So I've kind of been zoned out lately with everything going on, but I'm trying to make this work. I think this is a pretty decent chapter, but I don't know for sure. The last thing I want to do is let you guys down... So just let me know what you think honestly and it might take me longer to write, longer than it already does, because I don't like posting crappy stuff. But I've gone through this ten times and I don't see anything better for this bit.

"I think this is a really bad idea," Isabelle claimed as Jace tried on another leather jacket.

He rolled his eyes and stood in front of the full length mirror, checking out his outfit. "Izzy, we're not getting back together. It's just dinner."

"It's never just dinner with you two. Everything is always deeper than it should be. Going to dinner is going to stir problems."

Jace sighed, knowing she was right but ignoring the warning in his gut. "I don't care. I just want to see her before I leave tomorrow afternoon. I'm spending my other time with Emily, so this is the only chance I can get."

Izzy was in front of him suddenly, glaring at him. "And then what? You think you two can just have dinner and go back to not speaking to each other? Give me a break."

"It's. Just. Dinner."

She scoffed. "Do you honestly believe that?"

He raised his arms and dropped them dramatically, stomping away from her to his shoes where he slipped on his favorite pair. "You can argue with me all you want, but that's not going to stop me."

"I just want you to think this through."

He whirred on her. "I have, Isabelle! I've thought about the day I'll see Clary again a thousand times! I've imagined kissing her, holding her, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh so just let me be happy, dammit! Let me have this one fucking moment before it all gets thrown in my face, alright?!"

He hadn't realized that he yelled so loud, but it was true. He was getting annoyed with Isabelle's constant disagreement on the Clary subject. Where Simon was okay with it – shockingly enough – Isabelle wouldn't budge and it was starting to get on his nerves.

Even though he wanted to apologize for his outburst, he didn't and focused on catching his breath instead. He might have hurt Izzy's feelings, if that was actually possible through her rock hard skin, but he wanted her to see it from his side. He couldn't take much more of this. He missed Clary too much to let this slip. It was slowly killing him inside.

She just stared at him for a while before sighing and taking her spot on the bed again, shaking her head. "You're an idiot."

He fixed his jacket on his shoulders. "I don't care." Finally, he was dressed and looked at himself for a while before turning back to Isabelle with his arms out wide. "What do you think?"

She looked him over for a long time, studying his clothing before standing with a heavy sigh. "Strip."

Jace frowned and looked down at himself. "Oh, come on. What's wrong with this?"

"Take it off," Isabelle insisted, walking towards his closet and stepping inside. "If you're going to fuck your life up for a second time and bring her down with you, you're at least going to do it in style."

"No."

"But Magnus–"

"No. Go change."

Clary stomped back into her bathroom and slammed the door shut just for good measure. This was the third dress she'd tried on and Magnus was no having it. Nothing was good enough for some reason, and she only had an hour left before Jace would get here.

Her heart started pounding faster again as she thought about it. It shouldn't be a date, and it wasn't a date, but she thought about it as a date. All she wanted was to be alone with him and kiss him and have him hold her until she felt safe in his arms. Even if that couldn't hall happen, she was just ready to see him.

So she slipped on a fourth dress – an emerald green one that came down to mid-thigh and was skin tight. It had a few sequence and designs here and there and was strapless. She fixed her hair and glanced in the mirror with a smile before heading back out to where Simon and Magnus sat on the couch.

"How about this one?"

She raised her arms and twirled, her red curls flowing as she spun in the second skin outfit.

Magnus was quiet before he nodded and smiled. "What do you think, Simon?"

Simon shrugged and was staring at his phone. Probably Isabelle texting him. "Honestly, we all know that Jace would be happy if she showed up. It didn't matter if she was in a dress or a t-shirt."

"That's not what I asked."

"Magnus, I really don't care."

"Guys," Clary waved to catch their attention. "We have bigger things to worry about than you two bickering."

"Right." Magnus slapped his thighs as he stood and headed towards her closet. "Now… wedges or heels?"

She knew that question was coming. "Can't I just wear–"

"No."

She sighed. "Wedges."

Magnus was smirking when he came out and handed her the shoes, studying her as she moved around and almost fell twice while slipping them on her feet. After that, he got her a necklace, her rings that she always wore, her bracelet, and helped her fix her hair in the bathroom. Before she knew it, she was looking at the clock and her heart started racing.

"I'm going to be late," she announced.

"He won't mind when he sees you," Magnus smirked, admiring his work. "Simon, good?"

Her best friend shrugged.

She rolled her eyes. "You're not helping right now, Lewis."

"Sorry," he said, dropping his phone and finally giving her his full attention. Then he smiled as he took her in and she saw a bit of admiration in his brown eyes. "You really do look absolutely beautiful, Clary."

"Back off, scrawny," Magnus said with a pointed finger. "This girl is not for you."

"I have a girlfriend."

"Who isn't Clary, so stop oogling."

"Guys!" Clary raised her arms and walked to grab her purse. "I really do have to go, okay? So is this good?"

Magnus smiled and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her in for a hug. "I want every detail when you get back."

Jace paced in front of the restaurant, nervously glancing down the street every ten seconds. She was supposed to be here by now. Clary was a punctual person at least, and yet she was already ten minutes late. Had she stood him up or something?

He glanced at his watch again. 7:13. His heart was racing at the idea that she might have changed her mind. That couldn't be happening. This was supposed to be what they needed to fix this, not ruin it.

The fact that he was so nervous made him jump when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He ignored the passerbys and wonderers in the London streets and leaned against a light post casually. "Hey, Henry."

"Jace, where are you?"

He sounded a bit frantic and Jace immediately stood up straighter. "I'm, uh…" Was it a good idea to tell them about tonight? He wasn't sure but went with a lie. "Around. Why?"

"How fast can you get to the hospital?"

He knew exactly what happened and his blood started racing through his veins. "How bad was it?"

"The doctors said Emily should be okay," Henry answered with a worried tone. "But I don't really trust doctors. I don't trust anyone who gets paid more money the sicker a person gets."

"So the seizure wasn't as bad as it has been?"

Jace pushed off the pole and began speed walking down the street. Turns out, the hospital was only a couple of blocks from the restaurant where he was meeting Clary. He'd call her as soon as he got the information and explain to her that it all had to be cancelled. She'll understand and everything will work out. He at least hoped so.

"The medicine is helping," Henry explained. "It could've been a whole lot worse but they think that the excitement from the past few days might have induced part of the problem."

"You think that her spending time with me is a bad idea?" Jace translated angrily.

"No! I mean you, meeting Clary and Isabelle, her birthday, the games. It was all just a bit much for a four year old with epilepsy. She didn't know how to take it."

Jace angrily growled when a random guy bumped into him, knocking him sideways a bit before he continued on. And he was a bit pissed at Henry now. "So I was just supposed to stay away?"

Henry sighed in frustration. "Jace, just get here. Stop all this assuming. Emily needs you right now and I don't want to argue with you about how or why or when this happened. Just hurry up."

"What's the room number?"

"512. I'll tell the nurse that you're coming and she'll let you through."

Jace hung up and immediately took off in a sprint/jog/run situation. He was dipping and dodging everyone in sight and when the lights for the hospital were in view, he ended up speeding up even more. There was no one else right now but the idea that his daughter was in that place without him. It horrified him at the moment.

His speed increased with every step until he burst through the doors, nearly knocking over and older woman, and took the stairs three at a time instead of the elevator. It wasn't fast enough. Within five minutes, luckily, he was sweating a bit as he ran into the room.

And there was his daughter, hooked up to some monitors with a smile on her face. A smile. Of all things that she had to go through, she still found a way to smile.

"Daddy," she said with a weak voice when she noticed him. He saw Henry and Charlotte on the other side of her bed, sitting down in chairs and she waved him over. "You look pretty."

He chuckled and immediately went to her side and kissed her forehead, pushing her blonde curls out from her eyes and touching her cheek. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"Tired," she admitted. "I missed you."

It hurt when she said that. Not in a bad way, but because he wished that she didn't have to ever miss him. He wished that he could be with her all the time, but he couldn't. And tonight, when he could've been, he tried to choose someone else. He tried to choose Clary.

His eyes widened at the idea that – shit! He never called and told her. His phone said 7:27 by the time he made sure that Emily was okay and stepped out to the hallway to call.

"This is Clary, leave a message," her voicemail said as it finally stopped ringing.

Jace took a deep breath after the beep and finally, he said, "Clary, it's me. I know that I promised dinner tonight but Emily had an… accident. I can't come tonight, but please don't be mad at me. We'll work it out later or something but… and I hate saying this… but I have to be there for her. Please understand and call me when you get this." He paused before turning off. In a small, whispered voice, he finished with, "I love you" before ending the call.

Then, after staring at his phone for an eternity, he walked back into the room to his daughter and her family, the family that he should be focused on, not some girl that was way out of his league.

"Dammit! Wait!" Clary yelled at the taxi as it drove off. She frowned and sighed, mentally cursing herself. She had stepped out, paid the guy, and left before realizing something.

Her phone was still in there.

"Shit," she muttered as the brake lights faded in the distance. "This is just great."

Now she had no phone, she was late, and it was just not working out right now. All she wanted was to find Jace. At least she had a watch. She glanced down and looked at the time.

7:17.

She was almost twenty minutes late. Without another thought, she kept her belongings that she still had and made her way into the designated restaurant to meet Jace.

"Hello," one of the waitresses greeted when she walked in. "How many?"

"I'm here for a reservation with a Wayland. Jace Wayland."

The woman looked at her sheet before nodding. "Follow me."

They walked through the restaurant of women and men on dates and double dates, even some families before reaching a table towards the middle. But no one was there and Clary frowned but took the seat anyway. Maybe he was running late too?

"I'll bring your date over as soon as he arrives," the waitress smiled before walking off, leaving Clary alone.

Now she wished that she had her phone to at least look at while she waited. Instead, she was stuck with staring at the wall, playing with the straw in her water when it arrived, and picking at the bread as she waited.

And it started to hurt. It wasn't just mental but physical pain. Her heart hurt as she realized that Jace might have stood her up. Would he really do that though? He would've called earlier than that. He would've done… something! He wouldn't just leave her hanging. Even if something came up, he'd have told her before the date was supposed to happen.

So maybe she and all her friends were wrong. Maybe she and Jace weren't supposed to be together. Maybe this wasn't going to work out like she wanted. This date was something she'd been looking forward to a little too much, and the realization that this was the last chance for her to be with Jace was… hard.

After twenty minutes of waiting when her watch said 7:39, she figured that it was best to just leave. But just as she was about to grab her purse and get up, someone plopped down beside her.

Her eyes widened when she recognized him. "Jem?"

"Hi, Clary," Jem smiled as he occupied the seat that Jace should've taken.

This took a turn she wasn't expecting. Jem was the basketball player with Will from college. He was handsome in his own ways with white hair and a sharp features. She didn't realize how handsome he was until now, honestly. Even when she was giving him a drunken lap dance, she never really thought about it. Maybe she was that lonely but she was more than ecstatic to see him.

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, leaning forward. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up, showing his skinny, yet muscular arms. He wasn't massive like most athletes, but he wasn't scrawny like Simon.

She wanted to say yes, but paused. Her mind was on other things. "What are you doing in London?" she blurted out.

Jem chuckled. "I live here."

"You live here? Since when?"

"Since forever," he said with a small smile. "Will's family lives here too. Spring Break, Summer Break, and Winter Break are the times the two of us head back here. He brought Tessa this time too."

Tessa, Will's girlfriend. This was getting more and more interesting.

"So, you're from England?"

His eyes were lit with amusement. "I am. And I was also wondering if you'd like to join Will, Tessa, and I. We're just over there." He pointed across the restaurant where the brunette girl sat with the tall, dark, and handsome Will Herondale.

Her first instinct was to say no. And she must have looked like it because Jem quickly continued.

"Isabelle mentioned that you've been here for a few months when we were at school," Jem continued. "I know that we weren't really close friends, just acquaintances at school, but since you're here, why not hang out with us for a bit? I don't want your time in London to be ruined because some guy doesn't realize how beautiful you really are. And what are the odds that we'd meet up like this? Obviously, this was meant to happen."

She was still blushing at his complement and played with her straw, her eyes staring straight at the table. "Jem…"

"Please?" He stuck out his bottom lip and looked like at her with puppy dog eyes. "Don't let me look like a jerk. I just saw you and wanted to say hey. And if you want, I'm inviting you to join us. The choice is yours."

Her thoughts went to Jace, wondering if this would be a good idea. But maybe she could just wait with Jem and his friends until Jace showed up? That sounded like a good idea, right? He was just running late… really late, and she'd meet up with him when he got here.

She glanced back at the front of the restaurant. The blonde hair she was hoping to see hadn't walked in, and she doubt he was coming by now.

So with a plastered smile and a slow nod, she turned back around to Jem. "I'd love to."

"She won't answer," Isabelle announced when she walked back into the hospital room, tucking her phone in her purse.

Jace sighed and dropped his head to his hands. "She probably hates me now."

"We'll explain it to her."

"That's not the point." He lifted his head and looked at Emily, how she was fast asleep in her bed before glancing back at his best friend. "The point is that this was my last chance and I blew it. Clary and I just aren't meant to be together. No matter what you say, the universe doesn't want it to happen."

Isabelle grabbed the chair and sat beside him, reaching for his hand which he let her take. "Look, she's probably just angry right now. Give her some time to cool off."

"I'm leaving soon," he said matter-of-factly. "And when I do, that's the end of it. I don't know if she's going to wait another four months like she did for the past three. I was lucky enough that she didn't have a boyfriend this time. That could change."

Silence. He knew that Isabelle was now contemplating it and agreeing with him. Because Clary was gorgeous. She was beautiful, talented, funny, intriguing, and interesting. Where most girls were just beauty without the brains or brains without the beauty, Clary was the whole package wrapped in that tiny, red haired body that Jace fell in love with.

He couldn't believe he screwed it up. He really couldn't.

Actually, he was an idiot. He could totally believe he screwed this up for the third time. She was better off without him.

"Stop it," Izzy said with a slap to the back of the head.

"Ow," Jace said calmly, rubbing his head through his hair. "You're getting violent and I don't know if I like that."

"You're getting stupid, and I don't know if I like that either."

He sighed and reached forward, grabbing Emily's tiny hand in his massive one. "Maybe I need to just focus on what's in front of me instead of chasing something that so out of my reach. I know you hate when I'm down on myself, but I'm not this time. Yes, I'm an idiot and I hate myself, but I need to get my priorities straight and stop just believing I've done that. I have to act on that now."

Isabelle was quiet for a moment. "So that's it? You're just never going to speak to her again?"

"I never said that."

"Then what are you saying? She's not going to wait for five years until you figure your life out. And dammit, Jace, you guys make a cute couple and you're miserable without her."

"It doesn't matter," he said with conviction. "I'll call her later and try to explain, but maybe I shouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe I should just let her hate me. I deserve it, anyway."

Isabelle reached forward and touched his shoulder, causing him to drop his head to the mattress. "And what about Emily? She's got Clary implanted in her head, now. What are you going to do when she's asking questions?"

"Change the subject."

"Jace–"

"Daddy?"

They both looked with surprised expressions when Emily's golden eyes opened. He slid closer and tucked her hair behind her ear like he does so often and rubbed his fingers along her cheek. She smiled slightly.

"How are you feeling?"

Emily took a deep breath. "Okay. What happened this time?"

"You had another accident," Jace explained softly. "But it's over now. Did you forget your medicine this morning or something?"

His daughter bit her lip lightly. "I don't know. Uncle Henry was gone and Aunt Charlotte normally puts my medicine in my breakfast."

"Maybe she forgot," Jace concluded. He reached forward and kissed his daughter's forehead. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here."

He smiled. "You're my number one," he said. "I'm going to be here whenever I can."

The night went better than Clary had even expected. Jem was nice, polite, genuine, and a different kind of handsome than what she was used to. His features were different but he still looked beautiful. Her fingers itched to paint him when he'd smile or laugh, and it was contagious. She'd laugh right along with them.

Will, Tessa, and Jem were a great trio as well. She didn't feel excluded or like they were trying too hard to include her either. They were just easy going and simple. Although Will seemed a little complicated, Tessa and Jem were like open books.

They spent quite a bit of time talking about college again, about how Sebastian was in jail, about how they all hated him for what he did to Clary, about basketball. It was so nice hearing about her old school from someone other than Simon or Isabelle.

"And what exactly happened between you and Jace?" Will asked once their food finally arrived. "I mean, you two were happy and then the next semester, neither of you were even at school. Granted, I didn't care for the kid but that was a little sketchy to just disappear."

She felt her voice get caught in her throat because she didn't really want to answer that. What happened was he's an asshole. That's what she wanted to say.

Jem's hand descended on her knee, her bare knee, and he rubbed circles with his thumb. It was actually soothing. "You don't have to answer if you're uncomfortable," he said, sensing her discomfort.

"We broke up," she said softly. "It's a long story."

Will leaned forward. "Why?"

"William," Tessa hissed. "Stop pressuring her into telling."

"I'm just curious."

"Well stop being curious."

"It's really nothing," Clary said quickly. "He lied about something and after all the other shit he put me through, I kind of got fed up with it. And tonight…" she paused, pushing her chicken Parmesan around her plate. "And tonight was supposed to be the dinner where we got back together."

Jem's hand froze on her leg. "Really?"

"But I realized he's not exactly good for me when he never showed," she concluded. Her breathing seemed to lag but she fought against it as she got the rest of her realization out. "And I guess that I'm better off without him. I think so at least."

They were quiet for a moment before Tessa spoke: "If he doesn't make you feel perfect, than he's not perfect for you."

Will beamed. "Aww. Thanks babe. That means a lot."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm helping Clary, not your ego."

"You're doing both."

Jem couldn't help but shake his head and smile as he touched his forehead to his other palm. Clary was acutely aware of the fact that his hand was still on her knee though, and she tried not to focus on that. But it was hard. It wasn't the electricity that she felt around Jace, but she still felt… something. Maybe not a fire, but a spark.

"I'm sorry about them," He said in a low voice. "They're precious but they bicker."

She shrugged with a small smile. "I think it's cute. It reminds me of Simon and Isabelle."

Then Will leaned over and kissed Tessa mid-sentence. Her eyes widened momentarily before they closed and she kissed him back, letting him cup her cheek. He pulled back after a few seconds and smiled, winking at her and causing her to giggle.

"Does that remind you of Simon and Isabelle?" Jem asked.

Clary shook her head with a small smile. "Kind of, but the other way around. Simon isn't that bold."

"Not many are as bold as William Herondale."

"Not many are as great as me either," Will said as he joined the conversation. "It's a luxury only few can afford."

Tessa rolled her eyes. "You're arrogance knows no bounds."

"You should know." He wiggled his eye brows suggestively, causing Tessa to blush and look away as he smiled.

As Clary sat there, it kind of dawned on her that she was settling. Jace made her settle, even if she didn't realize it. She wanted a relationship where they could have fun, laugh, and enjoy each other. Jace gave her that, but he also gave her lies and deception and heartbreak.

Her eyes darted to Jem momentarily. He was chuckling at his friends with his eyes closed, shaking his head. He was beautiful in a way. Not like Jace, but just… unique. His features were different and she liked that. And yes, she gave him a lap dance at one point but they were drunk. They were having fun.

The thing that stuck with her was he was a genuine, truthful person. And maybe that's what she needed. If Jem would like it, she was going to try it.

Isabelle, Jace, and Emily walked into his rented apartment later that next morning. Jace was exhausted from lack of sleep with worrying about Emily and Clary, so sleep was almost impossible to catch. Like trying to grab wind.

Emily was snoring into his shoulder as he carried her from the doorway to her room, gently putting her on the bed and tucking her in the covers. Her seizure really took a toll on her this time and she wanted to nothing but sleep for a while. Her eyes and body just seemed tired.

He closed her bedroom door as quietly as possible, leaning his back against it and closing his eyes. It wasn't long before Isabelle found him in that position.

"I heard you last night."

He sighed. "It doesn't surprise me."

"You didn't sound great."

Of course he didn't. Pacing in a room at three A.M. isn't something he wanted to do. Neither was the pushups or the sit ups or the squats or anything else he did to try to tire himself out enough to sleep. Even then, it just made him more awake. All he could think about was leaving Clary and worrying about his daughter.

He opened his eyes when Isabelle's hand slipped into his. She leaned against the wall beside him, her eyes searching his face. "You really think you can sacrifice everything in order to make Clary happy?"

"She'll find a way to be happy without me, so yes. She deserves what I can't give her."

Isabelle was quiet for a moment. A little too quiet.

Jace turned and gave her a look. "What?"

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Jace, I don't know how to tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

Slowly, Isabelle turned and he did the same until they faced each other. He was starting to panic a little inside. There were few times that Isabelle was this cautious with him. The first time was when he actually broke down and cried on the phone with her the day that Clary left him. The second was when he was four thousand miles away from Emily and they thought that she was going to lose it. And now, he had a feeling that shit was about hit the fan all over again.

"Don't freak out," Isabelle said as she raised her hands to his shoulders, trying to calm him.

His breathing was getting rapid and he could barely contain his anxiety. "Just tell me, Iz."

She dropped her hands and nodded, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from Emily's room.

They walked into the kitchen and she sat him down at the bar, walking around to the other side before pulling out her bottle of vodka. One thing he knew that she loved about London, the drinking age.

But he didn't drink, not since that night at college. "Izzy?"

She still didn't speak as she grabbed two shot glasses and poured them out, pushing one towards him. "Drink it and I'll tell you."

"Why do I have to drink this first?"

"Trust me." She leaned forward on her one arm after downing her own shot, shaking her head a bit. "You – you're not going to want to hear this completely sober. I know you don't drink but Jace, I need you to just do it."

He was hesitant, holding the small glass in his hands before believing her. He tilted his head and took the shot, feeling the burn that he was so unfamiliar with as it flowed down his throat. God, he hated the taste of alcohol. He hated the effects too. He just hated it.

Once he put the glass back down, he stared hard at Isabelle. "Now tell me."

She did, pouring more drink into the glasses. "So last night, after you had to ditch Clary and run for Emily, something happened."

"What?" He leaned forward. "Was it Clary? Is she okay?"

"She's more than okay," Isabelle said wearily. "That's why I got Simon to do some snooping."

"Snooping?"

She pushed him another drink and he downed it quickly.

"She wouldn't tell me anything," Izzy said. "She was being quiet and held back but way too happy considering you didn't show, so I asked Simon to figure out what was going on. Turns out, she wasn't exactly alone last night."

Jace felt his heart stop. "Wha – she wasn't…" he glanced down at his hands before dropping his head to them and pulling at his hair.

"You remember Will and Jem from college?"

Jace perked up. Of course he did. Will and some chick walked in on him and Clary at a party. And Jem… he was the asshole that gloated about Clary giving him a lap dance. Jace hated him with a passion that he couldn't even explain.

"Yes," he said slowly. "What does this have to do with Clary?"

"They found her last night at the restaurant as she was waiting for you."

Jace gripped his hair even tighter at the images that popped into his head. His beautiful Clary sitting and talking with Jem. Jem holding her hand. Jem kissing her. He felt the anger and frustration boil in his blood.

Isabelle's hand descended on his shoulder as he tried not to lose control. "Jace," she whispered quietly. "You need to focus on Emily now. You're leaving for America tomorrow. Just… focus on your family and your career. I'm sorry."

He knew what she meant. He knew that meant that trying to divide his focus on two people was pointless now. He only had one woman in his life that he really, truly, deeply, madly loved. And the redhead wasn't one of them.

She was gone. For good.

So, sorry about it. I couldn't just let it be happy. I wrote that, read over it, hated it and deleted it. I just couldn't do it.

But nothing is set in stone! Tell me what you all think :) some people wanted Clary to have a different love interest, so here he is. The good ole Jem that she gave a stripper dance to her freshmen year at college. What a way to start a relationship.

So review! Love you guys! Thanks for sticking with this story. Stay tuned for more.