One Hundred and Twenty Two Story:

Soulmate

Jace POV:

When I was young, I noticed a change in me around middle school. It was like one moment I felt normal, but the next I had this heavy amount of emotions on my shoulders, but I knew they weren't mine, or at least they didn't feel like mine.

It was a combination of sadness, and hatred. I didn't know why I felt these things since nothing had happened to me in that moment to make me feel these emotions, but I just went through my day trying to forget about it, and I did. Until another emotions took its place. Embarrassment. Sheer and utter embarrassment filled my veins, and I didn't understand. It didn't make any sense, but I could focus my mind on something else, and forget it was there for periods of time, and that's what I did, and that's what I continued to do.

Until one night, and I had a very vivid dream. It was an angel telling me that these emotions weren't mine indeed, but they belonged to the girl that I was going to fall in love with. We had this connection where we could feel each other's emotions, and once we found each other, they would intensify. I didn't really get it at first, but the more emotions I felt, the more I started to believe, and now as I start my freshman year in college, I still had these emotions weighing on me, and the only people who knew about it were Alec and Izzy.

Thankfully, I didn't have to leave either of them when we got to college. We all had the same dream when it came to furthering our education, and NYU wanted to give me a football scholarship, so it was like destiny that we went to this college, and going together made everything even better. They were the siblings I never had, and they were truly the family I always wanted, but didn't get lucky enough to have, and to continue my education with them was amazing.

Clary POV:

My mom dropped me off at NYU, and unpacked all my things, but had to get going because she was on the nightshift tonight, so I understood. It was going to be weird being away from her, since she is all I've ever had, but I was excited to be starting school in a new state, and away from all those people who constantly made my life a living hell.

I was just putting my clothes away when I felt a weird sensation. It was the feeling of sadness, but it was more intense this time. I don't know where it came from, but than I remembered that dream I had all those years ago, and it said that this would intensify when we got closer to each other, so maybe this was a sign that we were both at the same school, or at least in the same state.

I never told anyone about this incredibly unique situation. I was already bullied a lot, and telling people that I had a soulmate, and that I could feel everything they felt was not something that would help me out in the cool department, so I just decided to keep it to myself, and every single day I wondered who my soulmate was.

"Hey!" I heard someone say, and it pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Hey." I said back.

"You must be Clarissa, I'm Isabelle, your roommate." She said and I smiled.

"I prefer to be called Clary." I said and she nodded.

"I prefer to be called Izzy." She said and I nodded. "I think we'll get along just fine."

"I sure hope so." I said and she laughed. She dragged her suitcase into the room. "Do you need any help?" I asked.

"That would be great. My parents are helping my brother and his best friend move in, and I didn't want to wait for them." She explained.

"Your brother is coming here too?" I asked.

"Yea. We're twins." She said. "I'm 2 minutes older though, and I never let him forget it." She said and I laughed. "And his best friend since we were kids is also coming here. He's on the football team."

"That's nice." I said.

"Did you come with anyone?" She asked.

"No. I came to get away from everyone." I admitted and she laughed.

"Clean slates are always nice." She said. "Are you originally from New York?" She asked.

"No. I'm from Providence, Rhode Island." I said.

"That's awesome. I've never met someone from Rhode Island." She said. "Is it a far drive?" She asked.

"A little over 3 hours. It's not too bad." I said.

"That's cool. I'm from New York." She said and I nodded. "What are you majoring in?" She asked, and I had to admit, this might be the longest conversation I've ever had with someone, and it was kinda nice, but man did she ask a lot of questions.

"I'm an art major." I said. "What about you?"

"Fashion design." She said.

"Cool." I said and she nodded.

Our conversation got rather light after that. I helped her move all her stuff in and we rearranged the room to the way she wanted it. I couldn't care less about what it looked like, so I had no problem with changing it. It was nice to actually make a friend here already. I honestly thought it was going to take me months to actually make a friend, but Izzy was really nice, and I was happy that she was my roommate.

Time Jump – Later That Night

Clary POV:

Izzy and I were just chilling in our room. The TV was on in the background, and I was sketching while Izzy was sewing something when there was a knock on the door. Izzy got up and went to see who it was, and when the door opened, there stood two incredibly tall men. One looked exactly like Izzy, so I could only assume he was her twin, and the other looked like an angel.

"You didn't waste time making this place home Iz." Her brother said as they both walked into the room.

"Nope." She said happily. "Boys, this is my roommate, Clary. Clary this is my brother Alec, and his best friend Jace." She said as she pointed to each one.

"Nice to meet you." I said.

"You as well." Alec said. "I have to warn you though, Izzy can be quite the handful."

"You're exaggerating Alec." Izzy said with a laugh.

"We shared a womb for 9 months, I think I know what I'm talking about." He said and I couldn't help but laugh. "Anyway, Jace and I were hungry and about to get pizza, but wanted to know if you wanted to join Iz? And you as well Clary." Alec offered.

"Pizza sounds amazing!" Izzy said.

"I'm good." I said, but apparently I was going to be eating pizza regardless of my answer.

"Nonsense." Izzy said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me off my bed. We headed out of our room and took the walk to where the boys were staying. Everyone got comfortable and Alec ordered the pizza. Luckily I brought my sketchbook, and continued my sketch. I looked around the room and Alec, Jace and Izzy were all talking about something and laughing. I wondered if this was what I missed out on in high school by not having friends, but than again, it wasn't my idea not to have friends, it was the way the world worked at my school, and I adapted.

Time Jump – One Month Later

Clary POV:

College was already significantly better than high school. Izzy and I might be incredibly different, but we got along really well, and Alec and Jace were pretty cool as well. It was nice to have friends to each lunch with, or hang out with when we didn't have class. I may have missed out on this during high school, but I was happy that it was all working out in college.

Tonight there was a football game, and Izzy convinced me to go. Jace was on the team, so it's not like I didn't know anyone, but sports weren't my thing. We were sitting in the bleachers and I had brought my sketchbook so that at least I could have something to work on while the game was going on, and who knows, maybe I could get some good sketches of this game.

I was focused on my sketch that I was barely even listening to the game, but when I heard the whole crowd gasp, I immediately looked up. I had no idea what was going on, but when I looked at Izzy and Alec, they looked horrified.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Jace just got wrecked." Izzy said and I focused my attention back on the field. "Normally he gets back up, but this time he isn't." She said and I nodded. It was relatively cold out, so I can only assume it hurts twice has hard getting hit in the cold, so I don't blame him for not getting up.

After a couple more minutes he got up and walked over and the whole crowd started clapping. After a quick evaluation, he was running back on the field. He really loved the game, and did anything to play, and I had to admire him for that.

Time Jump – Two Days Later

Izzy POV:

For the past couple days Clary has been rubbing her shoulder religiously. She looked like she was in some kind of pain, but she never brought it up, so neither did I. She was constantly moving it around, and hissing slightly when she hit it on something, or leaned on it. It was weird, considering she hasn't done anything to hurt it in the first place.

I was meeting Jace and Alec today for lunch and when I got to the table, I saw Jace rubbing his shoulder in the same way Clary was. It was the same exact shoulder, and he was making the same gestures. When Jace told me about these feelings that he had, and how he had this vivid dream about a soulmate, I had to admit, it seemed odd, but maybe it wasn't that far fetched, and maybe Clary was the one who he was connected too.

"What happened to your shoulder Jace?" I asked to get a better theory in mind.

"I guess I hurt it during the game this weekend." He said. "I didn't really feel it until later though, but when I got hit I was just focused on the wind being knocked out of me." He explained.

"Have you talked to the trainers?" Alec asked.

"Yea. They think it's just stiff." He said. "Should be better in the next couple days. As long as I don't over work it."

"That's good." I said and he nodded. Alec and him started talking about something for class, and that made my mind start racing about ways to get Clary and Jace together to see if this thing was legit.

Time Jump – One Week Later

Clary POV:

"I have the greatest news ever!" Izzy said as she burst into our room.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Well, I was wondering how you'd feel about being set up on a blind date." She said and my jaw dropped.

"A blind date?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes. It wouldn't be for a couple weeks, since the guy I want to set you up with is super busy right now, but I think it would be really fun, and I think you two would hit it off rather well." She beamed.

"I mean, I guess." I said and she squealed.

"Okay, I'm gonna go talk to the guy and see how he feels about it, and I'm gonna set up the whole thing! You're going to love it!" She said before she skipped out of the room. I thought about the possibility of going on a date, my very first date, and part of me was excited, but I was also really scared that it wouldn't go well.

Jace POV:

I was in the middle of doing my homework when there was a eager knock at my door. When I opened it up, Izzy came running into the room.

"Where is the fire Iz?" I laughed and she had the biggest smile on her face.

"How would you feel about a blind date?" She asked.

"You want to set me up with someone?" I asked.

"Yes. I think you two would hit it off." She said.

"But I already have someone." I pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"Just because you have a soulmate, doesn't mean you have to stop dating until you find her." She said. "Just try this out, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. No harm, no foul." I pointed out.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." I said. "Football is pretty much sucking me dry these days, so having a night out could be fun."

"That's the spirit." She said. "Now, the next three weeks you have games away, so you're busy all weekend, but the week after that, you have a home game, so I figured it could be Saturday night."

"Works for me Iz." I said and she gave me a huge hug.

"You won't regret it." She said before she skipped out of the room and closed the door. I got back on my bed and continued doing my homework. Going out on this date could be fun, and I hoped that if there wasn't an attraction there, there was at least a friendship that could be built.

Time Jump – One Month Later

Jace POV:

For the past month I was looking forward to the night that I just got to enjoy my time and not worry about football, or schoolwork, but that all went to shit after the game last night. I was hit super hard and something just felt off. It was a paralyzing feeling, and I honestly thought I broke my back, and it was the most terrifying feeling in the world.

Which brings me to tonight, I was lying in my hospital bed tonight thinking about how I was supposed to be on a blind date right now. Izzy told me she thought me and this girl would be a good match, and although I already technically had someone, there was no rule saying I couldn't date until I found her. All morning I tried to get a hold of Izzy but her phone kept going straight to voicemail, so I couldn't even let the girl know I wasn't going to make it. I felt awful about it, but at the same time it wasn't my fault.

My TV was on but it was muted, and the same black and white movie was playing. Just like how it was since I got here last night. I hated being injured, but they wanted to keep me over for observations until Monday, and I wanted to play again, so I was going to listen to them. This is their job after all.

I was getting ready to fall asleep when I got this overwhelming feeling of sadness. Everything in me felt heavy and depressed. My soulmate must be experiencing the toughest situation she's ever faced considering I've never felt this from her before. It was something that made me want to hold her in my arms, and calm her down. Make her feel worthy, and special. It seemed like she never got enough of that, and I couldn't wait to be the one to show her what it felt like to be cherished because that's what I planned on doing to her.

This feeling lasted for a long time. The heaviness didn't leave me for hours. I tried to go to sleep, but the weight that I felt on my heart and how draining this feeling was, wasn't helping me. I felt lost, for the first time in my whole entire life, I felt like I couldn't do anything for someone I cared about so much.

Once it stopped, I had a feeling she finally fell asleep, and in turn, I finally went to sleep. But my mind kept wondering to who my soulmate was, and what she just experienced tonight. Than I got angry because I wanted to hurt whoever made her feel that way.

Sleep finally won me over and my dreams were filled with a blurry image of my soulmate. Things we were doing, our future, our happiness, and everything I could ever imagine. It was all right beneath my eyelids and I couldn't wait for the day that I got to meet her.

Time Jump - Sunday Night

Jace POV:

Tonight the Lightwoods were dropping by to visit. Since my parents couldn't be bothered to care about what happens to me, I was glad to have them as my pseudo family.

They walked in and they each greeted me with a hug. Maryse and Robert were talking to the doctor, wondering what happened while Alec and Izzy sat at my bedside.

"How was your weekend Iz?" I finally asked her.

"I will never go where there isn't cell service ever again. I mean, I could hear bites and pieces of conversations but it was really pointless." She explained.

"But was it fun?" I asked.

"Eh." She shrugged. "Plus, I kinda messed up." She admitted.

"How so?" Alec asked.

"Well, considering you're in the hospital right now, I'm guessing you didn't go to the blind date I set up." She said and I nodded. "Well, the date may have been with Clary."

"What?" I asked astonished.

"I may have figured something out." She said.

"The suspense is killing me Iz." I said and she laughed.

"I think Clary is your soulmate." She said and my jaw dropped.

"Your serious?" I asked and she nodded.

"It was earlier this year, when you hurt your shoulder really badly, and a couple days later I saw Clary rubbing her shoulder and than I saw you rubbing the same shoulder in the same way, so I came up with a few theories." She said.

"And you're sure?" I asked.

"I am." She said.

"That was her that I felt." I said to myself. "Last night I felt so much sadness and pain from her. She probably thought I stood her up."

"I had no idea you'd get hurt, and be in the hospital all weekend, and Clary called me this morning to tell me that her date never showed, and I tried to tell her but the service sucked, and our call failed." She explained. "I should have told you so that you could have reached out to her, but I just wanted you two to try and forget this whole soulmate thing and figure it out on your own."

"Isabelle, you don't know how hurt Clary was last night. It literally killed me that I couldn't do anything to ease her pain, and now knowing that I was the cause of it, makes it so much worse." I said and she hung her head.

"Do you hate me?" She asked and I sighed.

"I could never hate you Iz, but I wish you told me about your suspicions, and your theories, and your incentives." I told her and she nodded.

"I tried to call Clary back once I got back into town, but she's ignoring me, which I can't really blame her for." She said and I nodded.

"Thank you for trying to help Iz, it means a lot." I said and she smiled. "I can finally stop wondering who it is." She laughed.

"I hope it works out." She said.

"We're soulmates, of course it's going to work out." I said and she laughed.

"After the shitty life you've lived, sometimes your confidence shocks me." She said and I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"I got out of that house because of my confidence." I told her and she nodded.

"Alec, Isabelle, visiting hours are over." I heard Maryse say, and they both nodded.

"Thank you guys for visiting." I said and they all gave me one last hug.

"We're all glad you're okay." Maryse said before they all left the room. It made it my mission to find Clary tomorrow and explain everything. I can't take back what happened last night, but I can do my best to explain myself, and start fresh with her.

Time Jump – Monday

Jace POV:

I actually got out of the hospital last night a couple hours after the Lightwoods left. The doctor said that if I'm experiencing discomfort to come back in, but other than that I was good to return to my activities. I was thrilled, and by the time I got back to my room I was exhausted, and as much as I wanted to find Clary and talk to her, I knew I needed a good nights sleep.

So today it was my mission to find her. I knew she was an art major here, so I figured I'd start in the art building and if she wasn't there, to just search the rest of the campus.

It was still incredibly weird to think that Clary has been my soulmate all this time, but I was looking forward to seeing how we handle this situation and just how our future plays out.

Clary hasn't felt a single emotion since the night of our date, and that was the most intense night I've felt in awhile. She was so devastated, and all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and calm her down. I was completely in my own head until I passed a room where I caught a flash of red. I back tracked, and of course, there sat Clary, painting. I made my way into the room, and I realized that it was just her.

"Clary?" I questioned and she turned around.

"What do you want Jace?" She asked in an indifferent way.

"I need to talk to you about something." I said.

"I really don't what to hear it." She said. "I'm not in the mood for your sarcastic comments, or your know it all personality. I just want to paint in peace." She said and I sighed. This might be trickier than I thought.

"Well, too bad. This is important." I said and she turned to face me this time.

"Fine. Make it quick." She said sounding incredibly bored with me.

"It's about the other night." I started with. "Your blind date."

"You mean the date that stood me up? Yea, I'd rather not talk about that." She said.

"But it's important." I said.

"Look, that jerk stood me up. I was really looking forward to going out and having a good time. I sat there for 45 minutes, looking like a fucking loser." She said as her voice elevated. "At least wait until after the date to tell me you don't want to go out again." She continued.

"I get that you're angry..."

"I'm not angry. Not anymore at least." She said and I knew that was the truth. "I'm over it. I'm so over having emotions. All they do is get you hurt."

"Clary." I said and she looked at me. "I was your blind date." I said and her jaw dropped.

"What the hell? Izzy tried to set us up?" She asked.

"Yea." I said.

"Well, what the hell is wrong with you? Why the fuck would you stand me up?" She yelled, now she was angry.

"I've been in the hospital since Friday." I said and her face seemed to soften. "I got hurt, badly at the football game and they kept me in the hospital for observation. I had no idea you were my blind date, and Izzy wasn't around, or answering her phone so I couldn't even tell her to tell you I wouldn't be able to make it." I explained. "And later that night, when I felt how upset you were, I wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms, and I had no idea it was all because I didn't show up. I swear I would never intentionally hurt you like that."

"Wait," she cut me off. "What do you mean when you felt how upset I was?" She asked.

"Have you had this weird ability to feel things when you were young? Where you can feel pain, anger, sadness, disappointment? But you know it isn't yours, but someone else's. Someone who you are linked too." I said and her jaw dropped.

"No way." She said. "There is no fucking way." She said and I knew I had to convince her.

"When we were 13, something happened to you and you were in the most amount of pain I've ever felt you in. It lasted for hours, and I could feel not only the physical pain, but the emotional pain as well." I said and her jaw was even more dropped now.

"I broke my arm." She said. "When I was 13, I broke my arm when I fell out of my treehouse." She said astonished.

"When we were 16, I felt your anger for the first time. Everything in you was on fire, and later that day you were extremely sore, and upset." I said. "It was the most amount of primal energy I've ever felt from you."

"I got in a fight." She said almost ashamed...almost. "With my high school tormenter. I just couldn't take it any longer and something in me snapped." She explained. "I got suspended for 4 days."

"Nice." I laughed and she gave me a small smile. "And our senior year of high school, there was a moment when I felt pure and utter happiness. Something that I can only describe as pure euphoria." I said and now she gave me a real smile.

"That had to be when I found out I could actually go to college." She said fondly. "NYU was the only school to give me a scholarship for my art. Without a scholarship, my mom couldn't afford college, and the day I got the letter from NYU, I cried for 30 minutes because I was going to be able to pursue my dreams."

"I've had these feelings since I was young Clary, and I know you feel them too." I said and she simply nodded. "You probably feel a lot more physical pain and anger than anything else, but I know you feel when I'm angry or upset. Just like I feel it for you."

"I can't believe it." She said.

"Me either. And I can't believe Izzy figured it out first." I said and she laughed.

"She's a lot smarter than people give her credit for." Clary pointed out and I laughed.

"That she is." I said. "How would you like to retry that date?" I said after a moment.

"Really?" She asked.

"Absolutely. I was looking forward to it, but than everything happened, and I couldn't even let you know I couldn't make it. I owe you this date and so much more." I said and she laughed.

"Let's start with a date." She said. "This weekend?" She asked.

"I have a game Friday night, and we don't get back until Saturday, so I'll let you know if I'll be back in time for Saturday, and if I'm not, we can do it Sunday." I said and she nodded.

"Sounds good." She said.

"I have a meeting with my coach and the trainers, but I'll see you later?" I asked.

"Yea." She said. I gave her one last smile before heading out of the art room. That went way better than expected, but I was excited for this date, and I was sure going to make it there this time.

Clary POV:

When Jace left I immediately packed my things and headed back to my room to confront Izzy. It would have been amazing if she gave me a heads up and than I would have at least known about why my date got ruined.

I got back and opened the door and Izzy was on her bed, painting her nails, and catching up on her Netflix shows.

"Hey, I didn't expect you back until nearly dinnertime." Izzy said.

"That was the plan, but something came up." I said. She paused her show and sat up, motioning me to continue. "You could have told me my blind date was Jace." I said and she sighed.

"I didn't think you'd go if you knew it was him." She said.

"Than why set us up?" I asked.

"You're going to think I'm crazy." She said.

"It's because you figured out we're soulmates? That somehow we're connected to each other?" I asked and her jaw slightly dropped.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Jace came and found me today. To explain why he missed our date." I said. "Why didn't you text me when you found out he was in the hospital?" I asked.

"I was away for the weekend and I had absolutely not cell service. I even tried to use a pay phone to call you, but it wasn't working, and you know how much I hate pay phones." She said and I couldn't help but laugh. "And I kinda wanted you to see if you even had a chance without the whole connection thing out in the open yet. To see if something is there." She admitted.

"Something has always been there Iz." I explained.

"Really?" She asked and I took a seat on my bed.

"Yea." I said. "I didn't have this connection all my life, or maybe I did, but it didn't start becoming obvious until middle school. The summer before I started, I just felt something that I knew wasn't mine, but I couldn't explain it." I explained. "And I always wondered who I was connected with. Honestly, it scared me a little because I mainly felt anger, pain, disappointment. There were bits of happiness, but very seldom did they peak through."

"Yea. Jace had a tough life." She said and that got me curious to what he went through, and all those emotions I felt. It also made me realize how little I actually knew about Jace. I mean, I've only actually met him a couple of times because he's best friend with Izzy's whole family, but I didn't know him at all. "More often than not he was at our house just tying to get through another year."

"I could sense that he wasn't very happy." I said.

"Not for a long time." She said. It was quiet for a moment before Izzy gasped.

"What?" I asked.

"Could you feel him like...climaxing?" She asked and I instinctually threw my pillow at her.

"Gross Izzy." I said and she laughed.

"I'm just curious." She said.

"Well, the answer is no. I truly only felt anger, pain and disappointment from him. I mean, there were other emotions, but very rarely. And it's not like they were super intense. But they were strong enough that I could feel them." I said and she nodded.

"So what are you two going to do?" She asked.

"We're going to go out on a date, and see where it leads us." I said and she squealed.

"When?" She asked.

"This weekend." I said. "We're aiming for Saturday night, but he has a football game, and doesn't know when he's getting back, so it might end up being Sunday." I explained and she nodded.

"You ever think you'd be dating the hottest guy on the football team?" She asked and I blushed scarlet red. "Let alone him being your soulmate since birth?"

"I'm trying not to think about that at the moment." I said honestly.

"Why not?" She asked curiously.

"For one, I know the ridicule I'm in for once people start talking about our impending relationship, and it's weird to think he's the person I'm supposed to fall in love with. I've never even had a boyfriend before, hell Iz I've never been kissed, and my soulmate is Jace Herondale?" I rambled. "What am I going to do?"

"First you're going to stop freaking out." She said and I nodded, but my insides were still jittery. "Second, you're going to go out with Jace and enjoy your night and get to know him. I've known him since we were in elementary school, he has a cocky exterior, but he's actually a really wonderful and amazing guy once you know his history, and see what he's battled back from."

"What if he wants to kiss me?" I asked and Izzy laughed.

"You're soulmates, I'm sure it'll be the most natural thing in the world." She reassured me and I nodded. "And as for the other girls, they're ridicule you because they're jealous. Jace is a catch, and they all want him, but you get him, and you always have." She said. "Don't focus on the negativity, just shove it in their faces." She said and I couldn't help but laugh. "But you have to let me dress you." She said.

"Deal." I said and she hopped off her bed and hugged me. This date was going to be fine, we were just getting to know each other, and get a feel for the other person, nothing more nothing less. And that's what I had to remember.

Time Jump – Date

Clary POV:

Tonight was my date with Jace, and I was pretty nervous for it. There was something different about this nervousness though. I had a feeling we were going to have a good time, but it was still in the back of my mind that we were soulmates, and that really scared me. I mean, I'm just plain Clary Fray, and he's pretty much a hot shot around here. I feel like we don't belong together, but we clearly do, and that was so weird to think about. There was a knock on the door, and I was pulled out of my head. I took a deep breath and opened the door, and there stood Jace.

"You look great." He said and I couldn't help but blush. "Don't be nervous." He said and I looked up at him.

"You know, this connection might not be that great of a thing now that I think about it." I laughed and he smiled.

"I like knowing how you're feeling." He said as we walked out of my room. "It's nice knowing that a simple date makes you nervous."

"Well, this is my first date." I admitted, although I don't know why I would do that.

"Really? You've never been on a date before?" He questioned.

"Nope. I wasn't very popular in my high school. Quite the opposite actually." I said in almost a whisper. I hated confessing my insecurities, but for some reason I didn't feel like he as going to judge me for it.

"Is that where all the sadness came from?" He asked once we got into his car. "Where all those times you were at your lowest?" He asked but I couldn't look at him.

"High school was hell for me." I admitted, and I hated that I was getting emotional. "I dreaded going every single day. If it wasn't the group of girls who constantly made fun of me, it was the guys who placed bets on who could humiliate me the most." I sniffed. "It was horrible." I felt a hand rest on my thigh, and I looked over at Jace, who had a sad look on his face, but also an understanding one.

"I will never let anyone else treat you that way Clary." He said, and I truly wholeheartedly believed him. "You don't know how much I wanted to know who you were during your lowest moments. To do something to make you happy, and to get rid of all that sadness and pain."

"They can't hurt me anymore." I said and he nodded. "I've built a thick skin over the years."

"I have no doubt about that." He said with a smile. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to take a back seat when someone decides to pick on you." He explained. "You're my girl, you have been since the day we were both born, and nothing is going to hurt you anymore. I promise you that." He said and my heart just filled with love and promise. "That's what I like to feel." He said and I smiled.

"So, now that we started this date off on the more depressing side." I said and he laughed. "What fun filled night do you have in store for us?"

"It's not very fun filled." He admitted. "I wasn't planning on taking you to a carnival, but something else more personal." He said and I smiled and nodded. He started the car and we were off.

When we got to our destination, I realized we were at a park. Jace got out and opened my door for me and took my hand in his. He started guiding me through the park until we got to a blanket that was set up with a picnic basket, and some unlit candles.

"You did all this?" I asked as we approached the blanket.

"I wanted something casual, but also a place where we could really get to know each other." He explained as he lit the candles. "We've been able to feel what each other feels for years, now it's time to actually get to know who we're meant to be with."

"Well, you know part of my story already." I said and he nodded. "So, what about you?"

"Uh, that's kind of a sob story if I've ever heard one." He laughed, but I could tell it was a painful laugh.

"How so?" I asked, and I saw him stiffen. I could also feel his pain when I brought the topic up. I reached my hand to his and took it in mine to show him that I was here for him, just like he was here for me.

"My mother is an alcoholic, and my father is abusive." He said and my heart broke for him. "My childhood was a series of beatings, and learning how to survive."

"I'm so sorry Jace." I said and he looked at me and shrugged.

"I managed." He said.

"That doesn't mean a child should have been exposed to that." I said.

"I tried to spend most of my time with the Lightwood's, or at practice. I needed a scholarship to go to college, since I knew my parents weren't going to help me pay it." He said and I nodded. "I'm sorry you had to feel all my pain, anger, and disappointment." He said.

"You have nothing to apologize for." I told him. "I wanted to understand why there was no happiness in your life."

"There wasn't any room for happiness." He told me. "I was just trying to get through the beatings, and focus on how to get out."

"Are you happy now?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm getting there." He said. "When I'm here I don't have to worry about all that shit that I had to deal with at home." He admitted.

"Do you forgive them?" I asked.

"I don't think I ever really can." He said truthfully. "My mom married him, and had me with him, and she knew he was abusive. She turned to alcohol to cope and it just got out of hand." He said. "She did this to me and herself, and my father is just an asshole. Even if I was a forgiving person, I don't think they'd ever truly get that from me."

"But if your mom never married him, and she never had children, we wouldn't have each other." I pointed out and he smiled.

"You don't know how many times feeling your emotions made me realize that there was a reason to keep on going." He said. "I contemplated running away so many times. Just to get away. But than I feel you, and I realized that one day we'd get to meet, and it really helped me."

"I've never meant that much to someone before." I admitted. "I've only had my mom."

"Well, you've been helping me since I started feeling your emotions." He said. "You've always meant a lot to me. Which is why whenever I felt your sadness, I wanted nothing more than to help you through it."

"Well, we have each other now." I pointed out and he laughed.

"That we do." He said. Now that we got some of our personal story out of the way, I was going to look forward to getting to know who Jace truly was, and having him get to know me, and I was really looking forward to this journey we've already been on together, but now taking it together; side by side.

Time Jump – One Month Later

Jace POV:

Clary and I have been getting to know each other since the night of our make up date. I understood why she was my soulmate, we fit together so incredibly well. We have been on a couple more dates since our first, but as of right now we weren't calling it anything. We weren't dating, or boyfriend and girlfriend; we were simply two people getting to know each other, and it was working for us. That didn't make not being able to show affection in public any easier. I always had an urge to hold her hand, or be next t her. It also killed me to walk her back to her dorm room and not give her a kiss goodnight. But I didn't want to rush anything with her, especially since this was all new to her.

Clary POV:

"Clary, you have to stop freaking out." Izzy told me for the hundredth time today.

"Izzy, I've never done this before, but I'm pretty sure something is wrong." I pointed out.

"Why do you say that?" She asked.

"It's been a month since Jace and I started this song and dance, but he hasn't kissed me yet, we haven't labeled anything yet, and when we're in public he doesn't even act like we're something more than friends." I rambled.

"Have you talked to Jace about this yet?" She asked.

"I can't." I said. "What if he just wants to be friends? I mean, I'm used to being rejected, but being rejected by my soulmate, well that's a new low."

"Clary, trust me when I say that you and Jace are meant for each other." She said. "But I don't know why Jace is being so cautious, but if you want to know, you should ask him about it." She said and in that moment, there was a knock on the door. Izzy got up and opened the door and Jace was standing there. "What's up Jace?" But instead of answering her, he walked right over to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and I was confused.

"Um, yes?" I questioned.

"I can feel the nervous energy and the anxiousness." He said and I sighed. Of course he could feel it.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk." Izzy said before leaving the room.

"What's wrong?" Jace asked.

"You're going to think I'm stupid." I admitted.

"No I'm not Clary." He said. "What's bothering you?"

"What are we doing Jace?" I finally asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, we go out on dates, and we know we're each others soulmates, so why the hell haven't we talked about what we're going to do about it? I mean, what's with all the casual dates if you don't actually want to date me?" I got out.

"Is that what you think?" He asked.

"It's hard to think of anything else really." I said. "You don't show me an affection in public, we haven't labeled what we've been doing, hell Jace you haven't even kissed me." I said. "I mean, I get I'm not the ideal soulmate, but I didn't think I was that bad."

"Stop it Clary." He said and I finally looked at him. "The slow pace we're moving at has nothing to do with me being disappointed in you being my soulmate."

"It doesn't?" I asked and he laughed a little.

"Not at all." He said. "You told me on our first date that you've never had a boyfriend, and you've never been kissed."

"I knew I should have kept that to myself." I said and he laughed.

"No. I'm glad you told me." He said. "If I didn't know, I would have moved way too fast, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I wanted everything to be on your terms, and when we're ready."

"So you aren't disappointed with me being your soulmate?" I asked again. He laughed a little before moving towards me.

"Do you feel any disappointment coming from me?" He asked and I took a deep breath.

"No." I said.

"That's because there is none." He said. "Look, now that I know how you feel, we can change what we're doing."

"How so?" I asked.

"For one, would you like to be my girlfriend Clary?" He asked and I felt like a swarm of butterflies just filled my stomach. "I'll take that reaction as a yes."

"You could feel that?" I asked and she smiled.

"I could." He said. "You know how in the dream it said once we were together, the emotions would intensify?" He asked and I nodded. "I think it meant that we'd be able to feel more as well. I never used to feel emotions from you that weren't at their peak." He explained. "It was always the ones you felt so much of that I could feel, and I think since we're together now, we can finally feel more of them."

"That does make a lot of sense." I said and he nodded. "And my answer is yes." I said and he smiled. We were standing incredibly close, and my eyes kept flickering to it lips. I think he caught on because the next thing I know is his hands are on my face, and his lips to descending onto mine.

Once I felt his lips land, everything in me turned to mush. It was a feeling I've never experienced before, and if I wasn't holding onto Jace, I probably would have fallen over due to weak knees. Everything about it was perfect, and when we broke apart, all I wanted to do was kiss him again.

"How was that for our first kiss?" He asked and I laughed.

"Perfect." I said and he pressed a sweet kiss to my lips again.

"It was definitely worth the wait." He said and I laughed yet again. "I have a meeting with my coaches right now, but I'll met you guys for dinner?" He asked.

"Sounds good." I said.

"See you later Clare." He kissed my forehead and was out the door. I laid on my bed and just basked in the moment Jace and I just had, and it was absolutely incredibly.

"Is it all clear?" I heard and when I looked up Izzy was peaking through the door.

"He's gone." I told her and she walked into the room.

"How did it go?" She asked.

"Really well." I smiled. "He asked me to be his girlfriend, and than we kissed."

"That's great! I'm really happy for you." She said as she gave me a hug. "Come on, we're going to dinner." She said and we headed towards the cafeteria. We met Alec there and we were all eating and talking when Jace showed up. He bent down and gave me a casual kiss, and took a seat and started eating some of my French fries.

"How was the meeting?" I asked.

"It went well. Coach just wanted to talk about what we're going to be doing next year, and how since I'll only be a sophomore, I won't be a captain, but he wants me making decisions, and stuff like that when I think there needs to be a change." He explained.

"That's amazing." I said and he smiled.

"I'm glad my overload on practice all throughout high school paid off." He said. I nodded and we continued eating. I was super proud of Jace's speedy raise within the team rank was going. He was an amazing player, and I'm glad he's being rewarded for that.

Time Jump – Winter Break

Jace POV:

I was packing my things, and getting ready to head home. I finished my finals a couple days ago, but I didn't have to be out until this evening, and any chance to stay here and not go home was a good thing for me. Plus Clary still had some finals, and I wanted to be with her as much as possible. There was a light knock on my door before it opened and there stood Clary.

"Hey, how'd your last final go?" I asked as she made her way into the room.

"It went well." She said and I nodded. "I can feel the nervousness Jace, but you don't have to be home long, just until the dorms open back up." She said and I sighed and took a seat on the bed.

"Holidays are normally ten times worse than a normal day. A couple Christmas's ago I actually ended up in the hospital." I said and she gasped.

"Can't you stay with the Lightwood's?" She asked.

"I mean, I'm going to be spending the majority of my time there anyway, but from personal experience, if I don't show up at home every now and than, it just gets worse." I said and she nodded, and I felt her worry. "Hey, I'm going to be fine. Just like I always am."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." She said and I took her hands in mine and pulled her into my lap. "You're going home to get abused. I hate that."

"Hey, I hate it too." I said. "But it's only couple weeks." She nodded but I could feel something was stirring inside of her. "Hey, what's this unusual energy I'm feeling right now?" I asked and she sighed.

"I love you." She said and my heart skipped a beat. "I just love you, and I want to protect you, and I can't. It sucks." She explained but all I could focus on was the fact that she loves me.

"I love you too." I said and she looked at me with those emerald green eyes. "And I'll be okay."

"I trust you." She said and I pressed my lips to hers.

"Good." I said and she nodded. "What time are you leaving?" I asked.

"In an hour or so. I need to pack a few last minute things." She said and I nodded. "What about you?"

"Right after I finish my packing." I said and she nodded.

"Text me when you get home?" She asked.

"Absolutely." I said and she got off my lap.

"Be safe Jace." She said and I smiled.

"You know I will be." I said and with that, she was gone. I took a deep breath before continuing to pack. This holiday season was going to be different for so many reasons, but the biggest one was Clary, and nothing could bring down the fact that I finally met my soulmate, and she loved me and I loved her.

Time Jump – One Week Before Christmas

Clary POV:

It was the middle of the night, but I kept tossing and turning. I could feel Jace and I could tell that he was in pain, and that didn't sit well with me. I texted him earlier, but he never replied, so with the pain that I feel, and the anxiousness I have all on my own, it was becoming impossible to fall asleep. It was raining, and my room was silent, until I heard my phone start buzzing. I picked it up and saw that it was Jace.

"Hello?" I answered immediately.

"Clary." Jace breathed out.

"What happened Jace?" I asked.

"I couldn't stay." He said. "I couldn't stay in that town. It just kept getting worse, and I couldn't get away, but I can't do it anymore Clary."

"Where are you right now Jace?" I asked.

"Uh, I'm in some parking lot outside of the city." He said.

"I'm going to text you my address Jace, come here." I said.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can." He said.

"I love you Jace." I said.

"I love you too." He said and we hung up. I texted him my address, and immediately went to talk to my mom.

"Mom." I said as I poked her awake.

"Clary?" She questioned. "It's the middle of the night, what's wrong?" She asked.

"You remember Jace right?" I asked and she nodded. They never met, but I talked about him all the time. "Well, he kinda has a really bad home life, and he doesn't know where else to go, so I told him he could come here."

"Is he okay?" She asked.

"No. He's not." I said honestly.

"Of course sweetie. He can stay as long as he wants." She said and I kissed her cheek. She went back to bed while I went to the living room to wait for Jace. I could feel his sadness, and pain, and the closer he got, the more intense it got, and I hated that he was in so much pain. Home was supposed to be safe, not painful.

Time Jump – Three Hours Later

Clary POV:

When there was finally a knock at the door, I felt like I couldn't run to it fast enough. When I opened it up, there stood Jace, soaked, shaking, and just looking so broken. He walked in and pulled me into a hug immediately. We stumbled a little, but soon caught out balance.

"What happened Jace?" I asked into the crook of his neck.

"I don't know what happened." He said. "He was just so much worse when I got home." I pulled him over to the couch, and I put a blanket over top of him so that he would warm up.

"How bad?" I asked. Part of me didn't want to know, but I've been feeling his pain, and that made me curious.

"Everything was just so much more intense. Like he was taking all the aggression he had towards me out that he couldn't take out on me while I was at school." He explained. "And my mom rarely comes home and when she is, she's just a ghost of a woman." He said and my heart truly broke for this boy. "Earlier today he just lost it. He told me there was nowhere that I was safe, and that he was going to hunt me down and make my life a living hell." He said as she squeezed me hands a little tighter. "I told him my life was already hell thanks to him, and he didn't like that at all, so he lashed out, and I took some time to recover, but than I had to leave." He told me. "He doesn't know about you, and I figured it was the safest place for me right now."

"My mom said you can stay as long as you want." I said and he looked up at me.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I don't want you going back there Jace." I said honestly. "I never wanted you to go back. I didn't want to feel that pain again, and something has felt off this entire day, and I knew something was happening to you, and I couldn't do anything about it." I admitted.

"I'm sorry you felt that." He said.

"You have nothing to apologize for." I said. "None of this is your fault."

"I just wish I could have been stronger." He said as he hung his head.

"Jonathan Christopher Herondale." I said and he looked up at me. "You are the strongest man I know. Most people who deal with the shit you dealt with your whole life would come out cynical of everything, and just a down right asshole." I said. "But you are the most amazing, kind, loving, and supportive man I've ever met in my life. And I've met some shitty men." I said and his eyes softened. "This situation doesn't make you weak, it makes you stronger. Your father is the weak one, and so it your mother." I felt his whole aura shift and he felt lighter. "Stay with us until school stars back up."

"That's weeks away Clary." He said.

"So? It's just my mom and I here." I said.

"And you're sure she won't mind?" He asked.

"Once she knows why you can't go home, I guarantee you, she'll be begging you to stay as well." I said and he laughed a little.

"What did I ever do to get lucky enough to have you as a soulmate?" He asked as he brushed his thumb over my cheek.

"I guess someone out there knew we would need each other to overcome our insecurities and obstacles." I said and he leaned forward and gave me a kiss.

"I know it's late, but is it possible that I can get a shower?" He asked and I laughed.

"Absolutely." I said. "Do you have any clothes with you?" I asked.

"I packed my car with everything I need to go back to school. I just didn't feel like unpacking." He said.

"Okay, well why don't you go shower, and I unpack for you." I said.

"You don't have to do that Clary." He said.

"Yes I do, because you're my boyfriend, and you deserve someone to do things for you for a change." I said and he smiled.

"You're perfect. You know that right?" He asked and I laughed.

"Certain days I feel pretty perfect." I admitted and he laughed.

"Oh yea? Which days?" He asked.

"Everyday I'm with you." I said and he smiled.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." I responded before getting off the couch. "The bathroom is upstairs. The first door on your right."

"Thank you." He said. "For everything."

"Anything for you." I said and he disappeared upstairs. I went out to his car and unpacked all his necessary things for the night. I couldn't imagine what he went through since school let out, but he didn't need that so close to the holiday, or ever for that matter.

Time Jump – Next Day

Jace POV:

Sleeping next to Clary was something that I could definitely get used too. There was something so calming about holding her in my arms, and knowing that when I was with her, everything felt complete. Waking up this morning I didn't have to worry about sneaking out of the house, or what I was in store for. I was just waking up and having a normal day with my girlfriend, and I loved knowing that my day was going to be spent in a positive way, and not fearing for my safety.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked Clary as I pulled my sweater over my head.

"Mom needs us to run a few errands while she's at work." She said and I nodded. "But first I figured we'd go grab some coffee and a late breakfast."

"Works for me." I said. "Do you want to drive or do you want me?" I asked.

"You're car is the easiest to get out right now." She said and I nodded. "I'll just direct you." I grabbed my keys and we were off to run errands for Jocelyn. We got along the moment we met, and I think it was going to be very beneficial for me staying here.

Clary successfully directed me towards the diner that we were eating at. Everything here felt so small town compared to New York City, but I wasn't complaining. I liked the change of pace. We got to the booth we were going to be sitting at, and Clary took her coat off but didn't sit down.

"If a waitress comes over, can you order me a coffee? I have to pee." She said and I laughed.

"Of course." I said and she went to the bathroom. I sat there looking over the menu when I heard heels clicking in my direction.

"I haven't seen your handsome face around here before." A voice said and I looked up. "What does our town owe the pleasure?" She asked seductively.

"Visiting my girlfriend for the holiday." I said. It wasn't a lie, but clearly not the whole truth.

"Oh really?" She asked and I simply nodded. "She's one lucky girl to land a catch like you."

"I'm the lucky one really." I said honestly. "I don't know what I'd do without her." Clary started walking back over and I felt something shift within her. She was pretty content before, but now she just seemed nervous, and a little frightened. I think the girl in front of me noticed that my attention was no longer on her so she looked where my eyes were focused.

"Ugh, if it isn't freaky Fray." She spat at Clary. "I thought we finally got rid of you."

"Kaelie, always so charming." She said back rather venomously. There was another shift in Clary's attitude, the fear was gone, and in its place was confidence. Something I knew Clary struggled with. "Tell me, where is this rich husband you promised us all you'd have going to your rich fancy college?"

"It's a work in progress." The girl, Kaelie said. "Although now that I saw this fine piece of man, I might shift my attention." She winked and anger flared inside Clary.

"He's taken." Clary said possessively, and I couldn't help but smile. Knowing she was claiming her territory was pretty hot.

"Certainly not by you bitch." She sneered, and that's when I had to step in.

"Please reframe from calling my girlfriend a bitch." I said calmly.

"Really? You're dating her?" She almost laughed.

"Why do you make it sound like the worst thing in the world?" I asked curiously.

"Cause she's Clary." She said and I could just hear the hatred in her voice. This must be one of the girls who tortured Clary. "Plus she broke my nose in high school."

"Boo hoo, you had to have a nose job….again. Not like mommy and daddy couldn't pay for that one as well." Clary said and I just smiled at how confident she was now.

"At least I have a daddy." Kaelie snapped back. "What happened to yours again Clary? Oh that's right, he was killed in a prison riot because he was trafficking children into prostitution." She said with a smug smirk, and I had to admit, that was surprising. Clary didn't like to talk about her father, and now I knew why. To my surprise though, Clary didn't even flinch at that.

"You act like he was ever my father Kaelie. It may have bothered me in high school, but I'm done letting you affect me." Clary said. "My father went to prison before I was born, and he was killed when I was little. No love lost in that murder." She said.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed you grew a backbone since going to college." She said, and it almost sounded like a compliment. "Too bad you still have a laundry list of issues waiting to come out, and I bet he won't stick around to help your sorry ass get through them."

"We all have issues." I cut in. "Clary's issues don't make me love her any less." The girl rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She said before walking away. Clary sighed and rolled her eyes as well.

"I gotta say, that was pretty hot." I said and Clary laughed.

"I've learned a lot at college these past couple months, and one of them was that I just needed to toughen up and focus on my future and not on my past." She said and I nodded. "Kaelie tortured me in high school, but she can't torture me anymore. I have so much more now. You, friends, I'm getting a good education, and I'm finally really happy with who I am. Kaelie can't take that away from me with the same shit she's been holding over my head since we were kids." She said.

"That's my girl." I said and we high fived. I was super proud of how far Clary as come, and I couldn't wait for her to just continue to thrive in her education and her life. Things were promising for us, and I was excited for our future together.

Time Jump – College Graduation

Clary POV:

Today was the day that I honestly never thought would come. College was no joke, and there were times that I didn't think I was going to make it, but as I look at myself in my cap and gown, I realize that this is just the beginning for me.

I was graduating with the art degree I always wanted, and Jace was graduating with a business degree, but our junior year of college, he was actually being scouted by a couple coaches from the NFL. He was the most promising young player in college football, and I was incredibly proud of him.

At first he was super cautious about the whole thing. He didn't know if he wanted to play football professionally, and he truly didn't believe in his ability to be able to play with all the other men in the league, but as senior year started, I felt him falling more and more in love with the sport, and the more we talked about it, the more he wanted to play.

Which brings us to today, after graduation, we were all going out to celebrate and than Jace and I were going to start our move across the country. It was terrifying, but I knew that with Jace by my side, everything was going to be okay.

"You ready?" I heard Jace ask. I looked in the mirror and saw him standing there.

"More than ready." I said and we made our way to our college graduating, fully embracing what was coming in our future together.

Time Jump – Later That Night

Clary POV:

"Don't forget, if you get tired, pull over." My mom said for the hundredth time.

"We're going to be fine mom." I told her as I gave her one more hug.

"I'm going to miss you around here kiddo." She said and I smiled.

"I'm going to miss you too." I said. "But I'm glad you found someone." I said as I looked behind her at Luke. They met about 2 years ago, and I've never seen my mom happier, and that gave me enough push to up and move across the country.

"I'm glad you found someone too." She said and I smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too mom." I said.

"Let me know when you get settled in there." She said and I nodded. One last hug, and than Jace and I were getting into the car and started our voyage to Seattle, Washington.

"You ready to start the rest of our lives?" Jace asked as we pulled out of the driveway.

"More than ready." I said and we headed off, starting the future we always wanted with each other.

Time Jump – Ten Years Later

Jace POV:

The last 10 years of my life have been a complete and utter fantasy. There was no way in hell I ever thought that my life could be as absolutely amazing as it is to this day. Clary and I got married shorty after we moved to Washington, I was doing something I absolutely loved doing, and I was the happiest I've ever been in my entire life.

I spent the first 7 years of my career in Washington, but a couple years ago I was traded to the New York Giants, and thus I was back in my home state. It was nice being back. Especially since it meant I could see the Lightwood's more, and Clary got to see her mom more. Which was especially helpful now that we had a family. Roman was born 2 and a half years ago, and he was just the brightest thing in my life. He was perfect, and I couldn't believe he was mine.

Clary and I decided to take him to the park today to tire him out. He was the biggest ball of energy and sometimes I didn't even know where he pulled it from. He was always wired, and I can't imagine the days Clary has to deal with him when I was away for a game. When he started to slow down, Clary and I decided that it was time to take him home. I picked him up and he rested his head on my shoulder as we made our way to the car.

"Jonathan." I heard from behind me and everything in me froze. I slowly turned around and there stood my father.

"Father." I said back. I tried to forget all about him for the last ten years, but that didn't mean seeing him after all these years didn't get to me a little.

"I've seen you're doing well for yourself." He said.

"Now you want to acknowledge me because I made something of myself?" I spat back at him.

"Now, now Jonathan. Let's be civil." He said and my blood boiled.

"Roman, I need you to go to the car with mommy." I said as I put him on the ground.

"Are you okay daddy?" He asked, and I just smiled and kissed his head.

"Of course little man, I just know your mommy is really tired, and she needs to sit down, and I need you to watch out for her and your little sister." I told him and he nodded. Clary smiled as she took his hand in hers and they started walking away.

"Beautiful family." My father said.

"They are the best thing that's ever happened to me." I said back to him. I was done being afraid of him. "I finally know what it's like to have a family."

"You always had a family Jonathan." He said.

"That's the biggest lie if I've ever heard one." I laughed. "You hated me. Always have. And you know what I don't get Stephen, is how you could ever lay a hand on me." I said as I stood up in front of him. "I could never think of even hurting Roman in any physical way. He is everything to me, and the fact that you could beat me senseless and not care, is something I can't even comprehend."

"I don't think you'll ever understand it Jonathan." He simply said.

"You're right. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand how a father could physically harm his child." I hissed. "Look, I'd appreciate it if we never crossed paths again. I have my life together, I'm married to the most amazing woman I've ever met, I have the greatest son, and I'm about to have a daughter, so I'd really like to just forget you exist, and continue living my best life possible."

"If that's how you feel Jonathan." He simply said.

"You're done affecting me, and you can't touch me anymore." I said confidently. "I've out grown you Stephen, and I refuse to let my past interfere with my future." I said. "Goodbye father." I said before heading back towards Clary and Roman. Roman jumped into my arms and Clary walked over to me.

"You seem lighter." She said and I couldn't help but smile.

"I think I just got the closer I never knew I needed." I said and she nodded and I pressed my lips to hers.

"Eww daddy! That's icky." Roman said and Clary and I both laughed.

"One day this is going to be you." I pointed out as I strapped Roman into his car seat.

"No way Jose!" He said and I smiled.

"You don't know that little man." I said as I looked at Clary and smiled. "You're soulmate is out there somewhere."

Authors Note:

So, with me getting back in the gist of things, I'm still having a hard time finding inspiration, but I think this one came out pretty well.

One thing I'd like to mention about this one shot really quick is that, I am not a football fan, so I picked the team he would originally be going to based on the state that I really want to live in, and that just so happens to be Washington State! Also, I am aware that NYU doesn't have a football team, but for the sake of the story, they do, and they really kickass! That's all! :)

Now a lot of reviewers requested a one shot about soulmates since the very beginning, and I always wanted to do one, but never had a good enough idea, and it was actually the story 'Design' by ShadowHunter303 that gave me some inspiration on a Soulmate story. I loved the way she used Clary's art, and it made me want to write my own story about soulmates, and this is what I came up with!

Another reviewer, sarahbeth453 asked how many stories I'm going to do before I end this string of one shots, and I don't really have a concrete answer for you, but as of right now, I'm thinking of stopping at 200. I feel like that's a crazy amount of one shots, and I also feel like at that point, it will be a wide variety of stories that will make any reader happy to go through, pick out their favorites, and just continueto reread as many times as they want! But, I also said I was going to stop at 100, and you all really wanted me to continue, so if I get to 200, and you all still want me to continue to write, I have no problem with that either! It all depends on how I feel once I get to that milestone!

So, I hope you all will enjoy this one shot, and leave a review on what you think or with a new suggestion! :)