I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

And no one guessed he was a father, although some of you had a feeling that Jace was keeping something secret. Good to know you all are so invested in the story! :) It makes me happy.

"You're a father," Clary said to no one but herself that time, stepping back from the broken phone on the floor. "You… You have a kid."

Normally, she would've expected Jace to be in front of her in seconds. He would've held her and tried to talk her out of her growing panic, but this wasn't a normal circumstance and this wasn't her normal Jace. Nothing was normal.

That's why it was all falling apart.

She turned and looked at him again, but what she saw broke her heart. He was no longer leaning against the window, just turning and punching his fist through the wall. She screamed when the wall caved under his force and dust picked up as the hole grew with each punch Jace threw.

And Clary had to stop it. She ran over, ignoring her own tears and heartbreak and grabbed his hand before he broke it. He froze immediately and looked away, yanking himself out of her grasp.

"Jace, stop!" she begged as he walked away, grabbing and throwing a lamp in the process. "Breaking everything in sight isn't going to help."

"Nothing is going to help!"

"Not with you acting like this," she cried out, jumping when a picture was thrown off the wall to shatter against another.

He pressed his forehead against the wall, clenching his fists beside his head. "It's not just me, Clary. If you stay with me, you get the packaged deal. And now that you know what that implies, you know what you need to do."

"I know what I should do," she corrected. "But I'm not mad about that. I'm mad that you kept it from me." She crossed her arms over her chest, not sure how she felt at the moment. It was a mix of emotions, but she needed answers now. "You asked if I trusted you a long time ago, and I did. But why didn't you trust me with this?"

"Because I'm a terrible person. I'm here with you when I should be there! I'm not what you need. I'm a coward and I knew you'd leave permanently if I told you."

"That's not true."

The veins in his body started to stick out with the stress and pressure he put behind the punch in the wall from earlier. He looked like he was having more trouble with this than she was and still refused to look at her. "It should be. You need to leave, Clary. Get out while you can and leave me like you should've."

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?"

"Don't you get it Clary?" he screamed, turning on his heel. His eyes were wide with anger and rage and she felt herself step back momentarily. "I'm bad for you. I'm terrible for you. You need to leave. Now. "

She shook her head. "I can't just leave."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I love you," she said adamantly. "You know that."

His eyes were red-shot and angry when he turned to her. "Then stop loving me! Dammit, Clary! Come to your senses and get the hell out of here!"

She bit her lip to force the tears back. Crying wouldn't help. Even if Jace was raising his voice and hurting her with every word he spoke, she couldn't cry. Even though ever part of her wanted to just break down, curl up, and let the tears flow, she couldn't actually do it.

Instead she slowly took a step forward, watching as his eyes stared her down, telling her to back off but she didn't. "I can't just stop loving you. It's not that easy."

"My mother did it," he shot back. "It's only best if you do too."

Clary shook her head, ignoring the jab. "I'm not your mother. I'm not going to react like that. We're going to talk this out."

He shook his head and reached up, pulling at his hair and backing up from her. "There's nothing to talk about. I have certain duties, Clary. Something that I can't hide anymore. My daughter isn't something that you need to get mixed up in. My life is complicated, too complicated. I can't even be the man I should be for my daughter. How can I be anything for you?"

She sighed, her heart aching from his words. "I'm not going to leave. I don't want to. I know you love me so we can fix this."

Jace's back hit the wall with a thud, and Clary watched helplessly as a tear fell down his cheek slowly. "Clary, this isn't good for you. I'm never going to be good for you. I've only made mistake after mistake."

"That's not true. I pushed you that night with Kaelie, it wasn't your mistake. This daughter of yours is of your own making, but you can't keep blaming yourself for that night between the two of us. If I wasn't so stupid, this would be different."

"You can't do that!" he yelled, and she thought he was close to ripping his golden locks out of his head. "You don't get to do that."

Clary froze a few feet from him in confusion. "Do what?"

"I make that mistake, and you find someone else to blame. Yourself more often than anyone," he said with shock and frustration. "Don't you get that? That's not good! That's only part of the problem."

"How is that part of the problem?" she shot back. "I've forgiven you for plenty of mistakes, Jace."

"That's the issue!" His fists were clenching and unclenching like he wanted to keep destroying the place, but his facial expressions looked like he wanted to blow up a small country. "Stop forgiving me! You need to accept the fact that I'm a terrible person."

"You're not a terrible person. You're going to go home after this and deal with whatever happened. I get that you have other obligations, and I can deal with that."

At least, she really hoped she could. A little voice in the back of her mind was telling her that she was a dirty little liar.

"You're never going to be first." That statement knocked her back a few notches, and Jace looked sick to his stomach as he said it. "She's always going to have to come first because I can't be the father that my dad was. If you would get that through your stubborn, beautiful head, we'd be able to break up because you know this is best."

Clary crossed her arms over her chest and felt some anger start to boil in her blood. "Break up? Seriously? You've had a daughter hidden this whole time and now that I know, you think that we should immediately break up? What about everything you've told me?"

His eyes were saddened at her statement and it hit her like a freight train.

She gasped. "That's what you planned on? Sleeping with me, telling me that you love me and care for me, and then just… leaving?"

"It's what's best for you," He said with defeat.

She shook her head. "No. Fuck no. I don't believe that."

"This is my problem," Jace claimed, pointing at himself. "Accept that. What happened to the smart Clary that would've left in a heartbeat after she found this out?"

Clary felt her heart falter. The truth was right on the tip of her tongue, but she paused when she realized the answer. The girl that would've left Jace without looking back, the girl that would've taken the path that was best for her, the girl that would've made a smart decision was no longer there. She'd pick the path with less baggage because that's the smart thing to do, but now she can't. And why?

"She fell in love with you," Clary said adamantly.

Jace deflated and looked like he wanted to say something but it never came out. The anger and frustration left him in one breath as Clary watched all his energy fade out. He crashed to the floor in a heap against the wall, pulling his legs to his chest and burying his face in his elbows.

Clary slowly, carefully moved over to him and knelt down in front of him. She touched his arm carefully, feeling him tense beneath her. "I can't just not love you."

His voice was broken when he spoke. "You need to."

But there was no way she was going to. She knew that and probably would always love him. He had a part of her now, and that was never going to change. Everything about him was loved by her: the good, the bad, the dramatic. Is there anyone that can just turn that off and say they don't care?

This did complicate things though. Jace having a kid was definitely a ringer in the wake. It was hard enough as it was, but did she honestly think she could keep it up when he left again? Was it going to work at all?

She knew the answer, but didn't want to accept that just yet. Instead, she knew what she wanted and she wanted it now.

Gently and carefully, she reached down and gently tugged at his hair with one hand before cupping his lifted chin with another. Then, without warning, she pressed her lips to his.

Their kisses were different this time. It was salty, full of pain and anguish because they both knew what was happening. It was hitting them both hard as the seconds past and Clary found herself gripping at him in hopes that he'd never let go. She ignored the bloody hands, the sweat, the broken furniture and prayed that he'd just respond how she begged him to.

And he did. He pulled her to him and grabbed the hem of his shirt that covered her body, lifting it from her skin quickly before attaching their lips together once again.

He was right. This wasn't healthy. This wasn't good. Everything was falling apart between them and here they were, going at it one last time. They needed each other's touch one last time. They needed the love one last time. They needed it all before they lost it all.

"I'm sorry," Jace breathed when he kissed her softly, brushing a tear off of her cheek. She hadn't even realized she was crying until he started to kiss the droplets away. "This is my fault and I'm so, so sorry."

Clary leaned against the wall, feeling the similar pain her chest that she had for the past hour.

Ever since Jace fell asleep, she knew she had to get out. If he woke, she'd never be able to look at him and say goodbye. They'd never get the separation that was necessary, and she knew that. The past few hours proved that. He kept telling her to leave and they ended up in bed together. He even had to get going to make it home to his… family, but he couldn't leave her. It wasn't working.

So this was the only way.

That didn't make it hurt any less. That made it hurt worse. She felt like the world was pushing down on her shoulder and a knife was going through her heart. Her eyes were glued to him, trying to memorize that picture before her since she'd probably never leave it again.

Jace was lying on the bed, perfectly asleep. He was face down, his face turned towards the doorway that she stood in. His arms were wrapped around the pillow, something he did as soon as she slipped from his grasp, and a frown was plastered to his face. She could tell that he knew she wasn't there, even in his sleep. If he looked that upset when asleep, she could only imagine when his eyes would do to her if he was awake.

Which is exactly why she had to leave.

But her feet wouldn't move her. Nothing seemed to make her walk out of there. Her eyes stayed glued to him and her bag seemed ten times heavier than it was when she originally brought it. Everything was weighted, harder, and she felt nothing but weaker. Like all of her strength was based on Jace and leaving him was going to make her fall apart.

"I love you," she whispered, knowing that if she was going to get out, she had to get out now.

So without another word, look, or tear, she turned and slowly walked away. Each step felt like another bullet to the chest, but she forced herself to move, to leave. Her footsteps took her through the hallway that Jace used to slam her against the wall. She passed the living room, a place that they both had their own fun with, and through the kitchen that Jace used to cook her the best food she'd ever tasted. This place had memories within the past few days, memories of the best days of Clary's life. Even if it ended like this, she knew that those images and feelings would be stuck in her head for the rest of her life.

Clary's mind raced as she rode the elevator to the first floor, walked past the receptionist and burst into the musty, Atlanta city air. It didn't help her at all.

She waved a taxi down quickly, trying to get somewhere secluded before she burst into tears. All she seemed to think about what Jace. Not just him, but everything that he'd done. The Christmas presents. The dates. The jokes and laughs. The love. It was going to make her fall apart knowing that it was over. And it was worse knowing that neither of them wanted it like that.

"Where to ma'am?" her driver asked, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror.

"Um," Clary hesitated. "Just drive outside the city, please. North-East section."

He gave her a quick, concerned look before shrugging and putting the car in gear.

Clary wiped her tears miserably when her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and noticed that it was an unknown number.

"Hello?" She cringed at the sound of her own voice.

"Hello, Clary," Madame Dorothea chimed through the other end. "How are you?"

Heartbroken. Destroyed. Lost. Confused. Pissed. Aggravated.

Did she leave anything out?

"Okay, I guess," Clary answered eventually.

"Good to hear. I have some good news for you."

She needed some of that right about now. "Oh?"

"Yes. My friend from England contacted me today, telling me that your piece did amazing in London. How you captured Jace was phenomenal and he wants more."

Clary was actually shocked for a split second before Jace's face popped into her head again. The world would throw him back in her face as soon as she leaves. The universe just hated her.

"Thank you," was all that she could think of saying.

"There's more!"

"Oh. Really?"

"Yes. Magnus, my friend, has offered you a once in a lifetime chance. He's all about the studying abroad and helping students. If you're interested – which you'd be crazy to turn it down – he's offered you a job over there along with studying at the best University and you can do it all for free. He'll pay everything."

Clary's eyes widened as she looked at the cars passing her in the city. For a few seconds, she didn't know what to think. Then her thoughts went to 'I can't wait to tell Jace' before she realized how depressing that thought was.

"Um," she said slowly, trying to wrap her mind around the news while a simultaneously keeping her emotions straight. "That's… amazing."

"So you'll take it? I'll let him know!"

"Wait a second," Clary blurted out, earning a look from her driver. She shrugged apologetically and glanced back out the window. "Can't I think about it?"

"You don't have a lot of time, sweetheart," Madame Dorothea said. "Magnus needs an answer by New Years in order to get the tickets ready before school."

"I'd miss the next semester?" Clary asked.

"Yes. You'd be in London for the next six months. It's called studying abroad, Clary. You can't study abroad without going abroad."

She swallowed as the realization hit her.

Jace would go to California, deal with his child and whatever got mixed up with that, and being a whole country away from Clary. But after she left, there's no way that they'd ever get back together anyway. No way in the world.

And so, then she could go to England. They'd be a world away at that point. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Going overseas and leaving Simon, Isabelle, her family, and everyone she'd ever known to go live in a country by herself was terrifying and exciting. But this was for her art. This could start her entire career off. This could set her for life.

This was something she couldn't turn down.

With a heavy heart and a broken voice, she finally said, "Okay. I'll do it."

But she knew that even her driver could tell she wasn't one hundred percent into it. In fact, 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? Maybe that's what she needed in order not to love him. Maybe that's what she needed to move on.

Either way, the only thing she knew for certain was that she cried on the entire ride home, unable to contain it as the tears fell out against her will.

"YOU ASSHOLE! WHAT THE FUCK, JACE? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? I SWEAR I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU."

Jace pulled the phone away from his ear and slumped to the floor, his back pressing against the wall beside the door. Isabelle's voice was loud and clear even with a few feet of distance between him and the receiver.

It wasn't that she was helping either. He knew he fucked up. He felt it in every bone in his body. He felt it in his sleep. He felt it when he woke to a cold bed by himself.

He felt it everywhere.

Finally, after Isabelle' rampage, Jace reluctantly pulled the phone back. "I'm sorry," was all that he had to say. There wasn't much to say, except for, well…

"You're a fucking idiot," Isabelle finished his thought for him, probably unintentionally.

Jace tugged at his hair, staring down at the floor between his bare feet. He hadn't bothered getting dressed. He hadn't bothered showered. He just… couldn't be bothered with anything. If it wasn't for his flight back home to get to Emily, he wouldn't even be out of bed.

He was a miserable father to his daughter for thinking that way. And he was a miserable boyfriend for lying to Clary. He was a miserable person to say the least.

"Is she okay?" he asked quietly, not sure what he wanted the answer to be.

Isabelle was quiet for a moment. Jace thought he heard the sound of a door opening and Isabelle mumbled something about stepping outside the house before she spoke again. "She's asleep in her room right now."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"You know the answer to your question," she shot back. "I can't believe you, Jace. I trusted you with her."

He sighed and hit his head back against the wall a few times, wishing that it would permanently put him out of his misery. "I know. God, I know."

"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."

"You've ruined her. You fucking destroyed her. Why didn't you tell me your dirty little secret?"

He closed his eyes. "I know. I - we were just being the two of us before the bomb dropped. I know I should've told you guys, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew that things would change, and it scared me. I knew Clary would leave when she found out, and to avoid it I just kept Emily from her. That's how shitty of a person I am."

"Yeah. You're a shithead," she said harshly.

Jace winced at her words. Even if he knew it was true, even if he could say it, it was still hard to hear. And the cussing coming from Isabelle right now was extreme. She cussed, sure, but never so much at one time.

"And you need to leave it like this."

Jace's eyes shot open and his lips parted. He stared out at the empty suite, Isabelle's words turning in his head as he did. "Leave it like how?"

"I don't want to be the one to say this, but this has to end. Right here. Right now."

"It did end," Jace reminded her. "In case you forgot, I'm not coming back to school and Clary walked out on me. If that doesn't mean that we broke up, I don't know what does."

Isabelle scoffed. "Oh, please. We all know that the universe will make you two will find a way back to each other. You need to stop that from happening."

With slow movements, Jace rose to his feet and walked towards the kitchen, listening to Isabelle's explanation. It all made sense. Every word she spoke was logical. Jace was bad for Clary. Not the other way around. He was the bad guy, and now Clary and all her friends knew it. Isabelle wouldn't stand up for him anymore.

And that had to be the end of it. He couldn't come back, no matter how badly he wanted to. He shouldn't want to. If he really loved her, he'd let her go and be happy, right?

Who was he kidding? He was way too selfish to think like that.

"Do you understand?" Isabelle asked when she finished her lecture.

By that time, Jace had poured himself a glass of orange juice and slowly sipped it. "I do, but I can't promise anything."

Isabelle growled, and it kind of scared him. "Jace, I'm being serious."

"So am I! If I see her, I can't promise that I'll be able to walk away. I love her, Isabelle. I always will, and that's the end of it. There's no one else for me, and I hate how this ended but I can't promise that I'll never talk to her again."

"I shouldn't expect anything less," she said after a moment of frustrated noises. "You two have… something. I don't know what, but it's terrifying."

He nodded. "I can't agree more."

"But you know what happens when this phone call ends, right?" Isabelle asked. His stomach dropped, and not in a good way. "When you go back home, that's it. You need to back off for a long time. A really long time."

Jace set his glass down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How long is that?"

"Long enough for you to figure your shit out before you drag Clary back into this hurricane of a relationship. But just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"When the time comes..." Isabelle paused and Jace found himself anxious about her next words. "When the time comes, don't push her away."

"I won't," he said adamantly. "I'll get her back if it's the last thing I do."

You're welcome. I know you hate me, but that's the way the cookie crumbles...

And there are no snippets this time. I want everything but one thing to be a surprise. As you probably know since you read the story, Magnus is coming into the story! Finally, right? Well, I wanna know what you think so review about Jace or Clary or Magnus or Isabelle or, you know, whatever :) I love reading what you all have to say!