Clary ran to Jace's arms as fast as she could, flinging her body at him. He was caught off guard at her speed since she apparently didn't know what brakes were and almost fell. Her impact was forceful but he didn't seem to mind much in the end. Instead he ended up catching himself by bracing against the wall, pressing Clary into it.

She enjoyed everything about it. His body was pressed against hers. His heat and his strength were finally touching her after so long. It was like she'd never felt warmer or more complete. Like everything she'd been missing was finally in place.

"God, I missed you," he breathed into her neck. "I missed you so damn much, Clary."

That much was obvious, but she didn't want to talk about that. All she wanted was him. It had been too long since the last time they were fully together, and she couldn't take much more separation.

She reached up and wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling him back before bringing him forward again and crashing her lips to his.

He didn't waste any time forcing her mouth open, their tongues battling for dominance. She missed the dominate side of him, even if he was gentle at heart. She knew that all he wanted was to not push her, but she also knew that he wanted it all as well. And at this point, she wanted that too.

But the universe didn't. Her phone started ringing at that exactly moment, and they both pulled away. Jace's face was flushed. His eyes were darkened with lust. His hands pushed against the wall by her head as they both tried to catch their breath.

"You might," he breathed, "want to answer that."

She sighed, knowing he was right and pulled her stupid cell out. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey," Jocelyn said with smile-like tone. "I just wanted to make sure you got to Isabelle's alright."

Clary paused and Jace's brows furrowed in confusion. "Isa–" then it hit her. "Oh, right. Yeah. Isabelle is just… in the shower. But yes, I got here fine."

Jace smiled teasingly and leaned in, his lips brushing across her neck. He peppered small, gentle kisses to her skin. Goosebumps rose wherever he went and Clary's eyes shut in response.

"Good," Jocelyn said with relief. "Jonathan told me that you left and I was a little shocked you didn't tell me you were leaving."

Clary rolled her eyes but her breath hitched when Jace's hands ran up her shirt. "Um, yeah, sorry. I'll make sure to tell you next time."

"Get off the phone," Jace whined softly in her ear, nipping at her earlobe lightly. "Come on, babe."

Clary's stomach twisted in excitement.

"Just tell me when you're coming home, okay? Jonathan said he wasn't sure when you'd be back but if you want to stay a few days, I wouldn't object. I know you miss your friends."

Jace pulled back instantly and smiled at that. He mouthed "Days?" with a smirk that would make any girl drop her pants in a heartbeat. Clary included.

She smiled right back at him. "Thanks, Mom."

"Alright then. Bye sweetheart."

"Bye," she said quickly before tossing the phone somewhere semi-close to the bed and reached out for Jace. She wrapped her arms around his bare shoulders and jumped, crashing her mouth to his while wrapping her legs around his slim, strong waist.

He caught her with ease and slammed her against the wall, knocking a few random paintings down to the floor. He didn't seem to care and just assaulted her mouth with this, running his hands along her back and lifting her shirt and sweatshirt. It was driving her crazy. The simple touches that contained so much lust were a mix that had her going wild.

He pulled back eventually. "So, I have plenty of time to have my way with you now, huh?"

She smirked, twisting a strand of his hair in between her fingers. "Is that a problem?"

"That's the solution," he said before pulling her back to him, kissing her harder than before. His tongue pushed into her mouth and she moaned against him, feeling hot.

And she felt like she was suffocating as well.

"Jace?" she moaned, pulling back. "Get this thing off me."

He pulled his brows together. "What thing?"

"Everything."

"You sure you don't want to just have a long talk first?" he teased with a wink.

Clary gave him a look of disbelief. "Jace, do I have to spell it out of you? I want you to take this off," she gestured to her clothes, "And take this off," she touched the waistband of his shorts, tugging lightly until she heard a grunt from deep within his throat, "And then I want you to take me. Understand?"

It was like watching his eyes go from a darkened gold to straight black. Clary could see herself reflected in them, how hot and flustered and lustful she was.

She was so caught in the look in his eyes and what she saw in them that she didn't realize Jace had moved before she was dropped to the bed. Her body bounced and she slightly giggled, looking up at him with a want in her green irises.

He was staring down at her in awe. "Did you just… giggle? This is serious business, young lady. No giggling allowed."

She shrugged. "Just get over here."

He did. He slowly made his way over and reached for her jacket and shirt. Inch by inch, he slowly pulled it up her body, touching her skin as he went. Clary felt her skin rise up on her stomach and her chest move up and down rapidly as he pushed it up and over her head.

His hands reached hers as soon as he finished and he bent down, kissing her stomach lightly. Clary pulled at his grasp, wishing to run her fingers through his golden locks but he refused. He always did this, and it drove her mad as he held her down, making her helpless. His lips and tongue teased her flesh as he controlled her in the most erotic way possible.

She squeezed his hands when he tugged at her bra with his teeth. "Jace, just take it off."

He shook his head and continued kissing her body. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were turning into a wanton woman, dear Clary."

"Maybe because my boyfriend refuses to do anything about it."

He chuckled against her skin, moving up to kiss at her sweets spot. She groaned when he sucked the skin in her mouth, sucking harshly and more than likely leaving a bruised hickie again. He always did. It shouldn't even be a surprise anymore.

Finally, after what felt like ages, he released her hands and they immediately flew to his hair. She dragged his mouth to hers, kissing him hard and demanding as one hand snaked around her back. He popped the hook on her lace bra and pulled at the front, tugging it off her body and tossing it to the floor.

They both groaned in excitement and ecstasy when their bare chests pressed against each other. It was skin on skin. The sweat between the two from the heat made their bodies slick and slide easier, but Clary wasn't complaining. She was just happy to finally be here, to be enjoying it.

Jace's hands explored her body as her own explored his. She felt the dips in his back, the hard muscles under the skin. Her favorite part was the curves in his abs that she would never get sick of. Something about that just drove her wild and it made her want to get this moving.

To prove her point, she slid her hand down slowly until she reached the band of his pants. Her fingers trailed the outside skin, satisfaction coursing through her at the moans and movements coming above her, and she dipped her hand inside.

But Jace froze.

"What?" she asked, pulling her hand back instantly.

He shook his head and grabbed her hand, slowly pulling it back to its original position. "Don't stop," he begged. "I was just caught off guard a bit."

She felt the confidence come back slowly as he bent down and pressed his lips to hers gently. Nothing too deep but simple kisses as Jace popped the front button on her jeans.

"I'm missed you so damn much" he said, pulling down her zipper slowly. "So fucking much."

"Just rip it off, Jace, please."

He did, yanking her pants off faster than she could've noticed herself. Suddenly she was bare, completely and utterly bare since her panties were pulled off as well.

Jace gasped as he looked her over. She felt her entire body flush and the need to cover up was more apparent, but he didn't give her any time to think before his lips were on her skin.

He started at her stomach, kissed down and across her hips before touching his lips to her legs. He kissed her calves, her ankles, and her thighs. She was so heated by the time he had gone down and back up to her lips that she was breathing like she just ran a thirty mile marathon.

"You okay?" he teased, brushing his lips across her forehead. "You're panting like a dog in heat."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed him, flipping them over until her naked body straddled his barely clothed one. "Would you rather I not be this into it?"

He shook his head with a smile.

"That's what I thought," she said before reaching down and grabbing his shorts, yanking them off as smoothly as she could. His breath caught and she watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head when her hand brushed against him. He was biting his lip and the vein on his neck was more apparent.

The sight was perfect. How she ever got so lucky would be completely beyond her. Yes, they both had issues, but she was able to look past them. This thing they had couldn't be broken up by a few drunken mistakes. They were going to get past that. They had gotten past that. But if it wasn't one thing, it was another. The distance thing was going to complicate things, but with Jace here right now, she didn't want to think about anything but that.

This time when they kissed, it was slower. It was all passion and lust until then, and Jace slowly flipped them again, kissing her like she was precious glass that could break any moment.

"I love you, Clary," he said with conviction, pulling back to look into her eyes.

She smiled and kissed his throat. "Is that because I let you into my pants?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "And it's because you're the most amazing person I've ever met."

"I guess you're alright," she said as she kissed his lips again.

Throughout the kissing and the touching and the loving, Jace managed to reach into the drawer next to the bed and pull out the box of condoms that he brought with him. He ripped one open easily enough and slid it onto himself, kissing Clary while he pushed in gently.

She hissed at first, the pain a little more apparent and overwhelming than she expected. Her first time was over, so she was hoping it would be just pleasurable. That wasn't the case just yet. Jace froze instantly, looking at her with a worried gaze.

"We don't have to–"

She cut him off with a kiss, not wanting to stop in the slightest. She wanted this and only this, and a little pain wasn't going to be the reason that they stopped. She'd done it twice before, so she could handle it this time.

She moved her hips against his gently, testing the waters. He groaned and bit her lip, sending a shock of pleasure through her. Her hips moved experimentally again against him, and when she felt nothing but the pleasure, she sighed contently.

"Move, Jace," she begged, wrapping her legs around his hips. "Please move."

It wasn't perfect. They laughed when Jace would slip and fall, causing both of them to turn into a fit of giggles. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't the butch seducer that he tried to be. He tried to be all sexy, which she loved when it worked, but sometimes she'd just laugh when his hand would slip or he'd miss her lips when trying to kiss her. Clary had a way of keeping him from turning into someone too arrogant, and it was vice versa. Instead of being shy, he made her feel confident but goofy and loved.

There weren't any expectations for either of them. It wasn't some kind of performance. It wasn't a production. That's what made it so valuable to Clary. They were both loud. They were both clumsy. Nothing was too serious or played out. It was embarrassing; it was encouraging. Instead of worrying about her insecurities, Jace made her realize that everything about her was everything Jace loved. Instead of thinking about it, she just let her body go and did what was natural.

They held each other tight, nipped at skin, pulled and pushed, and held on as long as they could. There was no pressure with Jace. No expectations. Just the love and the lust that drove each over the edge until they collapsed in a heated passion on the bed.

He whispered sweet nothings in her ear the whole time and continued with that as they lay there, kissing her skin softly after it was over. They were breathing hard and tired, but slowly started to catch their breath. She let his fingers dance across her skin, and somehow the goosebumps still arose at his touch.

"Your hair is a mess," he teased, pushing it back from her face. She felt like slapping him until he said, "And yet you're still gorgeous."

Clary kissed the spot on her chest where her head lied, wrapping her arms around his bare body and curling into him. "Somehow, I believe you."

"You should. I wouldn't be with anyone less perfect than myself."

She rolled her eyes. "Still egotistical and yet so sweet."

"It's a gift," he teased. "Now, what to do with all this free time we were given," he wondered aloud, tip-toeing his fingers around her back and shoulders softly.

Clary lifted her head and gave him a teasing smile. "I have an idea."

He pressed his entire hand on her back this time. "You do, do you?"

She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. Not a kiss, but the feeling was still there. "Want to hear it?"

He brought her forward and kissed her hard, pulling her down to him again. "Enlighten me."

"Waffles or pancakes?" Jace asked as he mixed the bowl on the counter.

Clary was lying on the couch, flicking the channels of the TV. "Surprise me."

"Will do, beautiful."

That was how it had been all day yesterday and the current morning. Jace was on a rampage of cooking for her for some reason. He wanted to do it all, and Clary wasn't complaining. She'd happily be lazy and eat while her boyfriend did all the work. And he claimed she needed the energy to keep up with their current activities. She just rolled her eyes at that.

But mainly because everything was… right. It was perfect to get away from the world and just be with him. There were no outside distractions and complications, just like during the Thanksgiving break. Only now, they didn't have something hovering over their heads. And that was the best part.

Because Clary could say with complete honesty that the sex was… mind blowing. Jace was amazing. She would never say it to his face, but she couldn't deny it. In the past twenty hours, they did a number of things but sleeping together was the top of her to-do list. It wasn't going to fall anytime soon either. Sure, they went out a bit to a park and went to dinner, but her favorite time was when they were alone in this massive penthouse with no one to walk in on them.

She pulled her legs under her butt and sat crisscrossed when Jace walked over with a plate in hand. She stared him up and down, admiring his legs that his boxers didn't cover and the abs and pecks and arms that she loved so much.

But then he placed the food in front of her and all she wanted was to eat.

"Can't you dress like that all the time?" he asked, walking back to the kitchen. She didn't miss him eye her in his white dress shirt and panties though.

"Wouldn't you love that," she teased, taking a massive bite of the chocolate chip pancakes and moaning when it hit her taste buds. "Oh my Gooooooood."

"Damn. I'd be really self-conscious if I thought you actually liked the food more than me." Clary glanced back at him to see him smiling at the counter. "But we all know with how loud you were screaming my name last night and this morning, so that that's not true."

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the TV. "Sorry, but food will always be my number one."

"I'll believe that when I see it, or in this case: hear it."

After a few minutes of teasing back and forth, Jace came over again and put the dishes away. He then plopped down next to her on the couch and pulled Clary into him, grabbing the remote and flipping it to a Harry Potter marathon.

"How long had you been planning this?" Clary asked, pressing her cheek against his chest when she moved to cuddle him more.

He shrugged. "About two weeks. Your brother wasn't too happy about it at first, so it took a while to convince him to help. He's such a girl though. If you buy him stuff, he's like putty in your hands."

"And your dad was okay with it?"

"Nope," he chuckled. "I didn't ask. I just took his card and went with the flow. He's rich enough that he wouldn't even notice."

Clary frowned. "He won't realize you're gone?"

"He barely realizes that I'm there," Jace said sadly. She felt him press his lips to her hair. "When he's home, I'm not. When I'm home, he's not. If we are home, we just spar and argue and he's not been up for it the past few days. I wanted to see you so I just went with my guts."

She felt an idea creep into her head and smiled. "So, you could stay longer if you wanted to?"

He didn't answer at first, but she thought nothing of it when he finally said, "Yeah I guess I can. Not forever... but a bit"

Clary pulled back to look him in the eyes, a glint in her own. "So hypothetically speaking, if I wanted to stay here longer and you wanted to stay here longer–"

"We'd be able to," He finished, smiling up at her now. "And I like your train of thought, babe."

"I thought you would," she said, leaning down to kiss his mouth softly.

But it didn't stay soft. As always, it turned heated quickly. Jace's hands went to her hair and pulled her hard against him, twining their bodies on the long couch. Clary squeaked and when flipped them and ripped open her shirt – technically his shirt – to allow the buttons to fly across the room.

"Eager much?" she teased, kissing his collarbone.

He groaned and sunk down on her body, pressing every part of her against every part of him. The only thing blocking them was his boxers and her underwear, and Clary wanted nothing but those pieces off.

Jace pulled back and pulled Clary up with him enough to get the shirt away from her body. She let it fall from her arms and quickly wrapped her hands in his hair, tugging lightly as she kissed him deeply and passionately. He groaned in her mouth, wrapping her panties around his fingers until the fabric strained.

She sighed when bit her lip softly, tugging it between his teeth. "Rip them, Jace."

His eyes widened but his fire only got hotter. "That's the sexiest thing you could've said," he smirked and did as she asked.

The sound of torn fabric only made Clary even hotter and she moaned when Jace sucked on her skin, tossing the ripped panties somewhere on the floor. His hands were now traveling her naked body, running up and down as slowly and sexily as possible. It was intoxicating to the point that Clary wasn't sure she could make an audible sound. She was falling apart under him faster than she could stop herself.

His hands were touching her chest when he started to kiss down her body, slowly leaving open mouth kisses in his wake. Clary gripped the pillow behind her and bit her lip, placing it over her face. She knew what was coming. They talked about it. They discussed it and Jace was determined to do it, but she wasn't sure how she would –

"Holy shit!" she yelled in the pillow.

Jace chuckled from between her legs. He moved his hands over her skillfully and kissed all across her sensitive area, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. But he always pulled away in the end before driving her crazy once more. The combination of his mouth and his fingers was perfect and yet he refused to let her have what she wanted. And she loved and hated that at the same time.

"Jace," she moaned, squeezing his head between her legs unintentionally. "Oh my God, babe."

She heard him chuckle and suddenly, the pillow was ripped from her when Jace did something - she didn't know what but it was amazing - causing her body to lift off the couch in ecstasy. She looked down, breathing hard and sweating, only to react even harder. Jace's eyes were looking up at her, black with lust and want, and the compromising position caused her to go over the edge. And then he winked, and everything went to a blinding white as she wanted to scream but nothing came out.

He kissed her body slowly as he worked his way back up, giving her time to relax and come down from her high. She couldn't seem to do it. The more he touched her, the harder she breathed and the more she moved.

After a few minutes of the mindless torture that had Clary hot and bothered all over again, Jace appeared before her, licking his fingers hungrily. "How was it?" he teased.

It took her a second to catch her breath, watching him clean his hand in wonder. "You conceited ass."

He smiled. "I take it that I was good? You were reacting like I was a sex God so one can only assume."

Sick of hearing him talk highly of himself, Clary reached up and pulled him down to her, kissing him softer than she actually meant to. She thought she could taste herself on his mouth and the idea didn't repulse her like it did the night before. In fact, she kind of liked it, weird as that sounds.

"I love you," he whispered, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "You know that, don't you?"

She nodded. "Of course I do. I love you too."

"Good," he smiled. His hand came up and brushed her slightly sweaty hair off of her face, kissing her forehead lightly. "Now, let's take a shower so we can get out of here and maybe do something with our lives."

"Where are we going?" she asked, allowing Jace to pull her up and off the couch and leading her by hand to the bedroom.

He shrugged. "After we shower, you can pick. We stayed in yesterday except for dinner and I kind of want to show my girl off around the beautiful city of Atlanta when the sun is out."

"Do you now?"

He turned and nodded, kissing her lightly before pulling her into the bathroom and pushing her up against the wall. "I definitely do."

"You know, Atlanta is so different compared to Los Angeles," Jace said in awe, staring at the buildings as he and Clary walked.

"Yeah, it's freezing here. If I were in Cali, I'd be on a beach right now," Clary complained, feeling a shiver run through her body.

Jace noticed and smiled down at her. "You may hate the cold, but don't get your hopes up. California isn't all it's made out to be. And Atlanta is better anyway in my opinion."

"What's so different about them?"

"It's just weird how it's so similar but so different." He paused and turned, grabbing Clary's hand to keep her from continuing down the sidewalk. "Like that," he pointed up to the Georgia Aquarium, "Is not in L.A."

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously. It's the Georgia Aquarium."

"And the Coke Company?" he gestured to the next building.

Clary vaguely remembered going there for a field trip when she was younger. Elementary school took her to the strangest places, and the Coke Company building was one of the tops of her list.

"You're being an idiot," she said with a bright smile. "Just come on."

They continued walking and pointing things out in the freezing, December air. It was warmer than expected, but the jeans, boots, and jackets didn't keep Clary like she wanted to be. Jace ended up slipping her his sweatshirt, which she refused to take but he wrestled it on her eventually, saying something about marking his territory.

She just rolled her eyes and let him do it.

"You know," Jace said after a few minutes of walking in silence. "My mom used to bring me here as a kid."

Clary froze and turned to him immediately. "What?"

"Believe it or not," he said with a seldom voice, "my family used to get along. We'd come on vacation to the mountains here and stay a few days in Atlanta. That was before she, you know, ditched us for something better."

There wasn't much Clary could say that would help and she knew that. So she just kept her hand in his and pulled him along the busy streets at a slow pace, letting him gather his thoughts. If he wanted to finally open up, she wasn't going to talk and ruin it.

"It was back when I was about ten or eleven years old. I don't remember many details, but I remember the fight. My mom came home and told my father that she wanted a divorce. No explanation. No reason. She was just done with us. It destroyed my dad. Ripped me apart to but I didn't want to show it. I had to be strong because my dad couldn't."

"So she just left?" Clary asked hesitantly. "She never told you why?"

Jace nodded and closed his eyes, letting her hand go and instead wrapping it around her waist to pull her against him. "She just disappeared like dust in the wind. We never saw her again. I couldn't tell you where she is or who she is with or what she is doing. She's just… gone."

He sighed and dropped his head momentarily.

"I don't remember many details like a normal person would," he continued. "I always thought I would, but overtime I forgot more and more of it. I don't even remember anything that was said. All I know is she wanted a way out of our family, and she got it. From that time on, I only had my heartbroken, hate filled father than didn't think love was a good thing."

"Do you think your dad will ever recover from it?" she asked.

Jace shrugged. "It's been years," he sighed. "I don't think he'll ever accept the fact that love exists. He'll definitely never accept the fact that I'm in love with you. He has a bitch fit every time I mention your name."

Clary's heart swelled at his confession, but she tensed at the harshness in his tone. "Really?"

"It's not because he hates you," he assured her. "He doesn't know you so he can't hate you. It's just that he's worried about me, I think. He doesn't want me to get attached to anything that could hurt me but I didn't really have a choice in the matter." He chuckled at that last bit.

It was true. Neither of them chose to fall for one another, but it still happened. Clary tried her best to stay away and she was sure that Jace did too. But like two magnets, they were pulled together against their will. She couldn't really complain at how it turned out, even though the bumps in the road were more like mountains.

"I just wish my dad would accept you," Jace said. "I always hoped that maybe my mom would come back and fix him. But she obviously doesn't care about me or my dad. It doesn't surprise me."

With a heart that hurt for him more than for her, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "She's an idiot."

"Yes," he chuckled. "I like to think that too."

They stopped when they reached a bench, settling into it as the passerbys walked like they weren't even there. Jace touched Clary the whole time. Not inappropriately, but he just held her hand or had his hand on her knee until he finally sighed.

"Is it bad that I miss her?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "No."

"It feels like it should be. If I was smart, I wouldn't care."

"Jace, you were a young child that lost his mother with no explanation. You're allowed to miss her, and I think that is what makes it possible for you to love in a way that your father can't anymore."

He was quiet for a while before he nodded. "He definitely isn't a loving character at this point."

"That's why I love you," she claimed. "You didn't let it break you. You just let it hurt you and that makes you stronger in the long run."

Jace reached over and wrapped his hand around her leg, pulling her closer into him until their bodies were tightly pressed together. "Clary, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

It was after a deep breath and a long silence that Jace finally spoke. "When I have to go back to L.A. and leave, will you always remember how much I love you. No matter what happens between us, just remember that. Please?"

Something was off. Very off. His tone had changed to desperate like he was scared, and she wasn't sure why. Was he worried she'd leave him? It made sense, but it didn't at the same time.

She wasn't sure what he meant, but she knew that she wasn't going to want to lose him. She almost had before and that was bad enough. It was awful. The idea of losing him again just because of a little distance was stupid and idiotic.

So she kissed his neck lightly before nodded and pressing her forehead against his skin. "I'll always remember that you love me."

Clary awoke for the best sleep of her life the next morning, smiling into the pillow before even opening her eyes. She knew that Jace wasn't there, but the space he occupied was still warm and she pressed her body into it, soaking it up.

But it was time to get up eventually. Clary slowly sat up, letting the blankets fall to her lap, exposing her chest. She didn't feel the need to cover up anyway but just grabbed one of Jace's t-shirts to slip over her head. With a look in the mirror and deciding to throw her messy, sex ridden hair up in a bun, she went on a search.

The place was the same mess now as it was the day before. Clothes were thrown everywhere: panties, shorts, boxers, and two of her bras were lying in strange places along the living room. The pillows were God knows where and the broken chair that they shattered doing rated R activities was pushed in the corner.

Clary smiled at that specific memory.

But where was he? Did he just up and leave her? No. He wouldn't do that. She knew better than to think that, but that caused the thought of him leaving to cross her mind again. Not leaving her, but leaving for home.

She wrapped her arms around her body and shivered at the idea of having to watch him leave again. She didn't want to stare as he walked towards a plane for a second time. It was painful and heartbreaking. If she had to do it a lot, she wasn't sure she'd survive.

"Jace?" she called, rounding the corner to the kitchen.

And she froze. There he was, in his shirtless glory, but something was different.

Something bad.

Clary took a cautious step forward. "Jace?"

He looked up and Clary saw the horror in his eyes. They were bloodshot, like he was angry and upset. He immediately looked away from her, dropping his head into his hands. She saw that his knuckles were now red and some were bleeding. It looked like he got into a fight, but she thought differently when she saw the hole in the wall by the fridge.

What the hell happened?

She stepped closer hesitantly, reaching out for him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as soon as she touched him. She felt the heat, the strength of the muscles underneath, and it was like his distressed transferred from him to her like a flood.

"What's got you freaking out?"

Jace sighed and lifted his head, looked at her momentarily, and then shook his head and dropped it again. "It's hard to say. I should've told you before I got here but we were having fun and I couldn't bring myself to hurt you so I didn't tell you and..." he gripped his hair harder to where it looked painful. "I'm such an idiot."

"Just say it."

He took a deep breath. "I can't." His voice cracked when he spoke.

She wasn't sure what to do. The one time he'd almost broken down in front of her, he instead made a B-line for his flight before she could see it. Now, here he was with nowhere to run and she didn't even know what the initial problem was.

Her instincts decided to take over and she did the first thing that came to her mind. Her body moved behind his and she snaked her arms around his stomach, pressing her cheek to his back and holding him as securely as she could.

It only seemed to make it worse.

"You shouldn't be here," Jace said with a throaty voice.

Clary shook her head and pressed against him harder. "I want to be."

"I'm not the person you think I am."

That caught her off guard quickly. Before she knew it, Jace had detached himself from her and walked off towards the living room. Clary watched him go with confusion, wondering what his comment meant before she followed.

He was standing with his hands pressed against the window, staring out at the city. "I'm so bad for you," he said with conviction.

Clary leaned against the couch and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Obviously not," she shot back.

Jace's muscles in his back were tense and tight as she watched him fight the internal battle that he kept from her. "Karma came back and bit me in the ass, Clary."

"What do you mean?"

He slowly turned and their gazes met. Jace's golden eyes were filled with worry, self-hatred, and sadness. He opened his mouth but nothing came out before he turned and looked back out the window without a word.

The fact that Jace couldn't even articulate whatever happened worried her. That meant it was bad. Not just bad, but possibly colossal. Anything that kept him this worried would more than likely break her.

Did she really want to know? No. Did she have to? Probably.

She sat on the arm of the couch, wrapping her arms around herself. "Just… just tell me. Get it over with."

Jace sighed and spoke into the window. "Check my phone. It's on the kitchen counter."

She slowly stood, giving him a look over before heading towards the kitchen. She found the iPhone easily and typed in his password. And when she saw the text message, she gasped. It was his father.

Wherever the hell you went, I need you to get back home. NOW. If you're with that girl, get away from her and deal with your ACTUAL family. Your daughter has another accident and you don't even have the decency to be here!? I know that I'm not a fan of love, but a love for your child needs to always come first. Get that through your head before she grows up to realize how worthless you really are as a parent.

A daughter. It could be worse, but… she wasn't really sure how. He's a father and that's about as extreme as it gets. He has a kid that he didn't tell her about.

She looked up to find that he hadn't moved but the tension was in every line of his body. Then she looked down and read the message three more times, struggling to actually realize what the words meant. Then it clicked. He wasn't just busy with soccer for the past three weeks.

He was busy with his family.

"Oh my God," she gasped when it hit her, and she dropped his phone. It clattered to the floor but neither of them moved to try to stop it. Clary was too shocked

She was too… lost.

"You're a father?" she asked the rhetorical question that didn't need answering.

But she saw Jace tense and he dropped his head, telling her the truth anyway. "Yes."

Sooooo, yup. Don't be mad at me.

Here's the snippets for the next chapter of fun:

Snippet 1: She threw her hands up and dropped them dramatically. "Would you stop being an ass for a second and turn around to talk to me?"

Snippet 2: The idea of leaving Jace and being half a world away was the worst idea she could think of.

But that's exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to live her life, so why shouldn't she?

Snippet 3: "Do you realize what you've done? Any idea at all?"

He did but he didn't. "I have a feeling you're about to tell me."

That's what's coming soon. It's going to be a pain in the ass for most of you, but bare with me! You never know what could happen. So don't be mad! Well, be a little mad. That's allowed I guess.

And review what you think! Stay tuned for more :)