The cliffhanger with Sebastian was extremely difficult to continue for some reason. I'm so sorry, but I just couldn't put two and two together to make a story. So i decided to take Sebastian's character in a new direction and see how it plays out. let me know what you think in the reviews! People change, but he could also be faking it. You never know. Hell, I don't even know yet.

Sunlight beat down on Clary in the midday light. That feeling of warmth and peace settled over her skin everywhere the sun touched. Her stomach, her shoulders, her face, her legs. It was heavenly and the most relaxed she'd been in a while. That's what was important. Her body had been tensed and tight, wound like a rubber band ready to snap. So feeling like this was like getting that massage that she needed so desperately.

She sat up slowly and stared out at the water before her. Sometime that morning she decided that today was going to be her day. She didn't want anyone else around. No Isabelle. No Simon. For some reason, no Jace. It was her time to be on her own. Just herself with her music in her bikini having some of her own time.

It was one of the better decisions she's made lately. The quiet was much needed. It helped her wrap her mind around what Sebastian said that night before.

But her phone started ringing before she could decipher anything out of it. She reached across the sand by the lake, fished it out of her bag and answered with a, "Hello?"

"Hello to you too," Jace cheered through the phone. "How is my beautiful girl?"

"Perfect."

He chuckled. "You're getting a big head the more I compliment you. In fact, I think you're starting to sound like me."

"Oh, well," she shrugged one shoulder casually to no one in particular. "Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing is a different story, but there isn't much we can do about it now. I'm just stuck up and conceited at this point in my life," she teased.

She pictured him shaking his head as he laughed. "Where are you? I have a surprise for you!"

Clary leaned back and closed her eyes, relaxing as much as possible. "I told you I don't like surprises."

Jace sighed. "I know the last one didn't go all that well, but this one is different. No unexpected visitors. No walking in the woods with creepy creatures. No midnight fireworks. Nothing. Just you and me and a simple something I know you'll love."

"I'm still not convinced." In fact, she still hadn't gone out since the last time with Jace those days ago. "I'm at the lake right now and comfortable. I wanted to get away from the school for a bit and rushing back for some surprise isn't in my best interest."

"Is that because of Sebastian?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not going to let him do anything to you, Clary. I promise."

"That's what's freaking me out."

Jace was quiet for a moment. "Now I'm confused. You want him to try something? Or you don't want me to protect you?"

She shook her head and gathered her thoughts. "No, no, no. It's him, not you. But the thing is I still can't believe he didn't, like, do anything the other night. Isn't that odd to you?"

Jace sighed. "It's definitely weird. When he showed up, I figured he'd try to fight me or win you back or something. Instead, he just shows up with a necklace for you and leaves? I don't get it."

Clary knew exactly how flustered Jace felt. That night, when Sebastian showed up, it definitely wasn't what she expected. Gone were the anger and the hatred. Instead of being forceful like they expected, Sebastian had given her a simple necklace with a small star pendant. It was silver and simple, and with a small smile, he left after that.

And that threw them for a loop. They refused to actually talk about it. A mutual agreement was made that they wanted the night to be fun, exciting, satisfying, and focusing on Sebastian Verlac was not a way to make that happen.

But now that the time has passed, she couldn't help but let her mind wonder why he did such a thing. The scenarios and reasons ran through her head on a daily basis, but none brought her closer to the answers that she wanted or needed. And it was driving Jace just as crazy.

Clary let out a breath she'd been holding and took another long one back in. "It's probably best not to think about it. He's not getting me back no matter what he does."

"Good." She didn't miss the satisfaction in his tone when he spoke. "He doesn't deserve someone like you."

"And you do?" she teased.

"I never said that. I don't think I'll ever deserve someone like you."

"Why is that?" She grabbed one of her stray pieces of hair and started to twirl it, smiling to herself.

Jace said, "It's just weird. Things between us haven't been like my past... relationships, but then again, I like this one better anyway. Isabelle seems to think we deserve each other, but sometimes I feel like you're so out of my league."

"Why, Jace, I do believe your big head might have just shrunk a size or two."

"I'm serious," he stated. "You deserve better."

She decided that the best way to show him was to make him say it himself. "And what exactly do I deserve in your eyes?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, pausing for a moment. "Someone who is willing to put everything on the line for you at any moment's notice because he knows that without you, he's nothing. You deserve someone who drops everything for you. Someone your friends actually like. I feel like they all hate me and you fight with them because of it."

"I do not," she shot back. "Maia hates you, but that's never changing. And Jace, everything you've said is something you'll do. I don't understand why you can't see that."

"I don't know."

They were quiet for a moment, before Clary took a deep breath and said, "Someday, you'll see why you do, you know. This insecurity thing is starting to freak me out. I don't like it. The cockiness has to come back, ASAP."

Jace chuckled, a sound that brought a smile to Clary's lips. "Everyone gets insecure at times."

"It's just weird picturing you like that. Simon, yes. His middle name is Insecure. You, no."

That caused him to laugh out loud. "Poor Lewis, for sure. That punk will never know the word confidence, will he?"

"Maybe someday, Isabelle can help him with that."

"Maybe," Jace agreed. "So, was that a yes or a no to tonight's surprise?"

There it is again. He wasn't going to let this go. She figured that going along with it might be best. "What kind of surprise it is?"

"You. Me. Dinner. 7:00. it's over at Monte's, and those reservations are a pain in the ass to get. Now that it's not a surprise, you have to say yes."

"I'm definitely in," she beamed. A good dinner with Jace and no worries is just what she needed. This could be good. "Monte's is one of my favorite restaurants."

"I know. I did my research for that specific reason." She could hear the smirk through his voice. "I'll see you then, babe."

"Alright. Bye."

Jace always knew how to put a smile on her face. A dinner at Monte's is the perfect end to a relaxing day. She dropped her phone back down on her towel and lied back down, soaking up the sun again. Her eyes closed and she started to drift asleep when her phone started up again.

"Dear God," she groaned when she saw the caller I.D. This could either be really good or really bad. She hoped for good and answered cheerfully. "Hey, Dad."

"Is this Clarissa Morgenstern?"

She sat up slowly, her brows pulling together at the unfamiliar voice. "Yes, it is. Who is this?"

"My name is officer Pangborn, Pauling County Police Department. We've been trying to contact your family but you seem to be the only one that will pick up at the moment."

"Why? What's this about?"

"I have some bad news, sweetheart. Do you know the best way to contact your mother?"

"I can't believe it," Isabelle gasped, sitting slouched and broken. "It too crazy for it to be real."

Clary wished that she could say she looked like that. She wished she could look like Simon who was sitting there, pale white and shocked. Or Maia who was standing in the doorway with a saddened expression. Or like Jordan who shoved his hands in his pockets and had his head down. Hell, she wished she had Jace's strength too. His arms held her with a security that only made her breakdown even worse.

But instead, she was so weak and defeated that she could barely hold herself up.

It felt like she'd been crying for hours. She cried through the afternoon and had to get picked up from the lake by Jordan. She cried all the way back to her room, curled on her bed, and cried a bit more. How she even had enough energy to be awake is a mystery to her.

Jace's arms snaked around her back, holding her chest to his as she cried into his shoulder. She wasn't sure how long she'd straddled his lap and let out the tears like this. Isabelle's hold wouldn't have helped her this much. Jordan and Simon couldn't have either. Neither could Maia. At least his arms made her feel a little more calm and safe, but it didn't stop the tears.

"I never really liked Valentine, honestly, but a car crash? Just like that? It's messed up," Simon said.

Maia added, "These things happen. We all just have to be here for Clary for when she needs us. It sucks, but that's life."

"You're not helping," Jace growled at her. "If you're going to talk like that, get out. She doesn't need to hear how 'this is life'. If your fucking Dad died, you wouldn't want to hear that either."

Clary buried her head into his neck harder, shaking softly while she tried to contain it. Jace was right. The last thing she wanted to hear was that her dad was dead because life made it that way. She wanted to hear that he was coming back, that he'd be there for her on her wedding day, that it wasn't just her brother and her mother for now on. They went from four to three…

"Come on guys," Isabelle announced. The bed creaked as she seemed to hop from it.

"Where are we going?" Jordan asked.

"We're leaving these two alone for a while."

"But…" Simon paused for a moment. "Are you sure?"

There was a slight moment of silence and she felt Jace move like he was nodding his head. His hands stayed steady on her back and relaxed her more every time he touched her.

"She's in good hands," Isabelle said. "We'll come back later."

After a bit, Clary heard the sound of the door closing. Then she and Jace were alone.

Nothing was said for the longest time. Jace held her and touched her gently until she finally calmed down, but even then they didn't speak. She feared that if she pulled away, she'd lose her cool all over again. For the moment, his arms and his body was the only thing keeping her to her fantasy that her father was still alive for some reason, and she wasn't ready to let that go.

His arms moved up and down her sides in a slow, gentle caress. One by one, her tears started to fade and she slowly came back to reality. It could've been minutes. It could've been hours. But eventually, she took a deep breath and pulled back enough to look into the golden eyes that held so much emotion.

He smiled at her when their gazes me. "Hi."

Despite the gut wrenching feeling, a laugh escaped and a small smile broke out on her tear stained face. "Hi."

"So I heard Lady Gaga is coming to Atlanta. Did you want to go?"

"Since when do you like Lady Gaga?"

Jace looked insulted and with the most girly voice ever – one that resembled Tyler Oakley's all too well – he said, "Um, excuse you? I am a huge fan of hers. She is perfect. She's, like, my queen."

And just like that, he instantly made her feel like the world wasn't crumbling around her.

"You are so ridiculous," she giggled. She went from the mess she was to picturing Jace in a ridiculous outfit singing to Applause. It made her laugh so hard that they both somehow fell to bed in a fit, chuckling and cuddling.

She calmed down after a while, resting her chin on her hands where she had them folded on his chest. "Thank you."

He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome." He lied back, staring at her ceiling. "Do you… um, do you know what happened?"

She sighed. "Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Even though she didn't want to, she knew she had to. The last thing she wanted to do was let someone in, but maybe it was time to change that. Isabelle will never know everything, but should she trust Jace with it all?

Maybe not all of it. Not yet. So she answered with a simple, "It's just weird."

"What is?"

"Thinking that this Thanksgiving, he won't be there. Sure, he'd piss me and my brother off anyway, but I'm so used to him being around. He won't be at Christmas anymore. He's just… gone."

Jace's hands slowly trailed up her arms that were exposed in the t-shirt. "It will be strange. It's always hard losing someone close to you."

The way he said it was off. It was like he had experience in such a thing. She leaned up slightly to look down at him but he didn't meet her eyes. "Jace?" He just refused to look. "Jace?"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "I don't want to talk about what you want to ask me, okay?"

"But–"

"Clary, no."

"If I tell you, will you tell me?"

It was a stab out into the dark, but she might as well try to use some leverage that she's gotten. What could be the harm, right? Who was she kidding… this could be a disaster if things went south.

Jace slowly opened his eyes. His hands stopped moving on her and slid behind his head instead. She was prepared to speak first, but he beat her to it. "It's the whole reason I wasn't ready to be with you in the first place."

"That's what was holding you back?"

"My dad… he put it in my head that feelings will only get you hurt. He experienced it. I experienced it. And because of that, for the longest time I believed him. I stayed away from anything that I could get emotionally attached to and avoided deep contact on principle. I guess you can blame my dad for that wall that was built."

He sighed and swallowed. His eyes stayed transfixed on the ceiling.

"And that's why I hated the feelings I had towards you. I thought that if I pissed you off enough, you'd learn your lesson and leave without a word back. And as I would watch you go, I'd realize that I was the smart one this time. It's the best way to avoid heartbreak and pain. That road is best traveled once, and only once. I've done my turn." He drifted his eyes down and met her blazing green gaze. "That's why you scare the living shit out of me. I don't want to go down that path again."

Clary shook her head slowly. "I would never do that to you."

"Sometimes it's unavoidable, and that's the worst part."

Those words, those simple words and the conviction behind them hurt Clary more than anything. It wasn't that he was directing them at her. The fact that he was so adamant about it, so convinced that he was going to get the short straw in the relationship hurt.

She slowly sat up and straddled his hips, ignoring his warning gaze. Her hands pressed beside his head against the pillows. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He reached up and pushed a few stray strands of hair from her ponytail behind her ear. "You might not have a choice."

"I'll always have a choice."

"You don't know that," he whispered. "You never know when something might come up. This world can throw shit at you left and right. No matter how determined you might be about something, it isn't always the best choice."

Why couldn't he just see what she was trying to say? It was annoying her, and she had a point to prove. He thought she was going to hurt her, which was why he refused this situation for so long.

She had to show him otherwise.

And when she bent to kiss him, he reached his hand around and touched his finger to her lips, stopping her progress. Her brows furrowed and she pouted in confusion.

He shrugged slightly and smirked. "You're turn to talk, remember?"

She shook her head, yanked his hand away from her lips, and crashed her own to his. He gasped in shock at her forcefulness, but she couldn't help herself. The pain in his eyes was something she wanted to take away, and the pain in her own body was starting to press in at the thought of talking about her father. All she wanted was to be held, to be kissed, to know that he was here for her.

And that's what they did until they both finally fell asleep, two broken people in the same bed with worries that could crush them.

The worst sound to hear first thing in the morning is the blaring of an alarm clock. When she was in the best sleep of her life, she wanted to stay there. Sadly, school was not letting that happen.

Jace groaned into her stomach. Somehow, Clary ended up on her back in the middle of the night was Jace curled around her. His head rested on her stomach like it was a pillow and his arms had her secured.

It was the safest she'd ever felt in a long time.

"Turn it off," he mumbled, pulling her tighter to him when she stretched to turn the noise off. "Please."

She finally gripped the phone, turned the alarm off, and squealed when Jace squeezed her stomach through her t-shirt. They were both in their clothes from the night before, falling asleep without thinking about changing, and Jace's hands slipped under the shirt, tickling her side.

In reflex, she laughed loudly and attempted to push him away.

He smirked. "I didn't know you were ticklish."

With that said, she went from the best dream in a fantasy to a nightmare in reality. Jace was able to pin her hands above her head with one of his, using his other to have his way with her. She was completely at his mercy as he tickled her. They looked like children, but it was amusing. Even if Clary was the one that was suffering at the moment.

"What the hell?"

They both froze. Well, Jace did. It took Clary a few seconds to breathe and drop her smile before she looked towards the door and spotted Simon and Isabelle.

She sighed when Jace released her grip, settling behind her and pulling her back to his chest. "What's up, guys?" she asked cheerfully.

They stared for a moment in awe. "Um," Simon said. "Nothing?" It came out more as a question.

"Which is more than I can say for you two," Isabelle smiled. "Should we give you some more time, or…"

Clary rolled her eyes. "Stop teasing."

Isabelle winked and smiled, but nothing else was said on the matter as they all got ready for school. Jace had to leave and head to his room to get his stuff, so she kissed him goodbye at the door and thanked him for all his help. Without him, who knew how last night would've gone. But she didn't want to think about that and shook the thought away. If she wasn't allowed to leave until the end of the day, there was no point in over thinking it and putting herself under more stress.

When she walked back in, Isabelle and Simon were eyeing her from head to toe.

"What?" she asked.

"You two didn't do anything." Simon stated in confusion, pointing to her clothing. "You're still dressed how you were last night."

She looked down and shrugged. "We were both kind of spent and passed out by eleven. It's not that big of deal."

"Maybe he's not as bad as I thought he was," Simon regarded to himself. "But I do not believe his little act that easily. I still think he's just dating you to get in your pants."

That was the typical Simon act. He hated anyone that came near Clary. Granted, as of now, it was only Sebastian and Jace in the past. Sebastian wasn't all that great and Simon's first instinct on him was spot on. She hoped he hated Jace for reasons that weren't there.

So their morning went as it normally did before classes. They teased each other, joked around and tried their best not to talk about anything related to her family. The sky, the weather, the soccer game that weekend was all topic of conversation. And Clary was thankful.

They found an empty, round table in the corner of the dining hall easily enough. With their biscuits, bacon, eggs, and grits in hand, they slipped into the seats and began eating. But it wasn't three seconds after they sat down at that Clary's phone buzzed.

One New E-mail

She frowned, not used to getting this kind of thing so early. She opened it quietly and read the contents to herself, smiling wider as it went on and on.

"What is it?" Isabelle asked after Clary's silence got more noticeable.

Clary looked up to the eyes of her best friends. "I have big news."

"Clary!" Madame Dorothea announced when she walked into her art teacher's office. "I see you got my email."

"I did."

"I'm sorry I had to send your stuff early and without your permission, but the decision is still ultimately yours. Go ahead and sit so we can talk."

She slipped inside the doorway and closed it behind her, settling into the seat next to Madame Dorothea's desk. The office was small, crowded with paperwork, and had artwork strewn everywhere. There was so much to take in but Clary was more focused on the coming conversation.

And the past one.

"What do you mean your art work?" Isabelle asked in awe. Her hand fell, a piece of bacon almost to her mouth before Clary distracted her.

"Madame Dorothea might have possibly sent my painting of Jace off to some of her friends who own an art gallery in Atlanta. I could have a piece in a major gallery soon."

Simon whistled and dropped his biscuit. If it's enough to make Simon Lewis stop eating, it's a big deal. "So… you could be famous?"

She chuckled. "I doubt it, but semi famous for people who are serious about art."

"You'd be famous in my book."

"Thanks Simon."

Clary looked down at her plate, smiling to herself. This was huge news, and she was glad she got to share it with her best friends first. It was exciting. It was important. It might be what changes her whole life.

"So what exactly do you have to do?" Isabelle asked after a few moments.

Clary shrugged. "I have to go see Madame Dorothea in her office to discuss the details. I don't honestly know how this could play out. It's probably just going to be one time thing."

"You never know," Simon said cheerfully. "This could kick your career off."

"Maybe. I'm not getting my hopes up."

He narrowed his eyes and looked away. "Debbie downer," he mumbled.

"Anyway," Isabelle drug out with a sideways look at Simon. "If it does kick you off into some crazy career, what do you think will happen?"

Clary shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "Nothing spectacular, that's for sure. I mean, it's not like Atlanta is known for its art. Having a showcase there isn't going to get me any kind of massive exposure. I have to go somewhere that is more known for art than anything else."

Simon frowned. "What are the famous art cities then?"

"Most of those cities are in Europe," she explained. "I had to do a project on it in high school. Florence is the best place for exposure if I remember correctly."

"So what would happen if your artwork got sent over there?"

"Anything could happen," Clary answered. And that's what frightened her and excited her the most.

Clary looked down at her hands in her lap, waiting for Madame Dorothea to say something. She was typing on her computer with a vengeance, eyebrows furrowed in concentrations. Her outfit made this kind of thing look strange. She always dressed like a hippie from the seventies and eighties, and now she's typing away like a business woman that should be in a suit situation.

After what felt like forever, Madame Dorothea finally finished and closed out of her computer, turning to her left and smiling at Clary. "So what did you think?"

"About?"

"I know I sent the painting early," Madame Dorothea explained, "But I just couldn't wait. And my friend in Atlanta wanted to see it immediately, but the chance for you to say no is still out there. This way, you have the longest amount of time possible to think before you make a decision."

Clary leaned forward and twined her fingers together, staring down at them between her knees. "And what exactly am I thinking about?"

"Your future," Madame Dorothea said as if it was obvious. "This can lead you to exactly where you want to go."

"What if I don't know where that is?"

"That isn't a problem. When I was your age, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do either. It takes time to understand yourself, and this way you can start checking stuff off the list that doesn't suit you."

Clary nodded, feeling scared at the talk to her future. It seemed like it was so far away weeks ago, and now it's getting thrown in her face as if tomorrow starts everything.

Madame Dorothea pulled out a paper from the massive mess on her desk and handed it to Clary. "Here's the situation though. If you want your painting displayed, it wouldn't be in Atlanta."

Clary frowned. "Where would it be then?"

"Madison, my friend in Atlanta, and I both agree that what you are doing with your art deserves more than a showcase in ATL."

Clary slowly looked down and her eyes widened at the sheet before her. The letters across the top were clearly English, but it was still didn't make sense. She wasn't good enough for something like this, right? She wasn't.

"You want to send my painting of Jace to London?"

Madame Dorothea smiled. "Just for a test run. I know some people there that will take good care of it. Plus, if you get a positive response out of the English, we can start sending more and more until you have enough for your own exhibition."

Clary's mind was reeling at this point. "Wait a minute. You mean I could have my own opening?"

"It'll take a while," Madame Dorothea explained. "But yes. You could end up having your own opening. Let's just see how it goes with the first one, okay?"

Clary nodded, too shocked to say anything else. It was too huge for her to actually understand but it made total sense all the same as well.

She was having a painting, her painting, sent to London. She'd have it in an actual gallery. This was huge! She had to tell her family. Her mom would be so proud. And her dad…

That's the when the dread hit. All this talk about the paintings made her forget that one of her worst nightmares came true. She tried not to let it show in her eyes in front of her teacher, so she put on the best smile she could and looked up with shining eyes.

"Th - thank you," she said with a shaky voice.

Madame Dorothea smiled back; oblivious to the pain Clary was feeling. "We'll talk about when to send it off later. I have a class in five minutes."

Clary stood quickly and thanked her teacher again before rushing out with the paper of the London Gallery clenched in her hand.

And as soon as she made it to the nearest bathroom, she felt it. The weight of the world. The pain. The struggle. The loss. It felt like it pressed against her and squeezed her. It was hard to breathe, to move. She collapsed on the tile floor when she felt like she couldn't stand anymore.

This was going to be hard. Going home and seeing her family like this was going to kill her. Her mother… how was she even taking it? Better than Clary, she hoped. But she'd have to go home and deal with it. With this art thing on her mind, she'd have to deal with her father's death and funeral.

She thought she was going to be sick. Then, as it turns out…

She immediately lost her breakfast in the toilet.

But someone knocked on the door as soon as she threw it all up. She wiped her mouth and groaned, not wanting to speak to anyone.

"Clary?" a familiar voice called as he knocked again. "Are you okay?"

She froze and didn't move. This is not a way to fix any of this! Of all teh people... "Yes, Sebastian," seh said with as much conviction seh could. "I'm fine."

"I saw you walk in here and I heard you throwing up. You're not okay."

"I said I'm fine."

"Just let me help. I'm coming in."

She wasn't sure why she was surprised that he could unlock the door and made his way into the tiny bathroom. He was dressed in his soccer gear, teh gear that she always found attractive on him, and looked down at her with concern. "Jesus, Clary, what's wrong?"

"Stop." She held her hand up when he stepped towards her. Her body made it's way to her feet slowly. "Just stay there."

He did. One hand reached up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine."

This was awkward. He wasn't being the Sebastian she was used to lately. The awkward and unsureness was throwing her off. A month ago, he would've come in and dragged her to his room, asking questions and not caring that she was actually sick. He'd want answers. But now, he kept his distance.

"Um, do you need anything?"

She reached for the sink and started the water, dabbing drops on her forehead. "No. I'll be fine. Just... go. Please."

The worried glance was exchanged between the mirror, but Clary didn't say another word as he nodded and slipped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him and leaving her to wash up herself.

Stress... I'm soooooooo sorry it took so long to get this up! You guys waited forever but hopefully this was good enough.

Stay tuned for more later on :)