Fifty First One Shot:

Best Friend or More?

Jace POV:

"Come on Clary, it will be fun!" I said as I tried yet again to have Clary come to the party with me.

"You know I'm not into parties Jace." She said and I rolled my eyes.

"But you'll be with me." I said.

"Yea, until you find some whore and go upstairs and have sex, leaving me to fend for myself with all your disguising friends." She said.

"I promise. I'll be a good boy tonight." I said and I folded my hands and stuck out my lip.

"Ugh, you have to stay with me, or I'm leaving your ass there." She said and I cheered. She doesn't drink, so she's always my DD.

"Thanks Clare. You're the best." I said and I gave her a hug.

"Yea, yea. I know." She said and I laughed. "I'll meet you back here at 9?" She asked and I nodded. "See ya later Herondale."

"Bye Fray." I said and she left my house. I knew parties weren't her thing, but it was the beginning of our last summer before we head off to college, and we needed to start it off the right way.

Time jump – Hours Later

Clary POV:

I should have known Jace couldn't keep it in his pants for an entire night. Half an hour after we showed up he was already drunk and flirting with anything that had legs. He was currently standing with some bottle blonde that had her back pressed up against the wall, and her tits shoved in his face. It was truly disgusting, but if I wasn't so madly in love with him, I don't think I'd find it as gross. Yup, I'm that girl who falls in love with her best friend. Pathetic, I know, but he's hot, and funny, and smart, and athletic, and I get to see the sweet side he shuts off for the rest of the world, which just makes me love him even more.

I finally see the girl leave him so I make a beeline towards him. I know he's been drinking, and I know that he loses himself a little when that happens so I shouldn't be surprised that he left me for the first piece of ass he saw tonight, but that didn't mean I liked it.

"Jace." I said as I grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"Hey Fray, you having fun?" He slurred and I rolled my eyes.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me tonight Jace." I said and he laughed.

"You need to live a little Clare. Stop being so uptight." He said and I was actually really offended. He put his cup in my hand and smiled. "Get that stick out of your ass, and have some fun."

"I only came tonight because you begged me too. I was perfectly content spending my night at home watching TV and eating ice cream." I said and he laughed.

"Have you ever thought, maybe that's why you don't have any friends Fray? You don't put yourself out there enough." He said and my jaw dropped. I tended to avoid people who were intoxicated because of this reason. I hated alcohol and what it did to them, and Jace knew that, and he knew why too.

"I have friends Jace. You are one of them." I said.

"Yea, but having three friends is a little pathetic Clare." He said and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He is my best friend, and he's making me feel like shit. I threw the contents of the cup in his face and threw the cup on the ground.

"Screw you Jace Herondale. You're my best friend, and this is how you think you can treat me?" I said and he was still wiping the beer off his face. "You can walk you sorry ass home and explain to your mom where you've been tonight." I said and I stomped to the door. When I opened it and I was away from people, I finally let the tears fall. I wasn't aware anyone was around until I heard my name.

"Clary?" I turned around and Izzy and Simon were walking towards me. "Are you okay?"

"Just Jace being a jackass. What else is new?" I said and I wiped the tears away.

"He may be a jackass to the world Clary, but he is never one to you." Simon said and I laughed.

"I guess that changed tonight. Give that kid a couple beers and no one is safe from his horrible insults." I said.

"What did he say?" Izzy asked.

"That I had no friends because I have a stick up my ass. I need to put myself out there and live a little. Told me I was pathetic, and I threw beer in his face and walked away." I said.

"What a dick." Izzy said and I let out a little laugh.

"Yea, so I'm gonna head home. I just can't be in the same place as him right now." I tore a key off my key chain and handed it to Izzy. "This is a spare key to Jace's house. Make sure he gets it. I might hate the bastard right now, but he needs to get into his house." I said and they nodded.

"You're too good for that boy Clare." Simon said and I shrugged.

"Be safe you two." I said and I left.

I got into my car and started making my way home. It was dark and a little foggy for a summer night but nothing too bad, that was until I saw the lights too late. I slammed on my breaks and I slammed my heard so hard against the steering wheel as I hit something in front of me. I was floating in and out of consciousness but I could hear the faint sirens on the background. I opened my eyes for a second, and saw so many cars, and flames, and I heard screams. I didn't know what was happening, but I was so tired. I tried to fight it, but in the end, I let it consume me.

Time Jump – Next Day

Jace POV:

I woke up with a pounding headache. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my bedroom. I guess Clary got me home safely last night, because I have no idea what even happened. 10 minutes into the party I was gone, and having a blast. My head started pounding again, when I realized that the pounding in my head was being caused by the pounding on my door. My parents weren't home today, so it was just me. I slowly got out of bed and made my way downstairs. When I opened the door a livid Isabelle ran in and I can only imagine what was going to happen to the person who pissed her off.

"What has your panties in a twist Iz?" I said, and apparently it was the wrong thing to say.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself Jace?" She said and I took a seat on the couch. "After everything you did last night?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You were a real dick to Clary." She said and I was confused.

"I don't know what you're talking about Iz." I said and she let out one of her humorless laughs.

"Don't play dumb with me Herondale." She said.

"I truly don't know what you're talking about. Clary and I are fine. She brought me home last night." I said.

"No she didn't." Izzy said.

"Than how did I get here?" I asked.

"I found your ass passed out on the couch, and Simon and Alec dragged you to my car and I brought you home." She said.

"How did I get in?" I asked.

"Clary gave me the key to your house. As much as she hated you last night, she didn't want you to be stranded on your own porch." Izzy said. "Honestly, are you really that stupid?" She asked.

"Huh?" I asked. Thoroughly confused now.

"You are so blinded by every bottle blonde with big tits that you have ignored the one girl who has always been there for you." Izzy said.

"Iz, what are you talking about? Clary and I are just friends. We're best friends." I said.

"Maybe to you, but you've been more to her for years." She said. Suddenly a piercing sound flooded the room and my head started to pound. Izzy pulled her phone out of her purse and answered it. "Hello?" She answered. "Oh my god. She isn't dead is she?" She asked and that immediately got my attention. "What the hell happened?" Izzy asked. "Where are you?" She asked after a moment. "I'll be right there." She said and she hung up. Izzy looked extremely distraught.

"Izzy, what's wrong?" I asked and she looked at me with tears I her eyes, and I knew it must have been bad.

"It's Clary." She said and my heart stopped. "She never made it home last night, and her parents got a call this morning. She was involved in a 10 car pile up last night on her way home."

"Is she okay?" I asked worried about my best friend.

"They found her car on the highway, and she was still in it. According to Simon, they haven't been able to free her."

"But she's alive?" I asked.

"They don't know how she's still breathing. According to the police officer that talked to her mom, she should have died hours ago." Izzy said and I nearly collapsed. "I'm going to the hospital, that's where everyone is waiting, do you want a ride?" I nodded and we made our way to the hospital. I was completely numb the whole way there. I might never get to hug my best friend again. We won't watch movies together, and I won't get to hear her sing along to those crappy musicals she forces me to watch. I'll never get to watch her play in the sand like a toddler when we go on our annual beach trips. "Jace, we're here." I finally heard and I looked at Izzy.

"What if she doesn't make it Iz?" I asked and she reached over and took my hand.

"Clary is the strongest girl I know. There is no way in hell she's leaving us like this." She said.

"I don't even remember our last conversation." I said and Izzy sighed.

"Maybe that's for the best. You weren't particularly nice to her." She said and I looked at her.

"What did I say?" I asked.

"You told her that the reason she doesn't have any friends is because she has stick up her ass, and she needs to learn to live a little and put herself out there more." Izzy said and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. "You called her pathetic and handed her a cup of beer."

"I did not." I said and Izzy nodded. "I'm the worst best friend in the world." I said and Izzy squeezed my hand a little tighter.

"You really hurt her last night." Izzy said and I hung my head.

"The last thing I did with my best friend was call her pathetic, and now I might never get the chance to make that up to her." I said. "I don't know what I'm going to do if she doesn't make it Iz."

"Sucks being in love doesn't it?" She said and I looked at her with confusion. "I don't care what you say Jace. You're in love with her. You two might as well be in a relationship, you just haven't actually kissed yet."

"We have actually kissed." I said with a smiled. "We were in 4th grade, and we wanted to know what it was like. We were each others first kiss. Plus all those times you've made us during a game of Truth or Dare."

"I meant willingly. And do you understand why I did that now? I was trying to get you to see that Clary has always been the one you were meant to be with. Why do you think you've never been able to commit to someone?"

"I don't know. I just thought I was having fun." I said.

"Maybe you didn't know it, but I think you haven't been able to get a girlfriend is because deep down you know that the only girl who will ever truly understand you is Clary." She said.

"And what now? I don't know if she's even going to be alive tomorrow." I said and Izzy took a deep breath.

"There is only one way to find out." She said and she got out of the car. We both made our way into the hospital and saw Jocelyn pacing with Luke sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. Simon was sitting next to him. When he saw Izzy he stood and she went running into his arm. "Any news?"

"None. Jocelyn gave them her description and they said they would be back when they had any news." Simon said. Everything seemed to stop. My best friend could potentially die today, and I don't think I'd ever recover from that.

We sat in that waiting room for hours. None of us dared to leave in case news came back on Clary. I was dozing off every now and then, I didn't sleep well last night due to all the alcohol and I needed sleep but I wanted to hear the news about Clary.

"Mrs. Fray?" Someone finally said and we all stood up. "We're so sorry for your loss." He said and Jocelyn broke down. My best friend was dead. She wasn't coming back, and the last thing we did was fight. "Her body was so burned that there was no way she would have been able to survive."

"The police never said anything about her being in a fire." I said and the doctor looked at me.

"Many vehicles burst into flames upon impact." He said and he looked back at Jocelyn. "Your daughters car was lucky for a while, but after trying to free her for hours the fire spread and her car went up in flames." He said.

"She isn't dead." I said and everyone looked at me. "I would know if she was dead. She isn't dead."

"Jace, I know this is a lot to process but you can't know because of a feeling." Izzy said.

"I would know if she was dead. She's my best friend." I said and Jocelyn just started crying even louder. "Maybe you misidentified the body."

"The wasn't a lot of features left to recognize." The doctor said.

"So it might not be her." I said. I wasn't giving up on Clary that fast.

"Mrs. Fray told us that Clary was about 5 feet tall, red curly hair, and normally wore a green coat when she went out at night." The doctor said. I tried my hardest to think back to last night. I needed to remember. I needed to know what Clary looked like last night.

"Jace, are you okay?" Izzy asked.

"I'm trying to remember last night." I said. "Maybe if I remember something I could help find Clary."

"Jace, you're going to have to come to terms with this." Izzy said and I yanked my hand away from her.

"I won't believe it until I see it with my own two eyes." I said. "Can I see her?" I asked.

"Normally only family is allowed to see the deceased." The doctor said.

"I won't believe it until I see it." I said and Jocelyn walked over and put her hand on my shoulder.

"He has my permission to go. I don't think I can." She said with tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Follow me." The doctor said. I took one look back at the group and Jocelyn was a wreck, Izzy was crying, and so were Simon and Luke. I wasn't going to give up on Clary until I saw her dead body in front of me.

The morgue was cold and creepy just like I thought it would be. I don't know how long we were walking, but it felt like it was never going to end. Eventually the doctor stopped in front of a room and when I looked through the glass there was a body laying on a table. I took a deep breath before entering the room. I walked over to the table and the medical examiner removed the cover from her body. The doctor was right. This woman was burnt beyond recognition. The tears started welling up in my eyes as I look at the corpse of a girl, who could potentially be my best friend.

"Cause of death?" I asked.

"Glass from the windshield impaled her which caused severe blood loss, and than the fire ultimately claimed her life." He said and I nodded.

"Is her whole body burned?" I asked.

"There are parts that aren't as bad as others, but the majority of her is a crisp." He said and I looked at the body again. Everything in me screamed that this wasn't Clary, but I didn't know how much of that was pure denial. I looked over the body for a couple more minutes.

"Mind if I grab a pair of gloves?" I asked and the medical examiner gave me a pair.

"What are you looking for?" The doctor asked. I put the gloves on and moved the body slightly so I could see her left shoulder. It was burnt but not as badly as the rest of her body. When I finally got a good view of the shoulder my heart nearly ripped from my chest.

"This isn't Clary." I said and the doctor looked at me.

"How do you know that?" They asked.

"When Clary was 12 she had chicken pox. Like really badly, and she had to stay home for two weeks before they went away. She scratched one so badly it left a scar on her left shoulder. This body doesn't have that scar." I said and I looked at the doctor and medical examiner. "This isn't my best friend."

"We can't just take your word for it." The doctor said.

"I'm not asking you too. I'm just asking you to look again." I said and they exchanged a look and then looked back towards me.

"Alright, we'll run more tests, and ask around the hospital about any other possible Jane Doe's that fit her description." He said and I nodded.

"Thank you." I said and I ran out of the morgue and back up to the waiting room. Everyone was sitting around I guess waiting for me. When I burst through the doors they all looked at me. "It's not Clary."

"Are you sure?" Izzy asked.

"I don't want this to sound creepy, but I know my best friends body. I know every freckle, every scar, and every birthmark she has. And that body doesn't have a certain scar that Clary does." I said.

"So what happens now?" Jocelyn asks.

"The doctors said that they were going to run more tests and look for possible Jane Doe's." I said and they all nodded. Jocelyn walked over to me and gave me a huge hug.

"Thank you for knowing my daughter as well as you do." She said in my ear and I nodded.

We all took a seat back in the waiting room and waited for any more news. It was well into the night now, but none of us cared. We weren't leaving until we had news on Clary, and if I have to stay in the hospital all night, that's what I was going to do.

"Mrs. Fray?" We all heard again and we all jumped up. "We want to apologize for misidentifying your daughters body." He said and I almost fell. "After more tests, and a lot of phone calls, we were able to track a woman who fits your daughters description, down to the scar this young man told us about, to another hospital."

"Where is she?" Jocelyn asked.

"She is at Alicante Memorial Hospital." The doctor said and we all sprinted to our cars. The drive took about 45 minutes but that didn't matter because Clary was alive and I was going to get my best friend back. When we finally got there we all ran into the hospital and straight for the nurses station.

"My daughter was in that huge accident that happened the other night, and I was told there was a girl here who fit that description." Jocelyn said.

"Can you give me the description again?" The woman asked.

"Short, red curly hair, scar on left shoulder." Jocelyn said and she started typing.

"Jane Doe is in room 234. She's currently in the ICU, so only family are allowed to visit." The woman said and I felt like I was getting a stake through the heart.

"Perfect, I'm her mom, this is her father, and this is her brother." She said grabbing my hand and I was taken aback.

"Well, if you'll follow me. I'll lead the way." She said and she stood. I looked back at Izzy and Simon.

"Tell her we love her." Izzy said and I nodded. The nurse walked us to the room. She nodded and left us alone and we all took a collective deep breath before entering.

Clary was laying in the bed with a tube down her throat and needles stuck in her body. I hated seeing her like this. My best friend, who was thought to be dead, and than not dead, and now not breathing on her own. It was too much. A moment later the doctor walked in and we all looked at him.

"We can finally put a name to this Jane Doe." He said.

"Her name is Clarissa Fray." Jocelyn said and he wrote it down. "What's wrong with my baby?"

"As of right now, it looks like Clarissa…"

"Clary." I said and he looked at me. "She prefers Clary."

"And you are?" the doctor asked. Jocelyn was about to answer, but I cut her off.

"The boyfriend." I said and he pressed his lips together.

"Only family is supposed to be in here." He said.

"He is family. He was actually planning on purposing before she got in the accident. I couldn't possibly keep my future son-in-law out of here on a little technicality." Jocelyn chimed in.

"Very well. Right now we can't tell what's going on. Her brain is swollen, and we won't be able to make a clear cut diagnosis until the swelling goes down."

"And how long will that take?" Luke asked.

"Depends on how willing she is to fight. I've seen patients like this for a week, and some for years. We can only do so much, the rest is up to her." The doctor said.

"Do you know what could potentially be wrong with her without a brain scan?" Jocelyn asked.

"What I'm fearing the most right now is paralysis." He said.

"Is that the worse case scenario?" I asked.

"Worse case scenario if a vegetative state. She would be on life support until you decided to pull the plug." He said and I looked back at Clary. "We're going to take it day by day. I want to see how long it takes for the swelling in her brain to go down, and than we'll take it from there." He said.

"Thank you doctor." Jocelyn said.

"I know it might not seem like it, but she is very lucky. She has the potential to make a full recovery, and from experience, most people in her situation are dead an hour after being in a crash that bad."

"Wait." I said as the doctor was about to leave. He turned around and looked at me. "How long was she trapped in the car?"

"The accident happened at about 1 am that night, and she wasn't brought to me until 4 that afternoon." He said and my jaw hit the ground. "Like I said, it's a miracle she's even alive right now." He said.

"How come the police didn't tell me she was at this hospital?" Jocelyn asked before the doctor could leave.

"There were dozens of firefighters, paramedics, and police officers on the scene. Sometimes when a person is passed off to the next set of responders the information gets lost, or isn't right. A lot of her belongings were lost on impact, and the only thing that I was able to get off of her body when she came in here was this." He said as he pulled a bag off a table near by. He handed it to me and I saw it was the necklace that I got Clary for her last birthday. "As you can imagine, a 'C' isn't much to go on when trying to identify someone." He said and Jocelyn simply nodded. The doctor smiled and than left the room.

When he left we were all insanely silent. I was holding one of Clary's hands, while Jocelyn and Luke were holding the other. There was hope for Clary to be alright, and there was hope that she was going to make it through this, and I don't care what I have to do, I was going to hope, and pray, and be here 24/7 until she wakes up.

Time Jump – Hours Later

Jace POV:

I guess I fell asleep because I felt someone shaking me awake. When I looked up Jocelyn was standing above me. I rubbed my eyes but didn't dare break contact with Clary's hand.

"It's time to head home Jace." She said.

"I don't want to leave her." I said and Jocelyn smiled.

"I know. I already talked to the doctor and nurses. They are allowing at least one person to stay with her, and since you're on summer vacation, and Luke and I need to work, we figured you'd want too."

"Absolutely." I said and she smiled.

"We just need to get you home and get you new clothes." She said and I nodded.

"Can I say goodbye first?" I asked and they nodded. They walked out of the room and gave us some privacy. I leaned in and pressed my lips to her ear. "I was a complete and utter fool Clare. You are the best friend any guy could ever ask for, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize that I'm in love with you." I said and I tear rolled out of my eye. "I need you to fight for me Clare. I need you to fight so that we can have a shot at seeing where we go. I need you to fight for me, and for your parents, and for your friends, but most importantly, I need you to fight for yourself." I pressed my lips to her forehead and gave her a kiss. "I love you Clary, and I need you to wake up so I can finally tell you."

I gave her one last kiss before I exited the room. Jocelyn put her arm around me and we walked out of the hospital together. We got in the car and the drive to my house was silent. I think we were all still processing what happened the past couple days. When we got to my house I opened the door and Jocelyn stopped me.

"Thank you for not giving up on my daughter." She said and I smiled.

"She's my best friend." I said and she smiled.

"And a little more." She said and I smiled and nodded. "Luke and I will visit as often as possible, but keep an eye on her Jace."

"You have my word Jocelyn." I said and I closed my door and walked up to my house. When I got inside my parents were sitting on the couch. They looked incredibly sad, and worried, and concerned.

"Isabelle came by to tell us what happened." My mom said. "I'm so sorry baby."

"How is she?" My dad asked.

"Currently not breathing on her own, her brain is swollen, and according to the doctor the worst that could come out of this is that Clary remains in a vegetative state." I said and I heard my mom gasp.

"Oh my god." My mom said.

"Yea, so I'm moving into the hospital." I said. "They are allowing one person to stay with her at all times, and it's 45 minutes away, and her parents need to work, and since its summer I'm going to do it." I said and they nodded.

"I was wondering when you were going to admit your feelings for her." My mom said and my eyes widened.

"Was everyone aware of her feelings for me, and my obliviousness to them?" I asked and my mom nodded.

"Yes." She said and I laughed. "I'm really sorry this happened Jace. I know she means a lot to you."

"She means everything to me." I said and my mom smiled and put her hand on my cheek.

"Go upstairs, take a shower, pack a bag and take a nap. I'll make you something to eat, and than you can go back." She said and I nodded. I knew I needed a shower, and food, and some sleep before heading back to the hospital, but as much as I know I needed those things, I just wanted to get back to Clary. She's all that matters right now, and I was never going to leave her side again.

Time Jump – One Month Later

Jace POV:

It's been a month and Clary was still on the ventilator. Seeing her like this was absolutely killing me. Every time a doctor or nurse walked in I got my hopes up thinking today was going to be the day she was going to be scanned. Living in the hospital wasn't ideal. The food sucked, the bed they brought me was uncomfortable, and they didn't get a lot of good channels, but for Clary I would camp out in the snow, with no wood to make a fire, and barely enough food if it meant that I was by her side.

The doctor told me that it was a good idea for me to talk to Clary. It might stimulate her brain and I was willing to do anything to help her recovery. I read to her all the time, and played her music, which was funny because I played all the songs that she absolutely hated, but it made me smile. I could just picture he face scrunching up in annoyance. Izzy, Simon, and Alec visited a couple times, and Jocelyn and Luke came as often as they could. My parents even made a couple trips up here, and I hated that there wasn't any news on Clary since she was admitted, but I was simply focusing on the fact that she was alive, and she could recover.

"Good afternoon Jace." The doctor said as he walked into the room.

"Hey doc. What's up?" I asked as I put my book down.

"Today is the day that we're going to get a scan of her brain to fully diagnose her." He said.

"You think the swelling went down that much?" I asked.

"I can only hope." He said as he wrote something down.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked and he looked up.

"Of course. What's on your mind?" He asked.

"How likely will it be that when she wakes up she won't remember anything?" I asked.

"That all depends on what we find on the scan today. There is a possibility that brain damage is minimal. She might have no memory of the accident or anything like that though." He said.

"So she could remember me?" I asked.

"I don't want to get your hopes up Jace, but when it comes to memory loss due to an accident like this, I've never seen a patient lose that much of their memory." He said and I nodded. "How long have you known each other?"

"We've been best friends since we were 6." I said as I looked at Clary.

"I think you are safe. If she does have brain damage, and she ends up forgetting, it would potentially only go back a couple years. I am optimistic that she wouldn't lost an entire decade." He said and I nodded. "Her scan is in an hour." He said and than he left. I took a deep breath and called Jocelyn.

"Hey Jace. Any news?" She answered after a moment.

"They are taking her to get a scan of her brain to get a proper diagnosis." I said.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yea. He said it would be in an hour." I told her.

"Okay. Luke can't make it, but I just finished work. I'll be there soon." She said and we said our goodbyes and we hung up. There wasn't anything I wanted more than for Clary to wake up without any injuries but I knew that was impossible. I didn't care what had to happen, I was going to be there every step of the way for her recovery.

Time Jump – A Couple Hours Later

Jace POV:

Jocelyn and I were sitting in Clary's room waiting for her to get back from her scan. I didn't realize how long it was going to take, but I was getting anxious being away from Clary. I didn't really know how much I relied on her until not having her around happened. She truly was a huge part of my life, and I'll be damned if I lose her.

The doctor finally rolled her back in and got her situated. He was writing something down on his chart and when we looked up he smiled at us.

"I have good news." He said. "Looks like the damage to her brain was very minimal."

"So what caused the swelling?" I asked.

"She slammed her head pretty hard against her steering wheel. The most she probably had was a concussion, but that has cleared up since she arrived here."

"So what does that mean?" Jocelyn asked.

"It means that her memory should be intact if she wakes up. I was worried that if the damage was severe she would have to learn the basics of speaking, and doing mundane tasks. Basically I was worried that she would have the capacity of a toddler when it came to her motor skills. But knowing the damage was minimal, the risks are fewer."

"What still has the potential to be wrong?" I asked.

"She might need to learn how to walk again, and how to use her hands. Speaking might take her some time, but not because she can't do it, but because it might take her some time to think things through." He said and Jocelyn and I nodded. "This is the best possible diagnosis you could get. I'm optimistic that she'll wake up."

"Thank you so much doctor." Jocelyn said. He smiled and left the room. Jocelyn and I sat back down and just looked at each other. "I guess the rest is up to her."

"She's a fighter. I know she'll wake up." I said and Jocelyn smiled.

"This is going to be a hard road Jace. If she wakes up or not, this is going to be challenging." She said and I looked at Clary than back to Jocelyn.

"I would go through hell for her." I said and she smiled and gave my hand a little squeeze.

"I know you would." She said and I nodded. I don't care what I have to do, but I was going to be here for her.

Time Jump – Two Months Later

Jace POV:

"Jace, you can't put off your education." My mom said.

"I don't know if you've been paying attention mom, but literally nothing else matters to me but Clary. I'm not leaving her. I'm going to sit my ass in that hospital room until she wakes up." I said.

"Jace, she might never wake up." My dad said.

"You don't know that. You don't know Clary." I said.

"Sweetheart, she's like a daughter to me, of course I know her." My mom said and I looked at her. "I know she means everything to you, but you can't put your life on hold for something that might not happen. Think of what Clary would want."

"I have. I've been thinking if the roles were reversed she would do the exact same thing for me as I'm doing for her." I said.

"Jace, you haven't left this hospital the entire summer." My dad said.

"So?" I asked.

"It's unhealthy." My mom said.

"Good thing I'm already in a hospital. If I have any concerns, I'll call for a nurse." I said.

"Jonathan, this is no time for your sarcasm. And you don't know that's what Clary would have done." My mom said and I was about to tell her off when someone cut me of.

"She would." We turned and saw Jocelyn standing there. "My daughter would do the exact same thing for him as he's doing for her."

"Mom, I can't do anything until I know she's okay." I said. She didn't look convinced so I took her hands in mine. "I'm not giving up on my education, I'm just delaying it a little bit. And if it makes you feel any better I'll take some online classes so I'm not too far behind."

"Fine, but you better get A's." She said and I laughed.

"Come on, I've always been a straight A student." I said and she laughed. I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. I felt her relax, and I knew that I had just convinced her. The only way I was leaving this hospital is with Clary by my side.

Time Jump – One Month Later

Jace POV:

I was used to the beeping of the machines at this point. I have been sleeping here for the past four months, and they have become some kind of soothing sound that lulls me to sleep at night. Weird, I know, but it works. Tonight was not one of these soothing nights. I was woke up by machines going crazy, followed by a bunch of talking. I immediately sat up and saw them working on Clary. I looked at her heart monitor and it was still beeping, but a little faster than normal. I stood up and looked over the nurses and saw that Clary's eyes were opened. The nurses were trying to hold her down while they removed the tube from her throat. I reached between them and took her small hand in mine, and it seemed to calm her done just enough that they nurses could remove the tube. Once it as removed all the chaos died down. The nurses started to leave and I made my way over to the side of her bed.

Clary was looking around, clearly trying to figure out where she was. She looked incredibly confused, but I didn't blame her. Her eyes raked around the whole room until they landed on me. I gave her a smile but she just turned away and kept looking around. A moment later the doctor came in.

"Hi Clarissa, I'm Dr. Wayland." He said and Clary opened her mouth but nothing came out. "It's okay. Your throat is probably incredibly dry from having that tube down it for so long." That didn't stop her from trying anyway. She was forming words but no sound was coming out. The doctor looked over to me and I was trying to figure out what she was saying but it was hard.

"I think she's trying to tell you to call her Clary." I said and she nodded signaling I was right.

"Right, my apologies. Jace did tell me you prefer to be called Clary." He said and Clary looked confused. "Do you remember what happened to you?" He asked. Clary shook her head. "That's not a problem. You were in a car accident Clary." Clary raised her arm as far as she could and pointed to herself. "No, you didn't cause the accident. You were just another victim to the chaos." He said and she nodded. "I know you probably have a lot of questions, but don't feel like you need to ask them all now. Give yourself a little time to let your throat heal."

"Ja…." She started. It was horse but she was trying. I took her hand in mine and gave her an encouraging look. "Jac…" She tried again.

"You're so close Clare." I said and she swallowed and looked into my eyes.

"Jackass." She said, and it was not what I was expecting but I didn't care. She spoke and she was awake and that's all that matter to me. I laughed and leaned forward and pressed my lips to her forehead. By now we were left alone in the room just looking into each others eyes.

"I know you can't really speak right now, but I have to get this off my chest." I said and she nodded. "I am so incredibly sorry for that night Clary. You have to know that I meant nothing that I said to you. You are my best friend. I don't care how many friends you have, or if you want to sit on the couch every weekend watching movies. That's who you are, and that's my best friend, and I wouldn't want you any other way." I said and she gave me a small smile. It was a tiny victory, but a victory nonetheless. She nodded and I sighed. "It's the middle of the night, I'll call your mom tomorrow and let her know, but I think you should rest." She nodded and I went to move but she gripped my hand tighter. I looked at our hands and than up to her eyes.

"Stay." She said and she didn't have to tell me twice. I wasn't going anywhere. I grabbed a chair and moved it as close to the bed as possible. Our hands stayed locked together, and I knew that this was definitely going to be a hard road, but I don't care how long it takes, I'll always be here.

Time Jump – Two Months Later

Clary POV:

I was still in the hospital recovering and I was getting incredibly frustrated with it. I felt like I wasn't making any progress and I hated it. I was sitting in my room after one of my many therapy sessions when Jace showed up. He was here every day, and he tried to help me as much as he could.

"Hey, how was therapy?" He asked as he took a seat at the foot of my bed.

"Shitty. Like everything else in my life." I said and he looked at me with sad eyes.

"You'll get there Clary. I promise." Jace said and I rolled my eyes.

"I should have just died. It would have been easier." I said and before I could even process anything Jace and I were face to face.

"Don't you dare say that Clary. I would have been devastated if you died." He said.

"Life would go on without me." I said. Being stuck in this hospital, and having to learn how to use my hands and my legs again was extremely depressing.

"Mine wouldn't." He said and I looked at him. "You are everything to me Clary."

"You're just saying that." I said and he put his finger under my chin and forced me to look at me.

"Clarissa, you are my life. My world. My everything. I am so incredibly in love with you, and if you weren't in my life anymore I might die myself." He said and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"Jace." I said but he cut me off.

"Do you remember the night you got into the accident? Before it happened?" He asked.

"Bites and pieces. The whole night isn't fully there." I said.

"I don't remember that night at all. I woke up the next day with a huge hangover and an incredibly angry Isabelle pounding on my door. She came over to rip me a new one for the way I treated you that night." He said and he took my hands.

"I remember you giving me the cup of beer, and I remember throwing it in your face, and leaving." I said. "I also remembering giving your house key to Izzy, but everything else is fuzzy."

"You are still so incredibly sweet even when I don't deserve it." He said and I smiled.

"You're my best friend Jace. I don't care how angry I am at you, I'm not going to leave you out to dry. That's not who I am." I said and he smiled.

"I know, and I have taken advantage of you in all the years of our friendship." He said.

"No you didn't Jace. I would have done anything if you just asked. If you showed up at my doorstep at 3 am asking me to help you hide a body I would do it because you're my best friend." I said and he laughed.

"That doesn't mean I haven't taken advantage of you." He said and I just shrugged. "You have always been there for me. When I'm too drunk to stand straight, when I would get bummed if we lost a game. When I was upset and just needed company. You were always there for me." He said.

"You did the same thing for me. I mean, you slept in this hospital for months Jace." I said and he smiled.

"I couldn't leave you." He said.

"And I wouldn't leave you either." I said.

"When they misidentified your body and told us you were dead, I think part of me broke. I felt like a huge piece of me was never going to be the same, and I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it with my own eyes." He said and I laughed.

"I can't believe you remembered that scar." I said and he laughed.

"I know your every freckle, scar and birthmark Clary." He said and I smiled. "I needed to be sure, because I didn't feel like you were dead."

"Well, you were correct. I wasn't." I said and he smiled. "Being in that coma was kind of like an out of body experience."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I don't think I was dreaming, but they don't exactly feel real either." I said.

"Well, why don't you talk it out, maybe it'll help." He said and I smiled.

"I remember music." I said and he laughed. "Did you play me music?"

"The doctor told me that talking to you would be helpful so I thought that music would be too." He said.

"The only song I could make out was 'The Macarena' and I felt like it was on a loop." I said and he laughed. "You purposely did that to me."

"I couldn't help it. You weren't awake to protest." He said and I laughed.

"You're cruel." I said.

"It made me smile." He said and I laughed.

"Well, I'm glad the hospital couldn't get your spirits down." I said.

"They were down alright. They were at a low point for he first couple weeks." He admitted.

"I didn't mean to scare anyone. I was just trying to get home." I said and he smiled at me.

"You did nothing wrong Clary. You ran into a car because you couldn't see in front of you due to another car on fire which caused a huge smoke screen." He said.

"That doesn't mean I don't feel horrible about what happened." I said.

"You're awake now, that's all that matters." He said and I shrugged. We were silent for a moment before I remembered what he said early on in the conversation.

"So, you're in love with me?" I said and he laughed.

"Cats out of the bag." He laughed and I could tell he was nervous. It didn't happen often, but it was cute when it did. "The morning after the party I didn't know how I got home. I assumed you helped me until Izzy told me what a dick I was."

"I believe I used the term jackass and bastard, but dick works too." I said and he laughed.

"She told me that I was an idiot for being completely clueless of your feelings towards me, and I didn't know what she meant until she told me you were in an accident. Hearing those words nearly broke me. My mind starting thinking of the absolute worst and the possibility of living without you, and I realized that I couldn't. I can't live without you."

"You can't?" I asked.

"I can't live without you Clarissa, and I don't want too." He said and a tear escaped my eye. He wiped it away and I couldn't help but smile.

"What if I don't get better?" I asked after a moment.

"You will Clary." He said.

"But what if I can't. I feel like every day I go to therapy I'm back at square one. I can't walk Jace." I choked out.

"But you will one day. It doesn't matter how long it takes, but it does matter that you keep trying. Don't give up Clary." He said and I nodded. It was getting late and I was pretty tired.

"Lay with me?" I asked and he got the biggest smile on his face.

"I'd love too." He said. I moved over and made room for him on the bed. He put his arm around me and I rested my head on his chest. I could feel my eyes growing heavier.

"Jace?" I said before I was lost in my dreams.

"Yes?" He said.

"I love you too." I said and I felt him press his lips to my forehead before the darkness consumed me.

Jace POV:

I felt Clary's breathing even out and I sighed and leaned back. There was nothing better than holding her in my arms. I can't even imagine not being this close to her, and I can't believe that it took me so long to figure out my feelings for her. It was silent for a while until I felt my phone going off in my pocket. When I looked at it I saw that Jocelyn was calling.

"Hey Jocelyn." I said in a hush toned.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Yea, Clary is just sleeping." I said.

"Okay, how was her day?" She asked.

"Therapy isn't moving as fast as she would like, and it's frustrating her." I explained.

"She never was a patient one." Jocelyn said and I laughed.

"No she isn't." I said.

"Luke and I were planning on coming to visit tomorrow." She said.

"Sounds good." I said.

"I really appreciate you looking after she Jace." Jocelyn said for the millionth time.

"It's my pleasure." I said.

"Goodnight Jace." Jocelyn said.

"Goodnight Jocelyn." I said and I hung up. I leaned back and closed my eyes and let the sleep wash over me while holding onto Clary.

Jocelyn POV:

Luke and I were going up to visit Clary today, and I was happy. Work was getting crazy, and Luke and I couldn't get as much time off as we would like, and with the hospital being 45 minutes away, getting there isn't easy. We were thankful that Jace was still with her though. That boy is so incredibly protective of her I would trust her in nobody else's care.

When we finally got to the hospital we made our way up to her room and when I opened the door we were greeted with a sleeping Jace and Clary, but it wasn't normal because Jace and Clary were asleep in the same bed. It was really a sweet sight. Jace had his arm protectively around Clary. Luke and I didn't want to disturb them, so we were going to let them sleep until we heard Jace start talking.

"Baby, stop moving. You're going to push me off the bed." He said and I had to suppress the grin that I wanted to spread across my face.

"I wouldn't be moving if you weren't taking up the whole bed. Seriously Jace, you are such a hog." Clary said back. I could hear the grogginess in their voices.

"It's not my fault this bed isn't big enough for the two of us." He said back.

"I didn't think you'd stay the whole night." Clary said back.

"You invited me." Jace said.

"I am aware, but I thought you'd leave after I fell asleep." Clary said.

"Not a chance." Jace said as he tightened his grip on Clary. Luke and I looked at each other and smiled.

"Well, isn't this a sweet sight." Luke said and both Clary and Jace groaned.

"Maybe if we pretend to be asleep they'll leave." Clary said and Jace laughed.

"I doubt that." Jace said as he started to sit up. "When did you two get here?"

"We entered right in time to hear your lovely conversation." I said and Clary flushed a bright red. "So, care to tell us what happened?"

"We talked, and now we're here." Clary said, and I rolled my eyes. "Honestly mom, I'm not sure what happened."

"Jace?" I asked as I looked from Clary to him.

"We didn't really have a chance to discuss it. She was really tired last night." He said and I nodded.

"Well than, this is the perfect time for Luke and I to go get breakfast. We'll be back in 45 minutes." I said as I stood up. "That should be plenty of time to talk." I said. I grabbed Luke and rushed us out of the room and out to our car.

"That was so subtle Jocelyn." He said and I laughed.

"Subtly was never my thing." I said and he laughed and we got in the car to get breakfast.

Jace POV:

After Jocelyn and Luke ran out of here it was silent for a little. I didn't want to force Clary to talk about whatever was going on, so I was leaving it completely open to her.

"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day where my mother was pawning me off to a boy." She said and I laughed.

"Jocelyn loves me." I said and Clary smiled.

"That was a whole new kind of love." She said.

"We got closer while you were in the coma." I said and she nodded. "We don't have to talk if you don't want too."

"I want too." She said and I nodded. "You still mean everything you said last night?" She asked.

"Every single word." I said. "You know I would never lie to you."

"I know. It just seems to surreal to hear you say it." She said and I laughed.

"How long have you been in love with me Clary?" I asked and she started fidgeting with her fingers like she always does when she gets nervous.

"Since freshman year of high school." She said so quietly I nearly missed it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked and she looked up at me.

"I want you to answer a question for me. And I want honesty." She said and I nodded. "If I didn't almost die, would you have even thought about me in that way?" She asked.

"I don't know Clary, but it definitely would have come into question." I said.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Izzy came to chew my ass out before we found out about the crash. She told me that I was blinded by bottle blondes and big tits, and that I was completely overlooking you." I said.

"She wasn't wrong. You have a type." She said. It was almost painful to talk about this with her. "Which, I don't fit into by the way."

"Clary." I said but she cut me off.

"No, you date girls who are like 8 inches taller than me. They are blonde hair, blue eyes, big tit, and round ass kind of girls. You are literally going for the complete opposite when it comes to me." She said.

"I know, and that's why I feel more confident in you than I ever have in any other girl I've hooked up with." I said.

"You really want to see where this goes?" She asked.

"No. I already know where it's going to go." I said and she looked up towards me.

"Oh yea? And where is that?" She asked.

"We're going to go as far as life lets us go, together." I said and I could see her eyes gloss over.

"Are you sure? Because I don't think I can handle getting my heart broken by you Jace." She said. I rubbed my finger over her cheekbone and smiled at her.

"I have no intentions of breaking your heart Clary." I said and she smiled. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her. The kiss was everything I'd imagined it would be. Sweet, gentle, passionate, electric, and perfect. But what else did I expect? This was Clary, and she was the epitome of all those things. When we broke apart our eyes locked and she smiled. "So Clarissa, would you do the honor of being my girlfriend?"

"I would love to." She said and we kissed again. When we broke apart I couldn't stop smiling and neither could she. Suddenly her face changed and I was confused.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" I asked and she laughed and shook her head.

"No, I was just thinking back to waking up this morning." She said.

"What about it?" I asked.

"My mom and Luke were in the room…..when you called me baby." She said and I couldn't stop the laugh.

"It would appear that they were." I said and she hung her head.

"That's embarrassing." She said and I pulled her into me. "What even possessed you to call me that?"

"I don't know. I was still sleepy, and it just kinda fell out of my mouth." I admitted and she laughed. "Why? Do you not want me to use pet names for you?"

"No, I actually kinda liked it." She confessed and I pressed my lips to her head. We sat there in silence for a while and she was tracing patterns into my chest. "I never thought I'd be in this position."

"What? Paralyzed or in my arms?" I said not realizing how awful it sounded and I was about to take it back when she started laughing hysterically.

"Neither, but I appreciate the laugh." She said and I smiled. "I needed that."

"It's been too long since I've heard that beautiful laugh." I said and she leaned back into me.

Jocelyn and Luke came back shortly after and were pleased to find out that Clary and I were together. We spent the rest of the day talking and laughing and just pretending everything was normal, and I could tell it was exactly what Clary needed and I was happy to be able to give her that.

Time Jump – Four Months Later

Clary POV:

"Oh my god, you're walking Clary." The therapist said and I couldn't help but smile.

"I finally don't feel like an invalid!" I said and she laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I love my boyfriend, but I was starting to feel like a toddler every time I asked him to carry me anywhere." I said and she laughed.

"How about we go surprise him?" She said and I nodded. "We'll walk to your room and end your session there." I nodded and we started walking. "Now that you have mobility back, you'll be out of here in no time."

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again." I said and she laughed. We slowly approached my room and I took a deep breath. I looked at my therapist and she gave me an encouraging nod, and I opened my door and saw Jace sitting on my bed reading. I cleared my throat and Jace looked up and complete and utter shock washed over him.

"Clary? You're walking?" He said as he stood up.

"I'm walking." I said and he ran over to me and scooped me up. I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped my lips as he swung me around.

"I can't believe you're walking." He said as he put me down and I smiled.

"It was challenging, but this is totally worth it." I said and he smiled.

"I'm going to miss carrying you around everywhere." He said and I laughed.

"You liked that?" I asked.

"Of course. I got to hold you close, who wouldn't like that?" He said and I shook my head with a smile.

"My therapist says I might be able to go home now that I have my mobility back." I said and Jace smiled.

"That's amazing Clare." He said and I smiled. "But something is wrong."

"I'm gonna miss having you around." I said and he pulled me into him.

"Just say the words, and ask Jocelyn and I'll move into your house." He said and I laughed.

"You don't want to move on with your life? You can actually go to school Jace." I said.

"I don't want to be anywhere you aren't. I will be here to take care of you forever Clary." He said and I smiled.

"I know, I just want you to know that if you want to go to school, you can." I said and he smiled.

"I know." He said and he pressed his lips to mine. There was a knock on the door and we broke apart and looked.

"I was told by your therapist that you're mobile." Dr. Wayland said and I nodded. "All you have to do is fill out some paperwork, and you can go home."

"Thank you Dr. Wayland. For everything." I said and he smiled.

"I'll go get the paperwork." He said and than left. Jace didn't let go of my hand the entire time. When Dr. Wayland brought the paperwork back in Jace and I took a seat on my bed and I began filling it out. I was sitting in between Jace's legs and leaning against his chest as I rested the clipboard on my legs and filled it out. Jace was running his fingers up and down my legs, and pressing his lips to my shoulder. Part of me never wanted to finish filling out the paperwork because that meant this was going to stop.

Finally when I was done, I handed it to the nurse and she left the room. Jace and I started packing everything up so that we could make our trip home. After 15 minutes I was told that I was officially released and I couldn't get the smile off my face. Jace picked everything up and took my hand in his. We walked out of my room but before I walked away I looked back at it one last time.

"Come on, let's go home." Jace said and I turned and smiled at him. Home had never sounded more amazing in my life. He took my hand in his and we walked out of the hospital ready to begin a whole new chapter of our lives, and I couldn't be more excited.

Authors Note:

Okay, so I figured while I was in the middle of deciding what story I wanted to write next from your suggestions that I would write one from my own mind, and give you something so I don't make you wait a month before my next update. I thought about this story the other day and just really wanted to write something like it and I absolutely love the way it came out. I want to address a few things that I know you might have questions about, so here it goes.

1. The reason Clary doesn't drink, or like alcohol is because her father was an alcoholic, and it ruined his life. He decided to drink and drive one night and ended up driving off a cliff, ending his life (Clary was 12) Clary takes drinking seriously, and as of right now, she never wants to have a sip of alcohol, because she doesn't want to end up like him.

2. I know it seems like she's in the hospital forever, but thats just how long her recovery is taking her. They couldn't release her until she was able to walk by herself, and that takes some time for some people.

3. The woman that was originally misidentified as Clary had the same description that Jocelyn gave, but there was so much blood her hair was dyed red. Originally she was a blonde. You can imagine the confusion. Another reason she was thought to be Clary I kind of addressed, but I'll say it again. Everything was so chaotic at the scene that Clary was put in an ambulance and shipped off to a random hospital, and those EMT's weren't given any information on her.

4. I don't know a lot about brain injury, or what happens when you have suffered a major blow to the head. So a lot of the things are purely made up. Don't yell at me!

5. What the police originally told Jocelyn about Clary was true, but since there were so many people helping save lives, they were moved onto the next when they were relieved, so as far as the cops were concerned, they had very little to tell Jocelyn.

6. I know Jace would never be allowed in the morgue, but I said fuck it, and did it anyway! And I know it seems too perfect that the one shoulder wasn't burned, but hey I did what I did, and I liked it.

I think thats all I wanted to address thus far, but if you still have questions, I can try and answer them! Let me know what you all think, and I'll try my best to get back with a story from one of your suggestions! :)