The next morning Jace found himself standing in front of the Jade Wolf. He had finally gotten the heart to go in and face not only the Luke but the rest of his pack as well. Even after more than 6 months and Alec and Izzy repeatedly telling him that it wasn't his fault, he still felt horribly guilty about activating the Sword and causing the death of so many downworlders, even though it had been completely unintentional.

And maybe he will be torn apart by the pack as soon as he entered (not that he was opposed to it, it would be a fitting punishment for what he had done), he still owed it to them, especially to Maia to apologize. Then there was the letter he had promised to deliver to Luke. He had procrastinated long enough.

"Are you going to stand there the entire day? Or are you going to come in? We don't bite you know, well, usually we don't" said a voice in front of him.

As he looked up, he saw Maia standing in front of the door.

"No. You don't bite. But you sure do know how to punch." He was still sore about that punch. She nearly broke his nose!

"Yeah well sorry about that. But you kinda deserved it. I mean not at that moment maybe, but what happened afterwards.."

The worst part was that Jace knew that was true. He deserved it. He deserved all of it. It was his fault, afterall. Maia must have seen something in his face because she continued

"Hey. You know I am joking right? All of us here, the entire pack knows the truth. About how Valentine manipulated you. We also know that to save us, you were ready to sacrifice yourself and that's why you touched the sword. Maybe the consequences were devastating, but we know that your heart was in the right place, Shadowhunter."

Jace really did not expect that but he was touched by her words. And could not resist giving her a hug. If she was surprised, she did not show it. She just hugged him back.

As they pulled apart, he finally asked "Is Luke here? I wanted to talk to him?"

"Sure. Come on."

She took him to the back of the restaurant. The front area was mostly empty with just one or two table occupied. And everyone was so busy that they didn't spare him a second look.

"Ever since Clary had that fight with you parabatai, she has been coming here alot. Most of the pack is now so used to the presence of a shadowhunter, that it doesn't even bother them." Maia said as a way of explaining.

Jace again felt a pang of guilt for treating Clary like that and for leaving her in this mess. But he put it at the back of his mind. He will talk to her soon enough.

They finally stopped in front of a door and Maia knocked "Hey Luke you have a visitor."

"Send them in" came Luke's reply from his office.

"So, shadowhunter, here you go." And with that she turned to leave.

"Um..Maia? Thank you. For you know, everything. And I know we had differences in the past but maybe we could start again?"

She just smiled."I would like that, Jace."

And with that she was gone.

Jace finally opened the door to Luke's office. He was working on some report or the other, but looked up when Jace entered.

"Look who's back? Take a seat."

Jace did as he was told

"So, Jace Herondale huh?" Luke asked.

"How did you know?" As far as Jace knew the downworlders have not yet been informed about his family.

"Magnus told me. We do talk once in a while you know. Although he did make me promise not to tell Clary."

Clary. The subject he was most curious about. "How is she?"

"She's coping and dealing in her own way. I wouldn't pretend to know what happened between her and Alec but it did mess with her in a big way. She has stopped going to the Institute at all. She refuses to go there even to train. Maryse finally had to send someone here just to train her. Simon too has been busy for the past few months with his own problems, so she's become even more cut off. I am really worried about her."

Luke was not the only one. Jace didn't know the problem was that bad.

"I was actually hoping you will talk to her. Heaven knows,she won't react well to the truth being kept hidden from her for so long. But atleast she will start thinking of the Institute as her home again." Luke continued.

Jace knew he was right "I will talk to her. I swear. But I do have some things I have to deal with first."

Luke just nodded. "So other than information about Clary, any other reason for coming to meet me?"

"Oh yes, I have a letter for you. I have been trying to get to know Stephen Herondale as well as can, and the Inquisitor told me that the one person who knew him best was his first wife, Amatis. So I visited her and she gave me a letter to pass on to her brother. And well, here you go." Jace finished somewhat awkwardly. "And well thats all."

Luke was staring in shock at the envelope. "Jace, I..just...thank you"

"No problem. Its the least I could do." With that Jace took his leave, but not before promising one last thing "I will do right by Clary. Even if it takes time. Also from now I will personally oversee her training. I swear."

With that he closed the door behind him.

As he came out of the Jade Wolf into the sunshine he was filled with a determination to apolgize to Clary and do what was good for her.

But first he had to go to Magnus' loft and pick up his clothes. Why Alec hasn't already done that in the past six months was definitely beyond him. So Jace got on his bike again. Next stop Brooklyn.