggers in Central Park. Though I pity the mugger that comes after you".

He was already running off, shouting instructions into his phone and Cecilia raised an eyebrow. Then she froze. How she just HELPED CLARISSA FRAY? God, she must be going senile.


Clary drove out of the city ten minutes later, along the Brooklyn Bridge and towards her old home. She and Jace hadn't spoken a word since they had drove out of Idris but she could tell his curiosity was growing. She had seen so much of his world, been involved in so much of his world and now she wanted to show him her own. A couple of months ago, she wouldn't have let him into the world she inhabited, it was too raw and emotional for her, she didn't want him to see something she felt made up her soul. Now she trusted him implicitly and she wanted him to see her world before he left. Finally he burst out

"Okay. I give up. Where are we going?"

Clary smiled and said

"I grew up in Brooklyn".

"I didn't know that".

"No' she said, 'I don't tell many people. Only Magnus and Camille know outside of my family".

"Was it rough?"he asked cautiously.

"Not rough' she said, 'but some people had rough lives".

He was quiet and they didn't speak for another twenty minutes until she pulled into the car parking lot. He got out and stared at the long stretch of beach in front of him. Several emotions flickered through his eyes, confusion, disbelief, wonder, sorrow and Clary followed his gaze.

From the shore, the sea stretched as far as the eye could see, disappearing into the dark horizon. Ripples and waves continuously flowed towards her, eventually breaking into a surge of foam. The water was a grey blanket, mirroring the clouds above. Seagulls cried and shrieked, circling the skies whilst the smell of salt and brine filled her nostrils. Footprints were woven into the sand, some deep and carved, others erasing easily, washed away by the tides.

She was finally back. She held out her hand to Jace and said

"Come on".

He took it and followed her down onto the beach. Her sneakers dug into the sand and she pulled them off, letting her feet dig into the grit, the soft trickle cascading over her skin. She then pulled off her blazer, undid her tie and sat down onto the sand, with only her shirt and skirt on. Jace copied her, flopping down next to her and sighing.

"It really is a beautiful place' he said, 'how did you come across it?"

She grinned and repeated exactly what she had said in her dream whilst at Teen Of New York.

"We used to live around here before we moved to New York. Every Saturday, we would walk down from our house, about three miles away and come down to this place. The locals don't like this place, too rough and bleak for the sunbathers, too weak for the surfers. We used to be the only people on the sand and it was like we had our own kingdom. Alone, secluded, we were the rulers of this mysterious place and nobody could take that away from us".

"I should have known you had some aristocracy in your veins' said Jace, 'it would explain why you had so much fire within you".

Clary's mouth quirked. Then she found herself saying

"I used to paint, you know. I used to draw huge, sprawling landscapes, faces, gardens, mythology, fantasy. That was my thing and when you are….what ten? You think you can have any job in the world. I always wanted to be an artist. This place was my inspiration. Then the jobs ran dry at the wharf and Dad had to relocate us to New York. We left this place and my inspiration dried up. I learnt that you can't have everything you want and sometimes what you want isn't a possibility in this lifetime".

She hadn't meant to say that, that was part of the dream she hadn't wanted Jace to know about. She averted his gaze, staring out into the water and then to her surprise, found his arms wrapping around her.

"You are amazing" he whispered and they stayed in their embrace for what seemed like eternity.