A/N: so hi again, this chapter while quite dramatic will have some ooc-ness and I'm really sorry for that... I hate when characters are ooc but I couldn't help it I'm sorry *whimpers*

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Chapter 34: It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together than it does to fall apart

It had been a week since she was last at school and she'd spent the rest of the week helping out at the local sports centre and even with her broken leg she helped teach some kids and adults about different sports and how to play them. It was honestly what Cris had wanted to do, for someone so lazy she really liked sports. She didn't know why but it may be because it was a good stress reliever or that Cris just liked to win things.

Nothing had happened about the case yet but apparently the two guys had been reported being quite far away, to Cris' relief, and that meant that today, being Monday, she could go back to school looking as herself.

Cris smiled at her reflections, showing green-blue eyes piercing through the mirror and long straight dark brown hair that fell around her waist. She then sighed fixing her school uniform, thinking: you never know how much you hate something until you put it on.

She smiled nevertheless and pulled her phone out of the blazer pocket. She was now allowed back on social media but only to look through feeds and not to post anything, Cris didn't really mind that as she had to say one of the things she missed the most was the Tumblr.

The doorbell suddenly echoed throughout the whole home sending shivers through Cris' body at the familiarity. She heard faint voices at the bottom of the stairs, as she was currently situated at the top of them, that were so recognisable it sent more shivers to creep down her spine.

She heard one of the familiar voices go, "So, why did you call us here?" Cris smiled and hid herself behind one of the walls so she wasn't visible to the two boys standing at the doorway. Her smiled turned mischievous as she realised that she had no reason to hide, today was the day she was allowed to see them again.

Before her mother could answer, Cris sighed slightly and stepped out to the mouth of the stair case.

"If you did anything to my Tumblr, I will kill you!" Cris said looking completely serious, and in truth she was, but a small smile graced her lips. Jace and Will's heads snapped up to look at her, surprise and disbelief glimmered in their eyes.

They just stood there as if unsure she was really there. Then with what seemed like lightning speed they sprinted up the stairs and both boys pulled her into a hug that felt like it was crushing every single bone in her body. She didn't mind though, in fact she relished the feeling as she slung an arm round each of their shoulders and brought them closer.

She had to hold in the tears as she held her brothers even close to her and they both buried their heads in the crooks of her neck. She felt their soft breathing on her next and a single tear slid down her cheek without permission.

"I-I've missed you guys so much," Cris managed to stutter while her voice cracked and the tears now streamed down her face. Will drew back then to look her in the eye, she noticed how the barrier he normally held so closely to him, had been stripped down to its foundations which left only soft, caring blue eyes staring into her own. It was clear to see the moisture building up by his thick black lower lashes as he brought his hand up to the back of her head and brought her forehead to his own.

"Crisiant, don't do that again!" Will ordered, his voice husky with pain and joy cracking the surface.

"You nearly killed us you know, we don't know who we'd be without you!" Jace muttered into her neck, his lips moving against her pulse. Cris didn't say anything because she couldn't, all she could do was bring her the two boys closer to her as she tried to stop, but failed, the tears cascading down her face. At this Jace's arms, also, tightened around her waist and Will's grip on her shoulders intensified to the point of pain but she couldn't care less in that moment.

0.o.0

The three of them had bunked school that day, not to her mother's happiness but she couldn't find it within her to let her daughter and the two boys who were like her sons to go as they seemed like they needed the time to themselves.

They had spent the day just watching movies and eating junk food, they wanted answers from Cris but she didn't know whether she was allowed to give them so instead she went with a half-truth: that she had been helping out at the sports centre from Monday to Friday.

Cris told them everything else though; about how she wasn't allowed to see them, about when she woke up, about the surgery and even about Bertholdt, to which Will and Jace insisted, but Cris denied profusely, that Bertholdt liked her.

She had just enjoyed their company throughout the day, and she was so happy that she didn't even care about their constant teasing. They were so out of it that they didn't even realise it was now past four and the school day had ended.

When the last movie finished both boys checked their phones to see messages from their respective girlfriends. "I bet they're worried about you," Cris said to both of them as they sighed. Jace finished texting Clary first and he looked up at Cris, his golden orbs shining with something she couldn't identify.

"What's the matter?" Cris asked with slight anxiousness in her tone. "Look we don't want to tell anyone you're awake, they can find out at school, tomorrow but before you go to school there is something you should know," Will said his voice becoming deadly serious, that it sent cold tremors down her spine.

Cris looked towards Will who, she could tell, was trying to remain impassive but his features were slightly etched in worry. "A lot of things have happened, while you've been out," Jace started and she looked to him noticing he was deliberately not making eye contact. Something's really wrong!

"But first, what was the last thing you remember before blacking out?" Will asked keeping his voice monotone. Cris was confused with the question but answered anyway, trying not to let her voice crack but failing miserably, "Um, i-it, I mean, I-I was dra-dragged into one of the classrooms by this guy and he locked the door then everything went black," Cris couldn't keep it together; the tears now ran down her face as she buried her face in her palms.

"Cris, there's something we need to tell you," Jace started his voice soft yet stoic. Cris didn't look up at them just muttered, in a too harsh voice, "What?!"

While the boys were shocked by the coldness she betrayed in one word, Will continued, "At school something happened and a few people dislike you for it,"

"Why the hell would I care what other people think of me?!" She almost shouted to which they flinched. "There are two people who are not just other people in this," Will stated giving a small smirk. Cris just wanted to slap that smirk off his face but she resisted as Jace continued, "Clary and Tessa have been having a hard time thinking about what happened,"

"What? Are they alright?" Cris asked looking up at them with worry set in her eyes. "Yeah, they're fine," Will said looking down at his feet. "Then what…" Cris started but Jace stopped her by saying, "Cris, someone, we don't know who, wrote something on Ithuriel's whiteboard that listed the people you've slept with,"

Cris was shocked to the core but at the same time a sick laugh rose up inside her, smiling coldly Cris said, "Why would someone lie like that?" She hoped that the boys would get what she implied in that question that she in fact had not slept with anyone in the way they were meaning. Luckily the boys, no matter how stupid they could be at times, got what she meant and said, "We don't know, but all the people listed on the board, you have been close to at some point,"

Before Cris could ask who exactly was on the board of people she'd supposedly slept with, Will said, knowing her question, "The person said you slept with Simon, Jem, Jamie, me and Jace," Now Cris really didn't know whether to hang her mouth in shock or burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of it.

"You're kidding, right?" Cris asked but the look on their faces told them differently. "And Clary and Tessa actually believe that?" Cris asked once more unbelieving that they would believe something so utterly ludicrous.

"Yeah, they and the rest of the school, the rest of the group don't believe it though," Jace says and now both of them refuse to look her in the eye. Suddenly, to Jace and Will's shock, Cris burst out laughing.

She was laughing so hard that she doubled over clutching at her air deprived lungs. They just looked at her as if she had gone crazy, and maybe she had but who'd really care. After a few minutes of Cris laughing, if you could really call it that because after half a minute it was just wheezing, Cris calmed down enough to take deep breathes.

This time she managed to have enough self-control and said breathlessly, "By the angel, sorry I just can't believe people believe that," Will looked incredulously at her as Jace said, "You do realise this just adds the fuel to the fire,"

Cris looked questioningly at him, not knowing what he was talking about, when Will clarified, "People hate you Cris because their jealous…" Cris suddenly turning serious stopped him, as she now fully understood that people would use the lie against her.

Cris stood up and said, turning on the boys with a pained smile written all over her face, "Jealous, are they?" She scoffs coldly.

"They want to live my life! They can fucking have it!" She almost shouts at the boys before turning and storming into her bedroom slamming the door behind her. She locks the door quickly with shacking hands and then throws her crutches against the wall.

They hit the wall with a loud crash as it sends her bookcase toppling over; the books spilling out at her feet like a tsunami before the wooden case falls just before her. At that moment she didn't even care that her precious books were spilt around her ankles like the aftermath. She didn't care about anything.

Hearing bangs coming from the thick wooden door and shouts of pleas, she yells, "They can have my fucking life because I DON'T FUCKING WANT IT!"

She collapses on to her bed, the soft warm sheets giving her little comfort. Burying her head deep inside her soft pillows, she lets out a strangled scream as she allows herself to cry once more.