Hi everyone! I wrote this all on the one day, so could be bad. Anyways, thankyou to all of you who have stuck with me so far. And a warm welcome to people who have just found my story.

I still own nothing.

...

Jace watched on as Clary and Alec embraced, smiling like old friends. He was confused. How did Clary know Alec? How had he not known? How had Clary and his path never crossed before?

Clary's voice brought Jace out of his silent interrogation. "How have you been? Last time I saw you was when your parents kicked you out. I'm sorry that I just stood there..."

When Alec replied Jace's confusion just grew. "There was nothing that you could do Clare-bear, but I'm good. Really good. Since I stopped hiding I met someone."

As Clary's smile grew, Jace questioned the two. "So, how do you two know each other?"

"Oh, Alec is Izzy's brother." Clary stated like it was a well-known fact. "We grew up together." Clary paused for a moment, thinking that more of an explanation would be needed. "Izzy and I were always together. Sometimes at my house. Sometimes at hers. When we were at the Lightwoods, Alec usually was with us. If he was home..." Clary had a fond expression on her face, as she remembered when times were simpler.

"Alec usually came to my house," Jace stated thoughtfully. "And I guess, on the rare occasion when I was at his house, Izzy was at yours..." As Jace finished, the pieces seemed to slot into place.

Alec who watched the couple fondly as they figured out the similar past he shared with them individually, finally realised that they were still on the doorstep of his home. "Maybe you should come inside?" He suggested, as he opened the door wider to allow them to enter.

Whilst Alec was occupied with being a good host, Clary turned to Jace with one question on her mind. "Does he know?" She whispered to Jace, who sat beside her. His eyes looked blank and the lack of a verbal response told Clary that he had no idea what she wanted to know. "Does he know that this," Clary took Jace's hand and intertwined their fingers before she continued. "Was arranged? Or are we going to pretend? Like we did with Izzy?"

Jace gave her hand a tight squeeze. "Honestly? I haven't really told Alec much of anything." At the pointed look that Clary gave Jace, he rushed to explain. "I mean, I told him that I have been seeing someone, and that I think that it could get pretty serious. Alec just doesn't know, that we didn't originally choose this..."

"Jace, I know what it is like to want to protect them. Our best friends." Clary paused for a moment to take a breath. "This messed up situation that has become our lives. And I know that it doesn't end well. We have to tell him."

"I know. Okay? I know." Jace pulled Clary closer to his side, until she was curled into it. Jace was using Clary as a source of comfort and they both knew it. Clary didn't mind, though, because for once she was the strong one in their messed-up relationship. "And we will tell him, right now and face the consequences together." Jace meant for his words to be statements, but instead they came off more like questions.

Alec entered the loungeroom and sat across from the interlinked couple in the arm chair. Alec could tell that something had happened. The air was thick with tension from the lingering emotions left over from the conversation that he had missed whilst he retrieved the drinks that he had now set on the coffee table in the centre of the room.

However, Clary and Jace remained cuddled together, with Clary's head resting on Jace's shoulder and his on top of hers contrasted the obvious tension. But something caused Alec to ask, "Did something happen? What did I miss?"

Alec's questions caused Clary to give a small nod and if it weren't for the way that Clary and Jace were sitting, Jace would have missed it. He took a deep breath, not knowing where to start. "Alec, will you be my best man?"

The man in question looked confused. "I thought I misheard earlier. But I didn't." Alec voiced the thoughts that were causing havoc to his brain. "Jace, this is your definition of pretty serious? What happened to moving in together? Did you even go ring shopping? Or did you forget to invite Izzy or at least a best friend? Last week you didn't even want to tell me that it was Clary!" Alec took a deep breath trying to regain the little control he had lost over his emotions. "Can I please see the ring?"

Clary sat forward eager to explain the whole situation. She started at the beginning, with the finding out about the arrangement. And Jace simply followed Clary's lead. In little time it was all out there. From trying to help Izzy. The lie that they have been living. All the unsolved Aline drama. And lastly the fight that Clary and Izzy were currently in.

By the time that Alec knew it all, Clary was in tears. And Jace had wrapped his arm around her, and was placing small kisses on her forehead, trying to calm her.

Clary and Jace were too distracted with their moment, to notice the knowing smile that Alec was wearing. "Of course." He spoke, his tone sincere. "I'll be your best man. And I'll even fix things between Clary and Izzy."

...

"Is it safe to enter?" Simon called to Izzy, now leaning against the door that separated them. He still continued to talk through the door. Hoping that he would be heard. "We need to have an actual conversation about this. One that doesn't end with you crying or slamming the door in my face, but rather with the both of us calm. I'm so tired of this going in circles routine. With always fighting and only small moments of peace. It gets us nowhere."

Minutes passed. Each seeming to stretch for hours for Simon. But for Izzy mere seconds as she thought through his words. Trying to make sense of the internal war raging within herself. Neither side seemed to win.

But just as Simon was turning away, accepting his failure, the door creaked on it's hinges. It inched further and further open until Izzy could be seen as she leaned against the doorway.

"I'm sorry." Isabelle admitted in a small, quite voice. The word almost being missed by Simon. "I guess I still am struggling with the fact that my freedom and my choices have been taken away." Iz took a deep breath trying to calm herself. "And I forget that you are dealing with all of this too. And instead of me letting it bring us closer together, I can't get past the mindset that in some way, big or small, you had something to do with this."

"I can't. Who in their right mind, would want this? An arranged marriage with someone they have never meet?" Simon laughed at the idea. That someone would want and wish for his crazy, jumbled life. The person would have to be insane.

And then he realised that, it was the reason that he knew this passionate, amazing and absolutely gorgeous woman that stood in front of him. At this realisation he laughed harder. Because he was slightly insane because in some small way he was beginning to understand the reason why their parents had decided to do this. For the arranged marriage to be. At least it was the only reason that made any sense to Simon.

Izzy stood with her hands on her hips, and her eyes pointedly staring, unamused at Simon. "How is any of this funny to you? Are you stupid?" She couldn't help but smile when his laughter wasn't stopped by her questions. Or her death glare.

"Come on, it's a little funny. Someone wishing for our lives." Simon breathed between his chuckles. He had decided to keep the real reason for his roaring laughter to himself. It wasn't needed, though, for before long Izzy was giggling right alongside him.

And that was how they were found when Maryse entered the door. Still chuckling and leaning on each other for support, their stomachs long ago aching. When Maryse passed them, she didn't both to ask what had caused the scene, choosing to enjoy it with a smile upon her face.

...

Sometime later, Clary, feeling encouraged by her visit to Alec's with Jace, sat in the car on the way home. Her phone was in her hand, and a text message screen open but blank. Every time that she would type a message, trying to explain or at least apologise to Izzy, it didn't seem quite right. Resulting in the words being deleted.

Jace absentmindedly reached for Clary's hand from where he sat in the driver's seat. His attention never leaving the road.

Clary now had the courage to hit send on the message that she had been typing. It was simple but enough. It read: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

With in minutes she had a reply. "You're forgiven. Now about Aline…"

...

I'm sorry if it seems like I am picking on Sizzy a lot, all will become clear very soon…

I am still struggling with the reason for everything so if you have an idea please let me know!

Thanks for your patience and also to my amazing beta ShadowHunter303! Her stories are epic, you should read them!