Hey guys!

I logged on to see if I got a review for the story, and I was over the moon to see someone comment about my latest chapter! I really do love this story though it had its flaws, but I think it's time to finish it off. In regards to the last chapter, what I said still stands: for now, this will be the last chapter and epilogue, but if you guys want me to keep writing, I'll do it!

Epilogue: 10 years later

Autumn was easily Clarissa Fray's favorite season. She sat on a bench in Central Park, taking in the view in front of her. The vibrant colors of the leaves outside gave her joy, and she wanted nothing more than to paint the scenery. Clary was walking home from work that day, and the calm environment led her to detour to the park she loved. As she sat there peacefully, a certain blonde popped up in her head.

It had been ten years since she had began dating the man she loved. Love. It was scary how much she cared for the beautiful blonde considering how afraid she was to date him. Jace was many things: he was sarcastic, caring, kind - but most importantly, he was patient. No matter what happened, he stuck by Clary's side without hesitation and constantly confessed his love for her as many times as he could.

At first, she felt incredibly guilty for making Jace feel like he did something wrong. When Clary was uncomfortable with something or had a panic attack, it was first instinct to protect herself from the perceived danger. He understood her every action, and though she couldn't shake her guilt away, his reassurance was all she needed to be honest.

Clary came to discover that relationships were difficult. She not only had to care for and support her boyfriend, but she also had to make sure she took care of herself. There was a day where she broke down from the stress of it all, her head swirling with thoughts of not being enough for Jace. He didn't say a word, and instead, he silently held her in his arms as she cried.

Though it had taken a lot of time to open up, Clary was finally able to talk to Jace about the things she had endured under Valentine. Her father was brutal, and talking about everything again was just as painful as receiving the abuse itself. What surprised her was that Jace was also able to talk to her about the abuse he suffered in the foster homes he had been in.

Clary had never expected that they both had similar experiences with abuse, and that only brought them closer together. Jace was her rock and she was his rock - at some point, she felt that she needed him to survive.

Through everything, her family had supported her without fail. Raphael and Jon had all but threatened to "kick Jace into next year" if he hurt Clary in any way, and Luke pretty much had the same reaction. Her mother was calmer about it and opted to have a heart to heart with Jace, who happily accepted if it meant he could be with Clary.

She was over the moon when she found out that Luke and her mother were engaged, and they had gotten married officially when she graduated from college. Shortly afterwards, Magnus proposed to Alec and the two happily married each other a year later, much to Alec's parents dismay. They never supported their oldest son for being with a man, but after a long time, the eldest Lightwood stopped caring about his parents opinions. He was simply content with living life with his husband.

Isabelle and Simon on the other hand, had not done so well. They were both different people from what they were in high school, but their relationship took a turn when they were separated during college. In that time, Simon decided that he wanted to put all his attention into being an author. He wrote about crazy, fantastical things, such as vampires and werewolves, which wasn't surprising to Clary considering how much of a nerd he was.

Isabelle couldn't deal with the lack of communication and affection with Simon, who was constantly busy. She broke up with him much to his dismay, but the two were able to move on amicably. They each found other people who they cared for deeply, which was all that mattered.

As Clary was lost in thought, she didn't even notice the person who sat next to her.

"Boo!" The man whispered into her ear lowly, causing her to emit a scream before smacking her boyfriend lightly.

"Jace," she huffed, "you really are an idiot. It's not even Halloween yet and you're already trying to scare the shit out of me." He couldn't help but laugh at his girlfriend's cuteness, and he proceeded to wrap his arms around her and pull her into his chest.

This would definitely not have been possible years ago, where Clary was more cautious of physical contact. Now, she was the one craving for his touches, which became more...frequent when they finally started having sex. She sighed contentedly and snuggled into Jace's chest, closing her eyes to savor his warmth. He looked at her lovingly and kissed her forehead before abruptly standing, lifting her up in the process.

"Jaceeee, I was so comfortable, you didn't have to move." Clary's whines fell on deaf ears, and before she could complain any further, her boyfriend spun her around to face her.

"Clare," he whispered, "there's something I want to show you. Will you come with me?" She was confused, but agreed nevertheless, grabbing his hand with her delicate one. As they walked in comfortable silence, Clary smiled contently, unconsciously grabbing her boyfriends hand tighter. He subtly glanced down at the redheaded beauty next to him.

Jace felt like he was still dreaming: his relationship with Clary had been nothing but pure bliss in his eyes. The two of them had been through a lot, and he had felt an enormous amount of self-loathing when he thought about his past actions towards his girlfriend. His deteriorating mental health and poor handling of his feelings led to him taking things out on a girl who had done nothing to him, and for that Jace felt like he didn't deserve Clary's forgiveness.

There had been a lot of difficult conversations between the couple in the past ten years. It was intimate and heart-breaking, and Jace knew he would never be able to open up to anyone but the girl beside him. As he led Clary towards an isolated viewpoint he had discovered a few days prior, his heart beat faster as his nerves began getting to him.

"Jace, you better not mess this up," he said to himself, "make sure you get it all out before you get down on a knee."

When they neared the designated area, Jace grinned and tugged Clary closer to him. She rolled her eyes playfully and followed him through some bushes, and on the other end was a view that she knew she had to paint when she got the chance.

"Jace," she whispered, "it's...out of this world, how did you find this place?" Clary turned around to face her boyfriend, who looked down at her with an impish smile before cupping her face gently.

"Well, I was walking around the park to find a really nice and quiet spot, and somehow I ended up here." Jace quickly kissed his girlfriend before grabbing Clary's hands and looking at her seriously. "There was a reason for me finding this place though, and Clare, I just want you to hear me out ok. There's nothing bad going on, I just wanted to, you know, tell you, well ask-"

Clary leaned forward and kissed him lightly, shutting him up from whatever he was rambling on about. "Babe," she laughed, "calm down, if it's nothing bad then take your time, you know I'm here to listen to whatever you have to say."

Though she appeared calm, Clary was anxious: Jace had been acting weird for a couple days, and she knew it was illogical to think he was unhappy with her, but the nasty, intruding thoughts wouldn't go unless she knew what was going on.

Jace looked at her emerald eyes and smiled as he intertwined his hands between hers. "Clary, whenever I think about how much I love you, I can't even explain it because nothing I say can fully get it across. I thought about it for the past few days because I wanted to ask you something, and remember you can always say no because if you're uncomfortable then that's all that matters, ok?"

She was beginning to get scared, but one look into Jace's golden eyes was enough to tell her that it was going to be ok. Clary nodded, and the silent encouragement was enough for him to get talking.

"Every day with you is bliss Clare, and I honestly can't wrap my head around the fact that you picked me." Jace's heart was pounding hard in his chest, but he managed to get his thoughts out. "We've both changed a lot since high school, and the one thing I can say I did right was confess my feelings to you because our relationship is everything to me babe. You are everything to me, and I'll say it as many times as I need to."

Clary looked up at her boyfriend with wide eyes, but opted to stay quiet.

"Clare, I know you struggled to see it for a long time, but to me, I've always seen you as the most beautiful, kind, and pure person I've ever met. You make me feel whole, and without you, I can't survive because you make me a better person. I love everything about you - I love all your insecurities and imperfections because that's what makes you the Clary that I admire. We've been together for a long time, and...I just, Clare..."

Jace wordlessly got down on a knee, and in that moment, it felt like time stopped for both of them. Clary was crying, her eyes showing how shocked she was at what her boyfriend was doing. He never broke eye contact as he reached into his pocket to grab a small box, and when he held it open for her to see, she felt like this was all a dream.

Jace wasn't doing much better. He was shaking, and his eyes were tearing up as he struggled with words. "I never want to be away from you Clary, you're my heart and soul and I want to be there for you in life and death. Clarissa Fairchild, will you marry me?"

Her eyes were blurry and she could barely see straight, but Clary knew where she was going when she leaped into Jace's arms. She was a sobbing mess, but feeling his strong arms hold her tightly made her feel like she was safe.

He was her home. He was the one she wanted to come back to every day, he was the light in her life, and he was the one she wanted a future with.

Clary didn't think twice before grabbing his face in her trembling hands and nodding violently. Jace's jaw dropped, and he shakily took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her ring finger. She didn't have a chance to look at it because her boy- no, her fiancé - kissed her, the force of it shaking her out of her reverie. Clary returned it with just as much passion, and when they broke for air, she gave him a watery smile.

"Jace," she mumbled as her hands found his face. "you know that no matter what happens, I'll always be with you, right? I love you idiot, I love you more than anything."

He put his hands over hers, grabbing them as if looking for support. "I know," he whispered, "I know. And I'll always be there for you Clare, you know that right? No matter what happens, no matter what you face, I'll always be there for you."

They both got up, each holding onto the other like a lifeline they couldn't bear losing. As they made their way back to their apartment, Clary and Jace spent the rest of the night naked, worshipping each others bodies with a newfound passion and love. As she lay on his chest, Clary couldn't help but feel like this was only the start of the journey she and Jace were on.

Through the darkness came light, and in that light she found a new hope. After so much darkness descended onto her life, Clary fought for her happiness, and in the end, she found someone who she had never expected to become her rock.

With a lingering smile, she drifted off to sleep knowing that her hard work and the support she received from everyone she loved had brought her the peace she desired.

The End.

ANDDD THAT'S A WRAP! I absolutely love every single one of my readers and I hope you all enjoy this last segment of Darkness Descends!