Hello, my lovelies. Hope you're having a wonderful day. If not, I hope this chapter puts a smile on your face. You guys have been so supportive lately. It really motivates me when you leave cute little reviews saying how much you love the story. Keep staying awesome and enjoy the chapter!

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Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)

Chapter Songs:

**I Miss You by Adele (Scene 1)

**Never Forget You by Zara Larsson & MNEK (Scene 2)

**Rise Up by Andra Day (Scene 3)

**Turns You into Stone by Fleurie (Scene 4)

.o.O.o. 1 year later .o.O.o.

Fall air wafted through Clary's open window, filling her room with the smell of smoked wood and leaves. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath, allowing the cool air to relax her. It was a welcomed change from the sticky, humid air of summer. Besides, a change in season meant that she was one step closer to coming home.

The sound of the front door opening downstairs made her snap out of her temporary meditative state, a wide grin breaking out across her face.

Leaving her spot on the floor, Clary took one last glance at the painting she'd been working on and practically ran downstairs to ambush her guardian. Maxine was placing her jacket on the coat rack when she approached, dressed in a light gray pantsuit. She smiled at the sight of her guardian's hair flowing over her shoulders and back. With the confidence boost of that sketch, she'd worn it out almost every week since then.

Once she was done setting all of her things down, Maxine turned towards her, eyes widening when the redhead grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the stairs.

"Clary," she laughed. "Your hands are covered in paint."

She grinned as they climbed the stairs. "But I've been waiting all day for you to get home, my darling Brit."

"You're finished the painting already?" she asked.

Clary playfully rolled her eyes. "When have you known me to take more than a week to finish a painting? I just need your opinion on it before you give it to your boss."

"You know," Maxine said once they reached the top of the stairs, "I didn't hook you up with those online college courses just so you could paint all day."

Letting go of her wrist, she turned and pointed a finger at her. "But you also didn't get me a job painting portraits for your associates just so I could drop the ball and bury my nose in a book." She smiled. "It's all about priorities, Max."

The older woman rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're acing those classes."

"It's honestly a lot easier than I thought it'd be," she said. Luckily, her guardian turned out to be an amazing friend. She'd been so worried about being behind on college and missing out on graduating with all of her friends that Maxine helped her apply for online courses that would be transferable when she got out. She'd just started her sophomore year and was actually pretty excited to get to work. But she really needed to get this painting to Maxine's boss first.

That was another part of her guardian's awesomeness. It all started out with Maxine showing her work friends a few of Clary's sketches, and before she knew it, people were offing her big bucks to do personal portraits. Of course she split her earnings with Maxine, who always declined the cash, but Clary was persistent enough that she finally agreed they both deserved it. Clary may have been doing all of the painting, but without Maxine, she wouldn't be getting paid for something she loved to do.

"Of course it's easy for someone with an IQ of one-hundred seventy," her guardian said, following her into her room. "For us normal people, college can be a very stressful experience."

She shrugged. "Well, good thing I'm far from normal."

"There's something we can agree on." She sent her a wink. "Now, let's see this painting."

Grinning, Clary led her over to the large canvas sitting on an easel on the floor. She'd finished it about an hour ago, but continued to sit there, comparing it to the picture she'd gotten. The woman's features were still the same, but in order to capture her inner and outer beauty, she painted a flower crown on the top of her head and created a nature scene in the background. There was also a small bluebird on her shoulder and vines intertwining with her hands. Instead of a looking like modern business woman, she looked like a princess encased in nature.

"Wow," Maxine whispered. "This is amazing, Clarissa."

Clary turned to her, hands clasped together. "Really? Do you think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it." Her eyes scanned the painting some more. "She's been going on about feeling dull lately and I really think knowing that someone sees her like this will brighten her mood. This painting will make her feel beautiful."

"And that's the reason why I do this," she said truthfully. She aimed to give people confidence, the same confidence Jace had given her by constantly reminding her how beautiful she was. He'd told her over and over again until she believed it, and even after that, he hadn't stopped. Clary just hoped her paintings created that same feeling.

Maxine must have noticed where her head went because a second later, she was reaching up to tuck a lock of Clary's hair behind her ear and whispered, "What's your number today?"

She'd asked her to rate her happiness on a one to ten scale everyday since Clary sat down and told her about how depressed she was without Jace.

Her shoulders fell. "A five."

Maxine sighed. "Why a five?"

"Because it's fifty-fifty. I'm happy that I got to finish this painting for your boss, but Jace's birthday was a few weeks ago and it's the second one I've missed." She ran a painted finger over her lips. "And I know it's only been a little over a year and I have another one to go, but not being able to check up on him makes me feel like we're growing more and more apart."

"Come on, let's sit." Nodding over to her bed, she motioned for her to sit down. Once she did, her guardian reached out and grabbed her hand. "Are you having doubts?" she pressed.

Clary shrugged. "Maybe—I don't know. I mean, we've been apart longer than we've even been together. What if one day he realized waiting for me wasn't worth it anymore?"

Maxine let go of her hand and moved to sit next to her. "Open your locket."

Sighing, Clary did as she said and flicked the golden locket open, revealing a picture of her and Jace. It was another one Isabelle had taken of them at her house. Clary was situated on the edge of the Lightwood's kitchen counter. Jace stood between her legs, his hands on either side of her thighs as they stared into each other's eyes. There was so much love and adoration in his expression that it made it hard to suppress the smile creeping onto her face.

"You see that? The way he looks at you?" It was only when she nodded did the older woman continue. "Trust me, a guy that looks at a girl like that will never feel like she isn't worth waiting for. That boy sees the world in you, Clary. I don't care how much time goes by, he's never going to find the means to move on because his heart is already yours."

"You're right." She stared at the image. "God, I'm being such a hypocrite. I told him I trusted him, but here I am again, doubting the hold I have on him."

"Well, without his constant reassurance, it's kind of hard to know where you two stand," she told her. "I understand why you're worried—you think his feelings for you are fading, but that's not the case."

"How would you know?"

"Have your feelings for him faded?" Maxine questioned.

Clary immediately shook her head. "Of course not. I'm still very much in love with him, Max."

"Then why is it so hard for you to believe that he feels the same way?"

She sighed and closed her locket. "It's like you said, he isn't here to reassure me. I do this thing where I get in my head and I start questioning things, and he was always there to bring me back to reality, but he hasn't been here to do that."

Maxine wrapped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. "Look, we've already established that the only reason why you're here is because of that unqualified wanker."

Clary's mouth dropped open. "Max! You can't say things like that."

She snorted. "Oh please, as long as I'm doing my job, he could give sod all about me. That's just how this stuff works." Leaning her head against hers, she continued and said, "I've known you for a year now and after getting to really know your true colors, I know you're not like the others. You don't belong here."

"You mean that?"

Maxine nodded. "I've been a guardian to about seven Agents so far, but none of them have been as passionate and driven as you. You're so smart, Clary, and you're a bloody good Agent. And as much as I love our friendship, I'm sorry that you're here and not with him."

"Me too." She lifted her head. "But we both know it'd take a miracle for that to happen."

"I know." Squeezing her shoulder, she met her gloomy gaze. "Let's do this: I'll go downstairs and pop us some popcorn while you wash the paint off your hands, then we'll hang out on the couch and watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Clary simply shrugged and Maxine grinned, nudging her shoulder. "Come on, I know it's your favorite, and I recorded it on the DVR last night."

A small smile tugged at her lips. She could never resist an opportunity to watch that movie and Maxine knew it. It was the one movie that reminded her of Jace and made her happy, instead of making her want to fall into a pit of despair. It made her hopeful of the future—a future where they'd kick ass together.

With a roll of her eyes, she hopped onto her feet and looked down at her paint-covered black tank top and sweatpants. "Alright. I'll be down in a minute."

Maxine grinned and stood also. "I knew that'd do the trick. That movie is like your kryptonite."

"Oh, like Titanic isn't yours?" she pressed.

Her guardian gasped. "Don't you dare. You know what that movie does to me."

Clary held her hands up in surrender. "Not saying a word. I'm not in the mood for the speech about how they both could've fit on that door. I've done the math, Max. It's impossible."

"They could've made it work," she said. "But I guess we'll never know, will we?"

She shrugged. "I guess we won't. But while you untangle your mind, I'm going to go get cleaned up."

Nodding, Maxine backed away. "Don't keep me waiting," she said, pointing at her. "My eyes are in desperate need of Brad Pitt."

Clary giggled. "Of course, I'll be right down."

Excitedly clapping her hands together, her guardian sped out of the room, finally leaving Clary to get cleaned up. She smiled as she trailed into her bathroom. Maxine really did know how to cheer her up. Over the past year, she'd become sort of a female version of Luke. She was someone that Clary looked up to, trusted, and deeply adored. It was weird of her to say, but when her sentence in isolation was over, she'd really miss Max. She'd become a very important figure in her life and it'd be hard to say goodbye. But there was no doubt in her mind that they'd stay in touch.

After washing the paint off of her skin, Clary redid her messy bun and decided to leave her clothes as they were. Her body had somewhat changed during the past year. With all of the free time she had on her hands, she'd hit the gym pretty much everyday, doing specific workouts that gave her the curves she had now. She was actually starting to look like a young woman and not someone who'd be mistaken for a Girl Scout. It was actually quite empowering.

The bullet wound on her lower hip had healed up nicely with the special cream the Agency supplied her with. The scar was barely visible and could probably only be seen if the person was looking for it hard enough.

With a sigh, she tucked her hands into her pockets and sauntered out of her room, gliding easily down the stairs. Maxine was standing in the kitchen when she entered the living space. She'd changed into a simple t-shirt and jeans. Clary approached her just as the microwave timer hit zero, and as soon as Maxine took it out and opened the bag, she reached in to take a handful.

Her guardian gasped when a few kernels almost fell on the floor. "Clarissa, you're going to make a mess," she giggled.

The redhead smirked. "Don't be such a pessimist, Max."

She snorted. "Funny."

Grinning, Clary shoved the handful into her mouth and slipped past her to get to the living room. The movie was already up, waiting to be un-paused. Plopping down on the couch, she ate the pieces of popcorn that hadn't fit into her mouth the first time, startled when Maxine's phone began to ring at her side.

"Max," she called. "Your phone."

Maxine came barreling into the room a second later, placing the bowl of popcorn on the couch in between them before picking up her phone. Furrowing her brows at the screen, she held the phone against her ear and said, "Hello?"

Clary figured that it was just another work call and shrugged. Picking up the bowl of popcorn, she popped a few pieces into her mouth and listened in.

"Phillip? What brings your call?" Brows still furrowed, she listened as the other person responded. Clary couldn't make out what they were saying, but then Maxine's eyes widened and a loud gasp slipped past her lips. "Are you sure?" she asked, taking a seat on the couch, a hand held to her chest as she waited. After the person on the line finished speaking, she turned to look at Clary and said, "Okay, thank you for the news, but I have to go now." Then she hung up without waiting for a response.

Clary placed the bowl back down, her brows knitting together. "What was that all about?"

"That was an old friend," she explained. "He called to update me about what's going on with the head of the Agency."

Clary sat up straighter. "Mr. Scott? What about him?"

A wide grin tugged at Maxine's lips as if she couldn't contain her own excitement. Eyes lit up, she reached out to grab her hand. "He's been impeached, Clary."

It took Clary a moment to understand what was happening, but once she did, an amazed laugh worked its way up her throat.

"Holy shit."

.o.O.o.

An alarm sounded somewhere in the room, rousing Jace awake. Realizing that it was his own incessant alarm, he groaned and stretched out his arm to turn it off. It took slapping the top of his clock a few times to shut it up, but when it finally did, he fell back into the mattress with a sigh. His mind was still a little fuzzy, having only gotten a few hours of sleep. He would've gotten loads more if it weren't for a certain someone keeping him busy for most of the night. But he wasn't one to complain, especially since they both needed it.

There was movement at his side as the brunette lying next to him stirred. Grinning, he reached out and nudged her shoulder, causing her to roll over and face him. She pouted as he nudged her again, trying to wake her up gently. She would quite literally bite his head off if he did it any other way.

Knowing what would wake her up and somewhat piss her off, Jace leaned forward and placed a big, sloppy kiss to her cheek. "Morning sunshine," he sang.

She gasped and immediately shoved him away. "Oh, my God." Eyes snapping open, she reached up to wipe her cheek. "Jace, that's gross."

Chuckling, Jace turned and climbed out of the bed, stretching his arms above his head. "No, what's gross is your snoring. It's like you're in hibernation or something. How in the hell does Simon put up with that?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Because he loves me. People do crazy things for love, Jace."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, tell me about it."

Yawning, Isabelle sat up and placed her head in her hands. "Thanks for the study session last night," she said. "Sorry I had to crash here."

Jace shook his head. "I wasn't going to let you walk back to your dorm that late," he said. "You made sure to text Maia right?"

"Yes, Dad, she knows exactly where I am."

"Good." Plucking his phone off of his nightstand, he lifted it to his face, seeing that he had multiple messages and notifications. "Hey, is Instagram always this hectic? I get, like, a ton of messages everyday." He was still new to this whole social media thing. Isabelle had suggested it as something to pass the time, but it turned out to be quite entertaining.

"Wait. How many followers do you have now?" she asked.

He shrugged. "About thirty thousand."

Her mouth fell open. "But you just made an account a few weeks ago."

"What can I say?" He smirked. "I'm irresistible."

She snorted. "Which is ironic, since you've been like a celibate nun for the past year. You're a nineteen year old guy, full of hormones, and I haven't even seen you touch another girl since Clary."

With another shrug, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants. "I've got a promise to keep, Izzy. Like I said before, she's it for me."

Nodding, Isabelle slid to the corner of the bed and rose to her knees, pulling him into a hug. "I know she is, and it's a good thing. Clary's perfect for you. I just wish you didn't have to wait for her like this."

Jace placed his head on her shoulder and sighed. "Me too."

"But, hey," she pulled back and ran her fingers over his right shoulder, "at least you have something to always remind you of her."

Jace looked down at the ink covering his shoulder and grinned. The tattoo was of a baby tiger sitting back on its butt with its mouth open mid-roar. He'd made sure that the color of the tiger's stripes matched Clary's fiery hair and that its eyes were a specific shade of emerald green. Seeing that small tiger in the mirror every morning reminded him of his Tiger. It was the only thing that put a smile on his face most days.

"I still can't believe you got it," Isabelle added. "When you said you wanted a tattoo for your birthday, I was sure that you'd gone completely insane."

"Maybe I have, Izzy." He lifted his hand to his shoulder. "But if I ever regret anything in life, it won't be this."

"Well, I think it's adorable."

Jace rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "I've got a class in an hour," he told her. "I'll drive you back to your dorm on the way."

A look of dread crossed her face. "Do you think your brothers are awake?"

He chuckled. "A few of them might be. Why?"

She scoffed. "Because every time I come to this god forsaken frat house, someone always makes a point to comment on how good my ass looks in whatever bottoms I'm wearing."

Jace drifted to the bathroom connected to his room. "Do you want me to go all 'big brother' on them?" he asked, picking up his toothbrush. "Because I will."

"I can very well handle myself, Jace. They're all a bunch of pigs anyway."

Standing in the doorway, he watched as Isabelle put the clothes she'd worn last night back on. With his toothbrush dangling from his mouth, he said, "You do realize that Jordan and I are a part of this frat, too, right?"

Buttoning up her jeans, she sent him a wink. "I know."

"Haha." Moving to rinse out his mouth, he dropped his toothbrush onto the sink and trailed back into his room. And after changing into a new shirt and jeans, he was ready to go. "Alright, if we leave now, I think I'll make it to class in time."

Isabelle threw her hair up into a bun and frowned. "But I'm starving."

Jace's gaze turned skyward. "Fine." Snatching his keys off of the dresser beside him, he tossed them over to her. "You can go wait in the car while I make us some toast or something."

"Why do I have to wait in the car?" she asked.

He slipped on some shoes. "Because a few of my brothers are already awake and downstairs." Isabelle opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. "And don't ask how I know; I just have an ear for these things." Of course he couldn't tell her that he'd been training for these kinds of things for months. After what happened with Clary, it felt odd going back to the Academy with Jon to train. He didn't exactly like being in the same building as the guy who took his girl away from him, but he had to think long-term. If he and Clary were going to actually be partners in the future, he had to up his game.

Luke was working as hard as he could to get the current CEO out of office, but it wasn't as easy as he thought it'd be. There were so many technicalities and hurdles that most of the time it felt impossible. They had to somehow prove that the Agency's current leader was incompetent and a harm to the Agency itself. And while it was pretty obvious to anyone associated with the place that the guy didn't know what he was doing, there was no physical proof that they could find. But Luke never stopped trying and Jace always helped out when he could.

He would spend the whole day looking for dirt on the guy if it weren't for Luke, Jon, and his mother telling him to focus on school. He understood where they were coming from, but they didn't feel the pain he felt every single day without her. Yeah, he played the part and plastered a smile on his face every once in awhile, but his pain hadn't lessened over time.

He dreamt about her every night. In his dreams, he would hold her, kiss her, talk to her, but then he'd be forced back into this torrid reality where she was hundreds of miles away and there was nothing he could do about it. He knew that everyone wanted him to be happy—including her—but it was kind of hard when the reason for his happiness wasn't there. The video she left him helped a lot. He'd gone from watching it at least once a day to only watching it every once in awhile when he needed the pick-me-up. But even with his friends, the video, and the training, it wasn't enough to fill up the gap she left when they were torn apart.

Isabelle jingled his keys and shrugged, bringing him back to their conversation. "Fine, I'll wait in the car, but don't be surprised if I'm blasting Beyoncé."

"Trust me," he said. "It takes a lot to surprise me these days."

She sent him a weird look, but didn't say anything more as she followed him out of his room. By the sound of it, only about one or two of his brothers were downstairs.

The frat house was pretty big, having to accommodate for twenty or so guys. He and Jordan were shocked to be initiated into the frat during their first year of college, but even with the crazy parties every now and then, he had to admit that living here was a lot better than a dorm. Here, he had his own bedroom and bathroom, and could basically do whatever he wanted.

"I'll be out in a minute," he told her, once they reached the front door.

"Don't forget I like jelly on my toast," she said.

Jace rolled his eyes as he began making his way to the kitchen. "I won't, Izzy."

As soon as he entered the large kitchen, he spotted one of his frat brothers standing by the fridge, drinking straight out of the carton of orange juice.

Cooper grinned when he saw him. "Hey, was that Isabelle?" he asked.

Jace raised a brow. "Yeah, why?"

"She stay the night?"

"Yes, but before you say anything, nothing happened. She's like my sister."

Cooper shook his head. "I don't know how you do it." He set the carton down. "How can you sleep next to a dime piece like that and not get a hard on."

He shrugged, moving past him to get the jelly and butter from the fridge, and the bread from the cabinet. "The same reason why I don't sleep with the girls you guys try and set me up with. I've got a girlfriend."

Cooper pointed a finger at him. "You see, you always say that. Yet, none of us have ever seen her."

"We're doing the long distance thing right now," he said, plopping the bread into the toaster.

He raised a brow. "Do you at least have a picture you could show us?"

Jace scoffed. "So you can add it to your spank bank? Hell no."

"Okay, suit yourself, but some of us are starting to believe that she's imaginary."

"You think I'm making up the fact that I have a girlfriend?" He shook his head in amusement. "Do I honestly look like the kind of guy that needs to lie about that kind of thing?"

"Touché." Putting the carton back into the fridge, he grabbed a cold slice of pizza and took a bite. "Well, is she at least hot? What does she look like?"

The two pieces of toast popped up and Jace immediately grabbed them. Deciding to give him something so he'd leave him alone about it, he said, "She's a redhead with big green eyes and freckles. As for her looks, she's so far past hot that there isn't even a word for it."

Copper leaned back against the fridge. "I'm sorry, but who you just described, my friend, is little orphan Annie. I can't imagine a freckled redhead being hot."

Jace finished spreading butter and jelly on his and Isabelle's toast. "Didn't say you had to believe it. I'm just stating facts."

"But you said it's a long distance thing, right?"

"So what?"

"So . . . what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

He scoffed. "I'm not a cheater. Besides," he took a bite of his toast, "once you've had the best, there's no going back to the basics."

"You think the girls we try and set you up with are basic? Are you blind or something?"

Jace sighed. "I need someone who can match with me on an intellectual level as well as a physical one. Without that, there's no point, Coop."

He dropped his head back. "It's too early in the morning for your philosophical crap, dude. You're making my head hurt."

Jace grinned, twirling the knife in his hand around his fingers, stopping when Cooper's gaze drifted down to his actions. Sometimes he let his abilities show when he wasn't focusing. It was kind of hard hiding who he really was around his friends, but the last thing he needed now were questions he couldn't answer.

"Have you seen that dog, today?" he asked, changing the subject.

Cooper shook his head. "Not today," he stated dryly. "But a few days ago, the bastard almost took a chunk out of my leg. I almost pissed my pants, dude."

"I wonder where it came from," he said.

"I'm convinced it came from the pits of hell. I've never seen a dog so vicious." His brows came together. "I thought Rottweilers were supposed to be friendly."

"Not this one, apparently." He glanced out of the window. "Just keep an eye out, alright? We don't want anyone getting attacked."

The dog had pretty much come out of nowhere, but it'd been terrorizing the house for months. Management couldn't do anything about it because there was no predicting when it would come and go. Jace had run into it a few times, but he'd always been able to get away before the dog did any damage. But as long as no one got hurt, he'd be okay.

A voice came from the commons room, cutting into their conversation. "Hey, Coop. You gonna let me kick your ass in pool or what?"

"In your dreams, Dustin." Cooper turned to Jace and smirked. "I'll see you later, dude. We'll have to talk about this stuff later when I'm not so damn hungover." He downed the rest of his pizza and slipped out of the room.

After he left, Jace turned back to the toast and finished his before putting Isabelle's on a paper plate and grabbing a water from the fridge. It wasn't much, but she'd have to make do. College was all about finding ways to make things work, after all.

When he got outside, sure enough Isabelle was blasting Beyoncé and singing horribly off key. Chuckling, Jace slid into the driver's seat and handed her the toast and water. Her eyes lit up and she immediately shoved most of it into her mouth, still continuing to belt out the notes. When she did things like this, he understood why she and Simon worked out so well. Isabelle could be really dorky when she wanted to be, and he loved that she had someone who made her comfortable showing that side of herself.

It didn't take long to get her back to her dorm, which also meant getting the horrible singing to stop. Classes just started up a few weeks ago, so he was still getting used to waking up early and actually having to do work. But the good news was, time was passing—slowly, but it was passing.

"Thanks for the ride," Isabelle said, leaning over the console to kiss his cheek. Grabbing her bag, she climbed out of his car and shut the door softly behind her.

Jace made sure she got inside the building safely before driving away. He still had a bit more time left before his class started, but there was someone he needed to call before he did anything else. Clary leaving didn't just affect him; it affected everyone who cared about her. That included his mother. After what happened, Celine's carefree mood took a pretty hard hit. She'd try and stay strong for him, but she was hurting inside too.

One day it had gotten so bad that he'd been forced to call Luke. With all of his classes, he couldn't exactly leave campus and take a drive to Brooklyn whenever he wanted to. He thought Luke could be there for her when he couldn't, seeing that they were old friends. Little did he know, leaving those two alone together would spark a relationship. Clary had bet him a while ago that they'd be together by the end of last year, and she'd been completely right.

At first, Celine felt guilty and would try to hide their relationship, but there was no need. Of course he wanted her to be happy. And Luke . . . he was perfect. He treated his mother exactly how she deserved to be treated. Honestly, the two of them were like a couple of teenagers, but it was nice seeing his mother all giddy when Luke surprised her with flowers and other thoughtful gifts. It was more than his father ever did, that's for sure.

After finding a place to park on campus, he plucked his phone out of his pocket and dialed his home number. His mother was usually awake by now and should've been around to answer. The phone just rang for a few seconds until she picked up, but surprisingly, it wasn't his mother's voice that came through the line.

"Hello?" the voice answered.

Jace furrowed his brows. "Jon? What are you doing at my house?"

"Oh." Jon cleared his throat. "Hey, bro. I didn't know you'd be calling so early. I thought you had a class."

"I do. But that still doesn't explain why you're in my house right now," he said. "Where's my mom?"

"In the living room with Luke."

Jace could hear hushed voices in the background, only making him more confused. Jon was acting strange, and he wanted to know why. "What's this all about? Is there something wrong?"

Jon sighed. "Look, there's a lot happening right now and I'm not sure if I should tell you or not. I don't want to make things even more complicated than they already are."

"Bullshit." Jace leaned forward. "Just tell me."

Another sigh. "The CEO of the Agency was removed from office yesterday."

His eyes widened. "But I thought we didn't have anything on him? Did Luke find something?"

Jon let out a chuckle. "Actually, it was your mom. I couldn't believe it. All of us guys have been working on this shit for months; she gets the computer for five minutes and out of the blue finds bank account records that shows the guy was involved in some kind of money laundering scheme. There was no investigation needed because the evidence was all there. I swear, man, I could've kissed your mom after that."

His nose scrunched up. "Thanks for that disturbing image."

He could picture Jon shaking his head. "Look, the good news is, the asshole is out of office."

Jace grinned. "Okay, so why aren't we celebrating? This is a good thing, right? The prick no longer leads the Agency, so Luke just takes his spot. Isn't that how this works?"

"In a perfect world, yes, but sadly, that isn't happening anytime soon." He paused, pushing out a breath. "Apparently, Luke isn't the only one who wants that spot at the top."

Jace clenched his jaw. "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Jon was hesitant to answer.

"There's someone else running against him."

.o.O.o.

"I don't understand," Clary interjected, her hands buried in her hair. She'd been listening to Maxine explain why she couldn't go home for the past ten minutes, but none of it was making sense. "I thought you said Mr. Scott was impeached for money laundering."

Maxine nodded. "He was."

"Then what's the problem?" Clary asked, leaning forward on the island. "If he's gone, Luke should be in office right now. He started the process over a year ago."

"That's what I was getting to," she said, turning away from the stove to face her. Whatever she was making smelled great, but Clary's mind was far from food at the moment. "My friend Phillip called again today. According to him, there's two candidates up for the CEO position. Lucian Graymark and Malcolm Fade."

Her mouth dropped open. "Malcolm Fade? As in Mr. Scott's goddamned assistant?"

"That's him," Maxine confirmed. "He worked very closely with Scott and I guess he feels entitled to the job."

"So, you're telling me that the guy who went out and got coffee and donuts for the former CEO wants to lead the Agency? Are people really falling for this?" she asked. "Luke is way more qualified for that spot—he deserves that spot."

"Anyone has a right to apply for the job, you know that." Sighing, she tucked her hair behind her ear. "If Luke was the only one up for it, he would be in office by the end of the week. But now that there's another person in the picture, Agency executives are going to have to review both of them and see which one would best lead our facility."

Clary placed her head in her hands. "And how long could that take?"

"Days. Weeks. Months. It's hard to tell." Turning around, she cut off the stove before facing her again. "Like I said, it all boils down to who those executives think is more qualified."

At the defeated look on Clary's face, Maxine trailed around the island and pulled her into a hug.

Clary buried her face in the crook of her neck. "I thought it was finally over," she whispered. "I thought I'd finally get to see him again."

"I know, but you're so close. I can feel it." Maxine smoothed a hand over her hair. "It's already been a week since the former CEO was impeached. This whole thing with Malcolm is just a minor inconvenience. Once the executives do some serious digging, they'll find that he can't do a thing for us. We don't need another money-hungry businessman in office, and I'm sure the Agency will see that. It might just take some time."

She still felt helpless. "Okay."

"Don't be sad," Maxine pleaded. "You know it makes me upset when you're upset."

With a sad smile, Clary pulled back to look up at her guardian. "I'm really gonna miss you, Max."

Her eyes widened and she let out a laugh. "Why on earth would you miss me? I'm part of the reason why you're not with your friends and family."

"You're just doing your job. It's not your fault that I'm here." Reaching out to grab her hand, she said, "I'm going to miss you because, over the past year, you haven't just been my guardian. You've been, like, the cool older sister I've never had."

"Sister?" Maxine laughed again. "I'm thirty-four, Clary."

She rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point," she said. "What I'm trying to say is, I have your number, I know where you live, so don't expect this to be the last time you see or speak to me."

"Really?"

"Of course." Clary grinned. "I can't wait for you to meet everyone. You'll love them, I promise—especially Jace. He can be a bit of a jackass, but you get used to it after a while."

Maxine smiled back. "I'd love to meet them, but I don't think they'll like me as much as you do. Like you said, I can come off as a little cold and distant."

"But I also said you remind me of myself, and they love me." She dropped her hand. "There's nothing wrong with being a little guarded, Max. And after what you told me about your ex-boyfriend, there's a good reason for it." This was a subject they didn't bring up often. Before Maxine worked for the Agency, she'd been in an emotionally abusive relationship with a grade-A douchebag. He repeatedly messed with her head, made her feel like she wasn't good enough or smart enough. It took a while for her to realize that the relationship wasn't healthy and move away from him, but the internal scars she got from that experience weren't going away anytime soon. And Clary knew a thing or two about emotional scars.

Maxine let out a breath. "I know, but I've been working on building my confidence back up."

"And no one is going to hold that against you," she said. "God knows I'm still trying to recover from losing my parents. But what I've learned over the past couple of years is that you don't have to close yourself off in order to live with those demons. Sometimes you just need people like me to come along and make you realize that."

"I'm glad you did."

Clary rested her head back on her shoulder. "I just wish there was something we could do to get this guy to stop running."

Maxine was quiet for a moment, then she pulled back and grabbed Clary's shoulders. "There just might be."

She immediately furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Maxine just grinned mischievously and bopped her nose.

"I have an idea."

.o.O.o.

The sound of Jace's fists against the punching bag echoed throughout the gym, most of the noise swallowed by the voices of people around him. It was getting late, so most of the students were either in their dorms studying or preparing to go out. The gym was always pretty empty on Friday's, which he often took advantage of. He usually only worked out there to keep up with his training, but today, he was using it to release some pent up anger.

It's been two weeks since that douchebag decided to run against Luke. When he heard the news, he figured that it wouldn't be a problem. Luke was obviously more qualified than some assistant, but as time went on, he realized that it didn't matter. This guy wasn't giving up. He was the reason why he didn't have Clary back, so it was no mystery as to whose face he was imagining when he slammed his fists into the bag. Just thinking about the guy made him punch harder, causing the bag to become unhinged and tumble to the floor.

Jordan looked up from his phone and sighed. "Dude, that's the second one you've broken. People are starting to look."

Jace scoffed. "People looking at me are the least of worries right now."

"Look, I know you're upset, but—"

He cut him off. "I'm a hell of a lot more than upset. I'm pissed."

"And you have a right to be," he explained. "But is punching everything in sight really going to solve your problems?"

Jace leaned down to pick up a third punching bag, attaching it to the hook hanging from the ceiling. "Without her, it's the only way I know how to handle my anger." He started punching again. "She has the ability to calm me down with a single look. I don't know how the hell she does it, but there's no being angry when she's around. Without that, I feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off."

Jordan nodded in understanding. Placing his phone on the bench beside him, he leaned forward and asked, "How's Luke holding up?"

"He's doing okay, I guess. My mom's been trying to keep him on his toes for all of the questioning and probing. Apparently this guy was pretty well-liked around the office, so it might be a little difficult for them to focus on the more important aspects, which might take a while."

"How long are we talking?"

Jace shrugged. "Who knows?" He paused, reaching out to stop the bag from moving. "I'm just tired of all the setbacks, you know? This isn't the first time we thought we were in the clear. And each time, I get my hopes up that this'll all finally be over, but we keep getting screwed over." He clenched his jaw. "I mean, this past year has been unbearable, man. I've been trying to stay strong and let you guys be there for me, but it's not enough. What Clary and I have . . . it's more than just a relationship. We've killed for each other, damn it—and God knows that we'd die for each other, too. Not having her here feels like a part of me is missing, and I'm not sure if I can handle another plan to get her back falling through."

"I don't know if I can either," Jordan admitted. "I want my best friend back already. She's been missing out on all the fruit on my lunch trays, the piggyback rides—not to mention the awesome onesie sleepovers we could have been having."

Jace actually smiled at that. "She does look pretty cute in that onesie.

Jordan smiled also, but it didn't reach his eyes. "So, yeah, I may not be punching things or feeling like my world is falling apart, but I'm pissed too. I miss her, and I miss the person you were when she was around."

Jace missed that version of himself too. "I know."

Running a hand over his face, Jordan asked, "Have you talked to Jon at all today?"

"No, I haven't actually. He usually calls." He furrowed his brows. "Maybe he just forgot with all that's going on. I'll call him later to check."

Jordan nodded and looked down at his watch. "Hey, Maia's making me go to this party tonight. I should start getting ready soon," he said. "You coming?"

Jace shook his head. "If it's the kind of party where girls constantly grab at my ass and try to seduce me into having sex with them, I'll pass. Besides, I'm not really in the mood to party—but I am in the mood to get drunk and forget about my problems, which I will gladly do in the safe confines of my room."

"You want company?" he asked.

"No, I know you've been wanting to get out for a while with classes starting back up. Don't let me get in the way of that."

"Are you sure?"

Jace grinned. "Yes, I'm sure. I don't need a babysitter. If I need anything, I'll call."

"You better." Grabbing his phone, he slipped it into his back pocket and stood. "All of the guys are coming, too, so the house is probably going to be empty. They never miss a party thrown by one of the sororities. I should be back sometime in the morning."

He nodded. "Thanks for the heads up."

Jordan clapped him on the shoulder before leaving. "Later, man."

After he left, Jace backed away from the punching bag and grabbed his shirt off of the nearby bench. Tugging it on, he picked up his phone and checked the time. It was a little past seven, which meant he had plenty of time to get back home. He wouldn't actually be drinking tonight. No, what he'd really be doing is watching the video Clary made him, just like he always did when it got this bad. He needed to hear her voice. He needed to hear her reassure him that he could do this.

Running a hand through his hair, Jace picked up his backpack and slung it on, finally leaving the gym after hours of working out. He'd barely worked up a sweat, but the frustration he released was much needed. It hadn't calmed him down completely, but it was a start. Maybe after he watched the video, he would be okay enough to call Jon and ask how things were going. The answer had been the same for the past two weeks, so he had a pretty good guess as to what he'd say. For now, waiting was their only option.

As he navigated his way through the building, he tried his best to keep to himself, but being in a fraternity made it hard not to be recognized. As he walked, he was stopped multiple times by guys he'd seen around the house and girls who still thought they had a chance with him. Clary had been right, a lot of the girls there had boobs the size of watermelons. But he didn't want their watermelons, he wanted her perfect little grapefruits that fit into his palms like puzzle pieces. Jesus, he really needed to stop thinking about her like that, or the walk back to his car could get very uncomfortable.

As he crossed the courtyard to get to another part of the building, his phone began blaring in his pocket. Furrowing his brows, he stopped to dig it out of his pocket. Once he saw that it was just one of his frat brothers, he slid his thumb across the screen to answer.

"What's up?" he said.

"Where the hell are you, Herondale?" Trevor questioned. "We're all about to head over to the sorority house to help the girls set up."

Jace shook his head. "I'm gonna have to skip this one. Not really in the mood."

Trevor groaned. "Don't do this to me, dude. You're my wingman. Once the chicks find out they can't sleep with you, they start looking for the next best thing. If you're with me, that pretty much guarantees that I'm getting laid."

"You'll have to talk to the girls yourself tonight, Trev."

"What am I supposed to say?"

Jace shrugged. "I don't know, just compliment them and try not to be an ass about it. Don't touch them unless they asked to be touched, and make sure they're able to give consent before you take them up to a bedroom. If the girl's drunk off her ass, don't even think about it."

"Okay, but are you sure you don't want to come? The Miller twins have been asking about you . . ." he teased.

Jace rolled his eyes as he entered the building's main area. "Not interested."

"Your loss."

"Look, I have to go," he said. "Good luck with tonight. Don't do anything stupid."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Hanging up, he shoved his phone back into his pocket, finally getting back on track with his night. But he only got a few more steps in before his phone starting ringing again. The guys did this all the time, calling him over and over in order to get what they wanted out of him. Any other time, he would've been okay with it, but right now, he was honestly not in the mood. Grabbing his phone again, he swiped his thumb across the screen, not even bothering to check the called i.d. this time.

"What?" he snapped.

There was a slight pause. "And here I thought you were working on not being so much of an asshole."

Jace skidded to a complete stop, his heart rate picking up in a way that hadn't happened in over a year. This couldn't have been happening. But even if he was going out of his mind, he answered anyway, his voice barely rising above a whisper. "Clary?"

He could practically hear the smile in her voice. "Yes?"

Jace was pretty sure that he wasn't breathing. He'd been pretty much stunned into silence. He must have been quiet for too long, though, making her speak up again.

"Hello? Jace?"

Jesus, she said his name. She knew what that did to him.

Reaching up, Jace raked a hand through his hair, twisting around to get out of people's way, knocking into a few of them by accident, but he didn't care. All that mattered was her.

He could barely find his voice when he asked, "How . . . how are we talking right now? What's happening?"

"Well, maybe if you stopped fumbling around like an idiot, I could tell you," she said.

His heart stopped as he put two and two together. He had to have been hallucinating. This couldn't have been real. "What?"

Her voice took on a soft tone, and the words she spoke next made him feel like his world was being tipped off its axis.

"Turn around."

What did you think?

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A/N: Yay, Clace has been reunited! How will the two react to seeing each other again? What happened between Luke and Malcolm? What did Maxine do to help? So many questions, but you'll just have to keep reading to answer them. Anyway, while you wait, here's the chapter question,

Question: If you could get away with a crime, what would you do? (I would probably get a bunch of friends together for a bank heist ;))