**Disclaimer: All of the characters in this fanfic belong to Cassandra Clare, but the plot idea is mine.**

Hi people, here's part II of the two-shot! Sorry for the wait, but, you know... life. Anyways, thanks for the follows/favs/reviews, and hope you enjoy the ending!

Previously...

Isabelle stepped back. "I need you to go find Clary, and keep her occupied and in the back room. I'll take care of the rest." She looked over in Sebastian's direction with a smirk.

"How long do you need?" I asked nervously.

"Oh," she gave me a wicked smile, "about… 5 minutes. You can do that, right?"

"Five minutes." I muttered. "With a girl who hates me. Sure."

Isabelle gave me a mock salute before she turned to go. I sighed, returned the gesture, and began pushing my way over to the back room. No one saw me hesitate for a good minute before slipping through the door - which was clearly marked staff entry only. Hah.

The room was shelved, messy, and full of teenage boys twanging on various half-unpacked instruments. Simon I recognised near the corner, tuning his guitar and talking to -

Woah.

Clary didn't dress up much, she said she never felt the need to squeeze herself into scratchy tight dresses when it was so much more comfortable in baggy shirts. And I loved her for it.

But tonight… I don't know if she was doing it to support Simon or maybe for Sebastian, and at that moment I didn't care.

Her dress was skimming her knees in dark floating waves. It was simple and nothing like Isabelle's - so why was I suddenly trying to remind myself to breathe?

Her hair was half up, half down, fires and sunsets and autumn leaves. Her face lined bright against shadows, freckles like dustings of stars. Eyes so vivid that they drew the colour out of everything else in the room.

Simon saw me first, while I was still gaping like an idiot. His eyes flashed behind his glasses, and he murmured something to Clary that made her stiffen. She turned her head toward me, looking over her shoulder.

So beautiful it hurts. And you don't even know it. I saw her eyes widen, and then narrow.

I schooled my face back into neutrality, forcing myself to walk slowly towards her instead of fast in the other direction while freaking out.

Simon stood up, his guitar in one hand and the other touching Clary's shoulder. Clary was glaring at me, but wearily.

"Lewis!" I said to Simon, finally reaching them. "Did you miss me?"

Simon just glared. "Why are you here?"

"Go away, Jace." Clary said quietly. "Just stop." And her voice hurt more than when she'd yelled at me before. I almost wished she was yelling now.

I know you remember, Clary. We both yelled that night.

The thing about Clary was that she had always been able to see right through me. And it had scared me. I hadn't been used to people breaking through my walls. We used to argue about it, Clary ripping me bare with her words and me yelling at her to leave me alone.

I loved her so much, but we were too perfect to last. Too wild to have a chance.

One day - I forgot what we were even arguing about - I left before she woke up. I wanted to get my head back together, remember who I was.

Clary found me in the evening at some club. I was hardly even drunk, and I had barely talked to anyone all day. But she didn't know that.

I remembered her face as she finally saw me. I remembered us standing outside, me telling her she was overreacting and her yelling that she'd been looking for me all day, worried sick - and she'd found me there. And then we were both yelling, and I wanted to stop - I wanted to hold her in my arms and tell her I was sorry. But I didn't. And when she turned away, I knew - I knew that if I let her walk away she wouldn't come back. But I did nothing as Clary left.

And I've regretted it ever since.

"Clary, I'm sorry." I said now. "I wouldn't have come, but I really need to show you something. Please."

Her eyes narrowed. "Show me something?"

"Tell you something." I corrected.

"Leave Clary alone." Simon hissed at me.

But Clary bit her lip, putting a hand on Simon's arm. "Si… I can handle this." She looked back at me. "Fine. Just one minute, if you promise you'll go away afterwards."

I nodded, ignoring Simon's steely glare. Clary looked at neither of us as she walked over to the only space in the room clear of instrument junk. I followed her nervously. What am I doing?

"Well?" she asked, turning to face me. I looked around. Simon was still glaring in our direction, but no one else was paying any attention to us.

"Well… I…" What was I supposed to say? I should have thought this through more, instead of just barging in. "I'm sorry."

She raised her eyebrows. "You said that before."

I gave her an exasperated look. "Well, I'm saying it again."

"What for?" she folded her arms. Seriously, Clary, why do you make this so hard? "For being a prize idiot, for breaking up with me, for being a jerk to Sebastian or for not leaving me alone?"

"Uh… all of the above?"

Her glare only intensified.

"Apart from the idiot bit, of course." I babbled. "I'm definitely not - actually… yes, you're right. I am. I've done so many stupid things, but the worst one was letting you go."

"Jace." she looked aghast - maybe she hadn't expected me to be so open? I hadn't, either. I didn't know what I was saying, but it felt somehow right.

"I know." I said. "I know you have a boyfriend - who, I must say, I kind of hate - and I know you probably feel the same way about me that I feel about Sebastian. But I just wanted to to know that I'm sorry for what I did to you. But I'm forever grateful for all the time you gave me."

She was staring at me, and I was staring back, and it would be so easy to just lean forward and -

Clary swallowed, looking away. "Jace…"

"Alright, my nerds!" A guy yelled. Eric, I believed his name was. "Let's go smash this place with our quality crap music!"

The guys in the room cheered half-heartedly, getting up with their stuff and walking over to the door. Simon looked back at us, gesturing at Clary to come over.

"I have to go." Clary said quickly, starting to walk after everyone.

No - it hasn't been five minutes, I thought desperately. "Clary, wait!"

I grabbed her hand, but she shook me off. I thought of Isabelle outside, and Sebastian, and I suddenly felt sick. As much as I hated seeing Clary with Sebastian, I didn't think I could bear seeing her face when she saw whatever Isabelle had done. "Clary, please don't go out there."

We were the last ones in the room now, and Clary was almost at the door when her feet slowed and she looked over her shoulder at me. "Why not?"

"I - " I reached her side just she put her hand on the doorknob. She held the knob tightly, but didn't move. It would be so easy to kiss her. So terrifyingly easy.

"I just… don't think you should go out." I said lamely. And I saw Clary's eyes shutter, because somehow she knew what I meant.

And it hurt so much, because I wanted so badly to reach out, to keep her from opening that door. I wanted to kill Sebastian. I wanted to take Clary far, far away from here. I wanted to hold her close and comfort her… But I couldn't do that.

Clary's fingers tightened on the doorknob. "You can't stop me." she said, trying to sound defiant. Her eyes flicked down. Look at me Clary look up look up please look up.

"I know." I said quietly. "Clary…"

"I never said this to you," she said softly, finally looking up, "but I'm sorry too, Jace."

And then she pulled open the door.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light, to look round at the crowd and the band setting up and Sebastian -

Sebastian and Isabelle. In the centre. Kissing.

Isabelle was barely moving, but Sebastian had one arm wrapped lazily around her. His other hand was holding a takeaway coffee cup from the counter. Asshole.

Clary went rigid beside me, and all I could think of was how I felt only this morning when I'd walked in on Sebastian and Clary the same way.

Her breath hissed out of her teeth, and then she was moving before I could even open my mouth.

"Clary!" I dashed after her. Clary was fast, pushing past people in a blur of red and black.

Isabelle somehow must have sensed Clary coming, because she shoved away from Sebastian with a yell. "How dare you!"

Sebastian's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

Isabelle slapped him. Hard. And with her glossy black nails, it would have hurt. "You creep!"

"Sebastian!" Clary reached them, completely uncaring of the huge crowd of people now staring at her. I managed to get to her side just as she echoed Isabelle and slapped Sebastian on his already stinging cheek.

He stumbled backwards with a yell. "Clary, babe - "

"Don't you dare call me that!" Clary snapped. "Are you going to explain this to me?"

Sebastian opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked appropriately scared.

Clary managed to make even folding her arms look savage. "Of course. Don't even bother."

"I don't know what you're so worked up about!" Sebastian said hurriedly. "It's not a big d - "

"Yes it is a freaking big deal to me, Sebastian, and if you ever bothered to get to know me you would know that!"

"Clary - " Isabelle began, but Clary ignored her. "You know what?" she snapped at Sebastian, "We're done. I can't believe how long I was stuck with you, and I've had enough. Have a nice life."

Then Clary turned on her heel, shoved past the staring crowd, and walked out of the shop.

Sebastian, obviously unnerved by being caught out, turned on Isabelle with a sneer. "Smart plan of yours, bitch."

This time it was me who started forward, snarling "Watch your mouth."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "Why are you even here? Is it Clary you can't stay away from, or me?"

"Don't flatter yourself." I snapped, shoving him with one hand. Sebastian didn't expect that, it seemed. His stupid takeaway coffee splattered right down his stupid shirt.

There was a silence, while Sebastian momentarily lost his cool. He hissed at me, but Isabelle stepped over to my side. "Don't even think about it."

Sebastian glared between us, and then turned away, slamming his coffee down on the counter table. "This isn't over." he snapped, before turning away and pushing past people to get to the bathrooms. Probably to clean his shirt.

I turned to Isabelle. She was smiling at me half exasperatedly, half fondly.

"What?" I asked.

"Aren't you going to go after Clary?" she asked.

I blinked. "I…"

"Yes, you are." She shoved me in the direction of the door, and I awkwardly made my way outside.

Clary was sitting on the sidewalk, leaning back against the wall. I was torn between wanting to run to her, and to sprint as fast as I could the other way.

Instead, I took my time walking over to her, so I didn't startle her. Clary's eyes were closed, one tear track lined across her left cheek.

"I think I must have told you to go away about a hundred times today." she said, without looking up.

I stood there, looking down at her. "Well, you'd think after about a hundred times, I would have got my answer across."

Clary didn't open her eyes, but she sighed and lifted a hand. I took it gently, sliding down the wall beside her. Not too close, but enough that I could feel the ache of her body heat.

"I already knew." she said quietly. "About Sebastian."

I didn't know what to say. I was worried if I opened my mouth, I would blurt out something I shouldn't.

"He wouldn't answer me when I asked him where he'd been." Clary continued, voice even quieter than before. "He'd show up late, sometimes with marks on his neck that looked like lipstick. People tried - tried to tell me, Isabelle tried too, but I guess… I guess I didn't want to believe it."

I tightened my hand around hers. She didn't complain.

"It was just so stupid." Clary said again after a moment. "I don't know why I did it. Maybe I just… maybe I missed you."

I froze, staring over at her. Clary was still not looking at me. I missed you, missed you, missed you.

"Clary." I said, softly.

She took her hand out of mine. "I still hate you, you know." But her words had no venom.

"You - you have every right to." I replied. And then - because I was stupid and she was so close - I blurted, "But I'm still in love with you anyway."

She took in a sharp breath at the same time that I stopped breathing. And she finally, finally looked over at me.

I wanted to tell her that I didn't mean to say that, and that I was sorry, but I'd already told her I was sorry. And her eyes were sucking up everything I was trying to think.

Honestly, I didn't even remember which of us leaned forward - just that then, suddenly, we were kissing.

I moved so I could put my arms around her, and she leaned into me like we were made to fit together. And as much as I had tried not to think about Clary, about this, I couldn't deny how much I had missed it - like a gaping hole somewhere in my gut.

Clary was crying. I could taste salt, and feel the wetness on my cheeks like they were my own tears. Carefully, although it hurt, I pulled away. "Are you alright?"

"That's a stupid question." she said unevenly. I kissed away her tears, one by one, and she rested her forehead against mine.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't look away from her. "Will you let me tell you how much I missed this?" I whispered.

Clary sighed, but a smile touched her lips. All her tears were gone. "Okay. Tell me."

"So, so much." I murmured. "Trying not to think about you was like… like trying to breathe while I was drowning."

"You're such a sap." Clary whispered, smiling.

"I was told girls like that kind of thing." I told her.

"Only certain girls." she said, kissing my cheek.

"Girls like you?"

"Maybe." She stood up slowly, holding my hand. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

"I could use a coffee." I said, already starting to walk.

"You can always use a coffee." Clary rolled her eyes. "But good choice."

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked her, after a moment.

Clary looked over at me, and her smile was brighter than the sun dipping out of the sky. "Yeah. I am now."

And so we would find a coffee shop somewhere, and I'd drink vats of coffee while Clary would pretend to disapprove, and Isabelle would probably turn up with Simon attached to her arm, and then we'd all end up at Alec's and my apartment and stay talking late into the night like we always used to.

But for now it was just me and Clary. And that was enough.

You like? Please leave a review, let me know what you thought! Constructive feedback appreciated as always. :)

And since writing short Clace fics is actually pretty fun, if you have any awesome AU ideas you want to see, I would be super happy to hear! Can't promise I'll get around to it straight away, but I'll do my best...

And yeah thanks for reading, have a great day!

- s.i