I'm glad everyone seems to like Emily! I wasn't sure how you all would take to her. Someone mentioned that Clary should be angry about Jace and Isabelle's friendship, but everyone (fictional characters included) view things differently. Isabelle is like the bridge between the two. That's the best way to describe it. There is also another person that ties the two, but I'll explain that in later chapters. Hopefully, it'll be a surprise for you all :)

Jace stared at his phone for the tenth time in two days. He was running out of time to do it, but he couldn't bring himself to actually call. It was like he'd almost do it before he chickened out like a coward.

But Isabelle didn't seem to stop calling him. Where he couldn't bring himself to dial Clary's number, he couldn't bring himself to answer Isabelle's either. It was like he was avoiding all contact in general because he knew exactly what was going to happen.

He sighed and dropped his head, tossing his phone beside him on the couch. This was driving him nuts. He was going crazy thinking about it and losing sleep and struggling to focus. There wasn't anything that could keep his mind off of her. Clary was everywhere he looked, even in London, in his own rented flat. She'd never even been there before and yet her presence just felt… alive.

"Daddy?"

Jace looked up from the couch as a sleepy and tired Emily stepped into the living room, rubbing her eyes with palms of her hands.

"Hey, sweetheart."

Her appearance was adorable. Her pajamas were wrinkled and crumpled from her hard sleep. The blond hair that draped around her shoulders was a mess. A massive mess. She rubbed her tired eyes as she slowly walked towards him, immediately climbing into his lap without a word.

He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her to his chest, kissing the top of her head. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," she yawned, burying her head in his neck.

"Have you taken your medicine?"

She nodded. "Yes." She snuggled closer to him. "I love you Daddy."

He smiled. "I love you too."

She pulled back suddenly, her bright eyes that were identical to his staring at him with a curiosity. "Who else do you love?"

"What?" he frowned.

"You don't say it much," she pointed out, "to anyone but me. But I've heard you talking to someone and say it. I just want to know."

He opened his mouth and closed it immediately. He even looked away because he couldn't bare the answer. And the two people he did love besides Isabelle are asking the same question. The timing was just wrong. Even if the certain one was on his mind all the time.

"You're doing it again," Emily said, poking his cheek lightly. "You're leaving."

"I'm not leaving."

"I mean," she said with an attitude that made him smile, "That you're thinking. You think and leave. I see you do it sometimes."

He gave her a small, sad smile. "I don't mean to. Daddy just has some stuff on his mind."

She bit her lip and smiled. "Like breakfast?" she asked hopefully.

With a laugh and nodded and stood, hitching Emily on his hip and holding her there with one hand. "What are you feeling like having? Eggs? Toast? Biscuits?"

"Pancakes!" she yelled with a smile.

Jace faltered momentarily before he snapped himself out of the daze and headed towards the kitchen. He dropped Emily on the counter and turned on the TV, letting her kick her legs and watch early morning cartoons as he started the batter.

His mind drifted as he worked. Last time he was shirtless and making pancakes, it was with Clary. It was in Atlanta where they made love more times than he could count. It was the last time they were real around each other.

He shuttered at the thoughts and images running through his head. God, he missed her.

"Who's you're favorite princess?"

Jace looked up from the batter to his daughter, quirking one eyebrow up. "What?"

She pointed to the TV. "Some of my friends from pre-school like Jasmine or Rapunzel, but I like Ariel."

"Ariel, huh?" he asked, dropping the spoon and bowl and leaning on the counter. "How come?"

"She's nice, and pretty, and likes animals, and is a mermaid, and she has red hair, and she's the daughter of a king, and she marries Erik – who's my favorite prince – and she sings." Emily pulled her eyes away from the movie playing on the kid's channel to look at Jace. "Your turn."

"I'm a guy. I don't have favorite princesses."

Emily frowned. "But Daaaaaaaaddy!"

"Fine," he sighed, glancing at the Little Mermaid on the screen. "I–"

A knock on the door stop Jace from having to answer the daring and dangerous question. He tapped Emily's pouty head playfully before heading towards the door and swinging it open.

And he froze at what he saw.

"What did you do?" Isabelle demanded as she stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking dangerous and furious and terrifying.

Jace swallowed. "What?"

"You heard me." She stepped forward and poked his chest. It was hard and actually kind of hurt. He backed up as she followed, poking him and lecturing. "Clary called me two days ago, freaking out about seeing you. What the hell is wrong with you? I said give it time. You agreed with me when we talked about it before you even flew over here. Now you're telling her that you love her but want to be friends? What the fuck, Jace! What the actual fuck?"

"Would you shut it?" he snapped, glaring at Isabelle and clamping his hand over her mouth. "Stop the cussing."

She yanked away from him. "Why the hell should I?" she shot back with anger.

"Because my daughter is in the kitchen," he growled. "And I know you're my best friend, but I will not hesitate to kick you out of my apartment. Understand?"

She glared but nodded, looking rather frustrated. Jace sighed in relief, taking in his best friend.

Even her clothes were intimidating. She had on black skinny jeans with knee-high boots that had heels that could kill a man. Her tank top wasn't too revealing, thank God, and her leather jacket that covered the rest was tight and form fitting. Her black hair was done in a simple bun, which was unusual, but it fit the outfit somehow.

After a few moments that they took to calm down, Isabelle finally glanced towards the sound from the kitchen. "She's in there?"

Jace nodded. "She's watching The Little Mermaid."

"Can I meet her?"

He wanted to say no, but he knew that Isabelle would find a way to do what she wanted anyway. "Follow me."

He brought her into the kitchen and motioned for her to wait in the doorway. He slowly went up to Emily and bent to her level, catching her attention.

"Honey? I want you to meet someone."

Emily looked past Jace to Isabelle who was casually leaning against the doorway, studying the scene. Even though Jace hoped that she accepted Isabelle, he wasn't sure how his daughter would react. She loved Clary, but Clary and Izzy were totally different people.

And he didn't get the reaction he wanted. Emily kind of just looked for a while before turning back to Jace, frowning slightly. "Who is she?"

"This is Isabelle," he said, motioning her closer. "She's my friend from America that I went to school with."

Emily leaned closer to Jace as Isabelle walked towards them. "Why does she look so… scary?"

Jace laughed at Emily's confusion. "That's just Isabelle."

"Is she safe?" She eyed Isabelle carefully, and Jace could've seen the judgement a mile away. It was hard for him not to laugh.

"About as safe as I am," he said, glancing back at his best friend. She was behind him now, giving him a look and he shrugged. "She'll keep you safe, but she wouldn't hesitate to beat anyone who tried to hurt you. She's the realest person you'll ever meet."

"You make me sound terrifying," Isabelle said with playful smile.

"Well you are."

"Who's your favorite princess?"

Jace looked at his daughter with questionable eyes and stood straighter, wondering what she was up to. She had the spark that he gets when he's curious and asking questions. But she was staring at Isabelle acutely, and Jace was officially confused.

Isabelle looked a little thrown off as well. "Um, depends. Like a Disney princess?"

"Obviously," Emily with an eye roll.

Jace sighed and shook his head.

Isabelle thought for a moment before shrugging. "Ariel."

"Really?" Emily asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah. She reminds me of my best friend. She's a bit of a rebel at times and is talented in her own ways as well."

"I like her," Emily said with a smile towards Jace's direction. "She can stay."

And the sadder part is, if Emily didn't approve, Jace wouldn't have had a choice but to kick Izzy out. Somehow, his daughter caught his ability to be forceful and demanding, but caring at the same time. So when she reached for Isabelle's hand and pulled her towards the seat beside her, Isabelle followed without question.

"Now Daddy," Emily said sternly. "Get to cooking. I'm hungry."

Jace gave her a look before bowing dramatically. "Yes, you're highness."

"How are you holding up?"

Clary shrugged and continued dipping her spoon into her ice cream. She shoveled into her mouth and savored the flavor as Elena and Damon from The Vampire Diaries ran around on the screen before her.

Simon plopped next to her at her silence and sighed, glancing at her. "I thought you'd be excited about this?"

"Excited?"

"Yeah. Happy. Stoked. Pumped. Alive with the love that has been rekindled."

Clary shoved the spoon into the treat and scooped it a little angrily. "We didn't rekindle anything."

Simon watched her carefully. "I can see it in your eyes that you wished it did though."

As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that she couldn't. "His daughter has to come first."

"That doesn't mean that you can't be with him."

"Simon."

"I flew all the way out here on my spring break because of him and his family messing with you," he said when he turned and tucked one of his legs under his butt to face her. "How many times are Isabelle and I going to have to pick up the pieces because of him? Clary," he reached over and grabbed her wrist, "I want you to be happy. I know he makes you happy, and yet I want to beat the bastard's face in."

Despite the sadness pooling in Clary's heart, she laughed. "He's helped you deal with Sebastian, so you can't exactly hate him."

"Speaking of, did Isabelle tell you what happened with him?"

Clary shook her head.

"He's in prison."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Yup. Apparently he had some illegal drugs stashed in his room at the college and Kaelie ratted him out. We all threw her a party once he was gone." Simon smiled and shrugged. "It was actually kind of fun. She's not completely terrible when you get to know her." He paused. "You know, if you overlook the whole fact that she might have or might not have slept with Jace one drunken night."

Clary scooped another spoonful of ice cream sadly. "Thanks for the reminder of my nightmare."

He turned again and leaned back, putting his hands behind his head and looking comfortable. "I'm just saying. At least you don't have to worry about Verlac for a while."

"I have other things to worry about."

"Like the guy you live with?" Simon asked. He perked up and glanced around at the abnormally decorated apartment. "I mean, he's a bit of an odd one, isn't he?"

"Magnus? What's odd about him?"

"You're serious?" he asked with a look. "The guy wears more sparkles than I've ever seen in my life and he cares about his hair more than Isabelle does about her entire closet."

"He's gay," Clary said with an obvious tone. "How else is he supposed to act?"

"Alec is gay, and he's not all sparkly and bright. He's more dark and emo."

"They'd make a cute couple," she wondered aloud, pushing her ice cream around with her spoon. "Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. Magnus and Alec. Malec. I like it."

Simon seemed to ponder it for a moment. "Isabelle would be ecstatic about finding a guy for her brother. That would be an interesting match."

"As long as Alec didn't freak out and run away. He's like a scared bunny."

"You freaked out and ran away," he pointed out. "In fact, you jumped an ocean to get rid of your problems."

Clary glared at him. "I didn't run away. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

"Keep telling yourself that."

They went back to watching the Vampire Diaries and avoiding conversation for a while after that. He was here in order to help, something that he volunteered for, and all he was doing was making it worse. For a best friend, Simon was doing a lousy job at the moment.

"I'm sorry," he said after five minutes. She didn't bother to look at him and he continued. "It just pisses me off."

She frowned. "What pisses you off?"

"How much you love him, it makes me mad."

"Me too," she laughed without any humor.

"I'm serious." He reached forward, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV before turning towards her again. "Why?"

She didn't want to answer that. It was too confusing. Why did she love Jace? Why did she love him that much? Why did she hate him at the same time? Who the hell knows? All she wanted was ice cream to drown her sorrows in. She was halfway to eating another scoop of ice cream when he plucked it out of her hands and out of her reach. "Hey!"

"Focus," he demanded. "Answer the question."

With a heavy sigh, she collapsed against the couch. "I don't know, Simon. He's different now."

"Different how?"

"Just… different. He cares more about Emily than me. And it makes me mad."

Simon scooted closer to her and grabbed her hand, holding it between his. "That's his daughter, Clary. You can't blame him for caring about her. He warned you that he'd have to choose her, but shouldn't you be happy that he cares about his family?"

"It still hurts." She placed her head on his shoulder and snuggled closer to her best friend. "I wish he would've told me. We could've worked something out. I just want to be with him."

Simon was quiet for a moment. "Well, I have an idea. Isabelle would kill me for suggesting this but I'm doing it anyway." He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the numbers until Asshole Wayland came up on the screen. "You could call him."

Clary shook her head. "In my last conversation with him I told him I still loved him and he said we should be friends. He friendzoned me. Like... what? Since when does a girl get friendzoned?"

He nodded and put the phone away. "If it makes you feel any better, Isabelle still hasn't said she loved me and we've been dating for almost four months. But she'll say it to Jace so…" he shrugged and placed his cheek on Clary's head, holding her close, "Neither of us come first when it comes to the people we want to be with."

Without thinking, Clary pulled back and reached towards the coffee table again. "Ice cream?" she asked, offering him the spoon.

He looked down at it briefly before reaching for the spoon. "Give it to me."

"Go again!"

Jace chuckled and tossed the little soccer ball again, watching as Emily was able to gently head it back to him with her forehead from the small five foot distance.

"Eh!" he cheered when he caught it. "Not bad. No headache yet?"

"Nope!" she said cheerfully.

After a few minutes of goofing off in the park and tossing the ball back and forth, Isabelle showed back up with three ice cream sandwiches from the ice cream truck. Emily squealed and gladly took the treat before running off with the soccer ball at her feet, tripping a few times and dropping her treat in the process, but she didn't seem to care and kept running. She was a star in the making.

So Jace and Isabelle sat on the blanket under one of the trees, keeping an eye on her and listening to music.

"Her amount of energy is incredible," Isabelle mused. "Does she ever sit down?"

Jace chuckled and plucked at the grass to his left, twisting it between his fingers and watching his daughter. "Not when she's been healthy for a while. She tends to run around for ten hours, eat for three, and sleep for the other eleven."

"Sounds like a great childhood," Isabelle teased.

"Henry and Charlotte definitely give her the life I couldn't," he said. He ripped the grass blade in two out of frustration. "I wish I could've been there for her, but the situation was too complicated. Three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to handle her like I can now."

"You mean with the epilepsy?"

He nodded. "The seizures aren't as extreme as they used to be. And Henry has been inventing stuff to help her while Charlotte keeps an eye on her and the cat tends to be a pretty big comfort for her too."

Isabelle leaned back on her hands. "You act like she's not just as well off around you."

"She isn't." Jace dropped his head before lifting it again. "Like last year, she wasn't my priority. I went to school, went after Clary, and wanted another life other than her. I was… I was horrible to her. I didn't realize I was being just like my mom until I had an epiphany with Clary. I was ditching Emily for something I wanted more and it wrong of me. I can't be with Clary until I can be with both of them."

"They get along just fine," Isabelle said. "I'm sure if you give them both time, they'll grow to really like each other. I mean, your daughter's favorite princess is Ariel for Christ's sakes. If that doesn't scream destiny, I don't know what does."

Jace wanted to argue, but the idea was actually appealing. Having Emily and Clary at his side all the time would be a dream come true, but was it really that easy? Of course it wasn't. Clary was still stuck in England for three more months, he was stuck in Los Angeles, and Emily needed to be with the best medical attention she could get which was here.

He sighed and dropped wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them into his chest. His mind pictured Clary running with Emily before him or Clary sitting beside him instead of Isabelle or just Clary and him–

"I'm so selfish," he breathed, dropping his head to his arms. "I hate myself."

"I hate you too when you act like this."

He shrugged. "Sue me."

"I want to slap you actually."

"So do it."

And then he felt the sharp sting in the back of his head and he turned to Isabelle with an open mouth and shocked expression. "What the hell?"

Isabelle was looking at her nails with a small smile. "What? You told me to."

He rubbed the back of his head through his shorter curls. "That hurt, Izzy."

"It was meant to. I tried to put as much power in it as I could."

"You succeeded."

"Daddy!" Emily raced at him, kicking the soccer ball clumsily and almost falling face first in the grass before she finally reached them, jumping on Jace and throwing him back, lying on his chest. "Question."

"Answer."

"Can we get ice cream on the way home? I dropped mine when I tripped."

He looked over at Isabelle and saw her roll her eyes. "She's definitely your daughter," she claimed, finishing the rest of her ice cream sandwich.

"Yes, she is," he smiled, kissing Emily's cheek and causing her to giggle.

Clary found herself having trouble sleeping that night, even with Simon at her side. He finally updated her on everything: Isabelle was here with Jace. And she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

It wasn't a jealously issue, but it was. Clary wanted to be the one with Jace, not Isabelle. This should be reversed, and yet she couldn't bring herself to make that happen. She should want to see her best friend, but she wanted to see Jace more. But they had to be friends, just friends. They decided to be friends, and that didn't involve sleepovers and kissing. That involved occasional conversations and few hangouts.

Simon grunted and rolled in his sleep away from her onto his side, his back to her now. She sighed, wishing that she could sleep peacefully but it wasn't happening.

Then her phone rang and she slowly pulled it to her face, wincing at the brightness on the screen.

Sigh one more time, and I'm going to beat you with my hair straightener. I can hear you through the freaking wall. Shut up and go to bed. – M

She laughed, despite the situation and texted him back.

Now you know how I feel when you bring a guy home. These walls aren't as sound proof as you claimed. - C

My apologies. Now go to bed. I need my beauty sleep. - M

You need more than that. – C

You're so mean to me! And after everything I've done for you… – M

Love you too! – C

She finally closed her phone and set it back down, staring at the ceiling and hoping that she could get through this night with some sleep.

"He's struggling just as bad from what Isabelle told me."

Clary jumped at the sound of Simon's voice and found him back on his other side, facing her, with his brown eyes on display in the darkness. The moonlight from the window provided enough light for her to see his expression of curiosity.

She glanced back at the ceiling, acting like it was more important. For a few minutes, she didn't speak but Simon's gaze caused the words to come out. "I'm not struggling."

Simon rolled his eyes. "It's…" he checked his phone. "Three in the morning and you've yet to get any sleep."

"I was fine for three months," she pointed out. "I haven't had any issues away from him until he pulled this stunt and came over here."

Simon yawned, turning on his back and stretching. "Sure."

"I'm serious."

"I am too," he countered. "Just because you were fine doesn't mean you are fine. And I worry about you. I can't talk to you much when you're an ocean away and I want to help."

"We decided to be friends," she reminded him, dropping to her back as well and staring at the ceiling. "There's nothing that can happen until we get everything else figured out."

"That doesn't mean you have to torture yourself. You can talk to him, you know."

Clary bit her lip. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. You and I talk. We're friends. You and Jace can talk as friends too."

"I really don't think that the best person to get relationship advice from is you. No offense."

He chuckled. "That's true. Isabelle still thinks you two should take your time but I say full steam ahead, Captain. Or at least a little steam ahead. Actually, just tap the gas. Don't press on the throttle."

"And how do you suggest I do that?"

He reached over her and grabbed her phone. "Call him."

"At three in the morning?"

"I guarantee he's awake." Simon poked her with the phone once before she hesitantly grabbed it. "Trust me."

Clary slowly unlocked it and scrolled through until Jace's name came up on the phone. She hovered over the call button. "What do I even say?"

"The first thing that comes to your mind. And after that, just let your heart take over."

Jace leaned against the counter in the dim lighting, his bare torso slick with sweat and his hair dripping with it. He used the towel wrapped around his neck to wipe most of it off.

Three fifteen. That's what his phone said and he was wide awake. Isabelle was asleep in the guest room and Emily was passed out on the couch. For some reason, she really wanted to sleep there, and yet he couldn't find that wonderland of recovery. It avoided him like the plague.

He sighed and went to the fridge but froze when his phone started ringing. Who would be calling at this time of night? But when he saw the caller, he didn't question and answered immediately. "Hi."

"Hi," Clary said in a soft, hushed tone. The sound of a shutting door radiated through the phone and she said something like 'screw you, Simon' before she spoke again. "So you were awake."

He leaned against the counter with his free hand. "Yeah. What's keeping you from sleeping?"

"I'm not really sure. All I know is that it's driving me nuts."

"I can relate to that. Anything I can do to help?"

She was quiet for a moment before she finally said, "Can you just talk to me for a bit?"

Jace pulled himself up on the counter with a glass of water as he and Clary talked. He felt like a teenager again, talking to his girlfriend into the night when they couldn't sleep without each other. But that wasn't this situation. He mentally slapped himself for even thinking about it like that again. Clary wasn't his girlfriend. She wasn't his. He even told her that's how it was supposed to be.

But talking to her again, even casually like this about his soccer and her art and what life was like in England and his life in California and how Emily and he are so alike and… he didn't want it to end. He never wanted to hang up.

"She's asked about you a few times," he said when he glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes til four.

Clary sucked in a breath. "Really?"

"You're a replica of her favorite Disney princess. Of course she's asked about you."

"Ariel is her favorite princess?" He could practically feel her smile through the phone. "I feel honored."

Jace bit his lip and decided to just take a stab at it. "Um, Clary?"

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, praying that this was a good idea. It went against everything that Isabelle told him. It went against what he told Clary. It went against everything but he said, "I really miss you."

Silence. Nothing but silence.

"Clary?" Jace panicked. "Okay, look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that but I just–"

"I miss you too," she finally said, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. His extra hand gripped the counter in a death grip under him in stress. "But Jace, you said that we should be friends. You said that."

"I just… I just wanted you to know," he decided to say. "I don't want you to think any differently. I'm not saying anything but I miss you. That's all I'm saying."

"You're making it hard to consider you friend and nothing more," she pointed out.

He knew that but didn't care. "I just wanted you to know before I leave back for L.A. And I was hoping I could see you."

"I'm free tomorrow night."

Her voice was full of hope and promise, just like the kind that was buzzing through his veins.

Jace smiled to no one in particular. "I can't wait."

:)

So... yup. That's how the cookie crumbles. DATE NIGHT! Can't wait for you to see what happens on that eventful evening. It's going to be packed with fun and drama and just... yay!

So let me know what you think! No snippets this time. Don't want to give anything away.

So stay tuned!