This is short because I've been so busy but I wanted to give you guys a look at what's coming. It's getting close to the end so stick with me! I'm sorry for all the delays and those that have stayed with this story, I appreciate you so much and thank you!

Where are you? - C

Just outside the terminals. I got your bags from luggage already so just come on out to the entrance and we'll meet you there. - J

Clary smiled. But even though it was sweet of Jace to help, it didn't stop her nervousness. The entire flight out to California, she was wondering if this was a good idea. Should she do this? Was it right? Could it end badly? What would she do if it did?

She got bumped in the process of her thinking, bringing her back to reality. With so many people around, she'd actually have to focus or she'll be trampled. So she lifted her head high and trudged through the crowds, looking for Jace.

Since that day two weeks ago, they'd been talking nonstop. But the weird thing was that it wasn't like it normally was. Confusing? Yes. It was like they were still scared of crossing that line. He was careful and reserved. Not like before. He told her anything she asked about but she could tell that his playfulness that she missed wasn't there yet. And she hoped it would return soon.

Because she wasn't sure how much more she could take. Having him back in her life was hard enough but to have him close but not close enough would be hard. They both proved that they could live without each other, but it wasn't by choice. It was hard, but it was possible. She didn't want to go through it a second time though.

As she broke through the entrance doors, taking in the smell and heat of California, she just closed her eyes and breathed it in.

"Clary!"

She turned just as a small figure flew at her at lightning speed. Clary barely had time to reach down and grab Emily before she bolted into her.

"Hi," Clary smiled.

Over the weeks, she'd been talking to Emily too. In order to work things out, she'd have to get over the Emily-jealousy thing. The best way to do that was to make it work between the two of them which wasn't hard. Emily was as loveable as a puppy, all smiles and playfulness.

The smaller girl wrapped her arms around Clary's neck, pulling her close as Clary held her. "I missed you. Did you ever do my painting?"

That was one of Clary's goals before she got here. And finally, she was able to nod and smile. "I did. You, Jace, and your mother. It's in one of my bags."

Jace emerged with a strained look on his face from behind them. "One of your many bags," he whined, carrying the two duffle bags of clothes and the two strapped backpack that held her art supplies. "I thought you were a simple girl."

"It's good to see you too," Clary teased.

"Come on!" Emily yelled. "I want to show Clary the house!" She hopped down, grabbed Clary's hand and pulling her towards an open cab. "Come on, come on, come on!"

Both adults were pulled by the smaller child and shoved into the cab, Emily between the two of them.

Jace was smiling the whole time, giving the driver directions and finally turning towards Clary. "How was the flight?"

"We're going to have so much fun!" Emily interrupted, causing Clary to laugh. "We can go swimming and go to the beach and play dolls and daddy can teach you how to play soccer and we can go to the park and Disney Land and–"

Jace placed his hand on her head. "Emily, sweetheart, let Clary breathe a bit. She's probably tired."

"I'm just excited."

"It's okay," Clary said with a smile.

Emily beamed. "Will you come with me to my favorite spot tomorrow morning? It's by the beach, just past grandpa's house."

Clary froze momentarily. It doesn't take her long to recover and nod, but she knew that Jace saw it.

And he probably felt the same way. Grandpa. That would be Jace's father that isn't exactly a fan of Clary Morgenstern. In fact, he didn't really care for any of Jace's girlfriends or anyone that might distract him, Emily included. Yes, she was his granddaughter but Jace had mentioned that Michael wasn't a huge fan.

Clary quieted her voice when Jace gave his daughter her Nintendo DS to keep her quiet. She leaned across the seat carefully and asked, "Am I going to have to, you know, meet him?"

He sighed. "I don't want you to but that's not because I'm ashamed of you."

"Jace–"

"He's just harsh and I've put you through enough so–"

"We're not together," Clary whispered harshly. Jace's eyes were instantly hurt but she had to explain that to him. They technically weren't together though. "We're just… I don't know but the whole 'meeting your father' thing isn't something I'm ready for either."

"I just want you to know that if he finds out you're here, he might not give you a choice."

She bit her lip and nodded once. "Then I'll deal with it, but I'm avoiding him at all costs until that moment comes."

"I don't really blame you," he said, leaning back in his seat and looking out the window. "I don't blame you one bit."

"And this is your room," Emily said with a huge smile as she stepped into the space.

The house that Jace had in California was massive. Three stories, the bottom strictly for entertainment while bedrooms filled the rest of the space above. The walls were decorated with art that Clary couldn't help but admire. Angels were decorating and dancing across the stones. It was an art as well as a story.

But her room was simpler than the bottom floor. It was green, a green that resembled her eyes a little too well. A red rug covered the floor in the middle where the bed stuck on top of it. The dressers were standard and so was the closet doors. Nothing too fancy, but strikingly a lot like her.

Emily had made her way to the bed, hopping on it (with a struggle) and lied down with a giggle. "Do you like it?"

Clary nodded and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. "It's… familiar."

"Daddy had it designed in case you ever wanted to come back," Emily explained. "It kind of fits you really well."

"You mean the red and the green?" she chuckled, taking the spot by Emily. "I had no idea."

"He talks about you a lot," Emily said. "Like, a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot."

"I don't–"

Emily quickly put her finger to Clary's lips. "Shh, just listen."

Clary nodded, letting the younger girl drop her finger before taking a deep breath. "You know, you're mature for your young age."

She shrugged and nodded. "Aunt Charlotte always says that and so does grandpa. They say I'm even more mature than Uncle Henry sometimes. I don't really know what it means but I guess they're right with whatever they say, being so old and all."

With a chuckle, Clary shook her head.

"So," Emily continued, "I wanted to talk to you about Daddy."

Clary swallowed hard. "Really?"

"Why are you two so… weird?"

"We- weird?"

"I don't like whatever it is," Emily confessed. "I want you to be happy, and I want Daddy to be happy, and I know you two make each other happy."

"It's not that easy," Clary said slowly, dropping her head a little. "Emily, I love your father-"

"I know."

"But we've been through a lot together and it wasn't all good. It's not like how it is in your Disney movies. Things don't end up like Ariel and Prince Eric and you need to understand that adults have struggles as well. Jace and I are fragile right now."

Emily pouted. "But if you love him, you can be with him."

Clary shook her head. "It's not that simple."

"It is," Emily said with conviction from her young mouth. "I know that it is."

"You don't even know what love really is," Clary pointed out.

Emily looked partially offended and partially insulted. "I do too. Daddy said that it means that you'll do anything for that person, and when you have chocolate and you love someone, you share it with them."

Jace would say something like that. Clary fought the urge to roll her eyes just because he's such an interesting father.

"Would you do anything for my daddy?" Emily asked seriously.

Clary felt her heart stop at the question. Jace had done so many things to her, good and bad, and scarred her in both senses too. He imprinted himself in her head permanently, and she wasn't sure there was room for anyone else. And no one else thought that either.

So she finally nodded. "I would."

Emily squealed, all too loudly, and jumped on Clary, wrapping her arms around the older girl's neck and squeezing.

"I knew it!" Emily cheered. "I knew it! I knew you love him."

Clary chuckled and hugged the little girl back quickly before there was the sound of someone clearing their voice. They both turned to the doorway to find Jace leaning against the frame, an unreadable look on his face.

"Emily," he said quietly. "Why don't you go find a place to put the painting that Clary did?"

She unsnaked her arms from Clary's neck and frowned. But she didn't fight and left, giving Clary one last smile before squealing all the way down the hall.

Clary didn't say anything as Jace walked over to the bed, taking the once occupied spot beside Clary. She wondered how much he actually heard of their conversation, if he knew what she and Emily had discussed.

"Is the room okay?"

She nodded and glanced around again. "You kind of made it too much with me in mind."

"I can't help it," he confessed. "And my father hates the fact that it's based off of you and your hair and your eyes but," he paused, turning his face towards Clary and the intensity in his eyes made her gasp, "I just want you to have fun when you're here. Regardless of what happens between you and me, and I want you to just enjoy yourself out here in L.A. Okay?"

She nodded and couldn't stop the small smile. "So what are we doing first?"

The first few days were simple and easy. Jace and Clary and Emily just hung out in the sun by the beach in the day, and went to dinner and shopping in the nights out. There wasn't anything complicated and it was everything but awkward with Emily's personality in the mix.

And Clary found herself feeling like something was missing. Even with the fun and excitement of being in a place like California, with a man like Jace, and a little girl like Emily, something was still missing.

The last thing she wanted was to comment on that though. So instead, she focused on the restaurants that Jace insisted on taking her to. Or the 'sights' that she just had to see while she was here. And it was simple, like two friends hanging out. Ntohign complicated.

But maybe that was what was missing.

She sat on the beach later in the week, feet in the sand and sketchbook on her lap to draw out the sunset when she felt his presence. He simply slid in behind her, doing nothing but wrapping his arm around her.

He was shirtless. She felt that instantly because her bikini didn't really make it hard to notice. Her body went rigid as he pulled her back and tipped his chin on her shoulder. No words were spoken and this was the most they've even touched for a while. That kiss almost three weeks ago at her house back in Georgia seemed like forever ago at this point and it wasn't enough.

She thought back to all the conversations with everyone:

Like with Jon when he was determined that she and Jace need to be together. She was good with Jem but it wasn't right. Jon insisted that what she wanted, what she needed, was Jace.

Isabelle thought the same thing. So did Simon. The two people she was closest to obviously knew what was best for her, even if Simon was the last person that really wanted to admit to that. To this day he will always say he hates Jace's guts, not that Clary can really blame him.

And then she thought back to the conversation with Emily when she first arrived. Did Clary still love Jace? Yes. There was no doubt about it. But was it right?

"I've been thinking," Jace finally said after a few moments of silence, breaking her out of her thoughts. "About us."

She swallowed and nodded, trying her best to sketch like his touch wasn't effecting in. In all reality, she knew that he could feel her heart stuttering though and her hand shaking. It was more than a little obvious.

"And I've realized that I miss you."

Those three words caused her to freeze and glanced back at him. "What? I've been here for almost a week."

He shook his head. "You know what I mean. I miss you. I miss us. I miss what we used to be back at the college. I miss that."

She sighed and looked back at the waves of the ocean. "I miss it too," she confessed.

"I've tried to be your friend," he said, tightening his grip around her waist when she started to stir. But he eventually let her turn when he realized she wasn't leaving, making their eyes meet as they sat before each other. "I've tried to be your friend," he repeated, "And I can't. I can't be around you and not touch you. I can't keep pretending like I can do it. It's like depriving myself of air to breathe. It's a tease, a heart shattering tease and I'm sorry for all the shit I've done to you. I can never make up for it. I won't make up for it within the next thousand of lifetimes but all I want is for you to hear me out. Okay? Just listen."

She nodded and didn't say a word as he reached out and took her hands, playing with her fingers. Her heart was racing at this point and she found herself scared of what she was about to hear.

Finally he said, "I quit the team."

Her eyes shot out of her head. "What?"

"I quit the L.A. soccer team," he confessed, looking up to meet her gaze. "My dad wasn't happy, but I couldn't care less. I quit this morning."

Clary's mouth worked before her brain could process and she asked, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

She shook her head. She really didn't know.

"I want to spend more time with Emily," he softly spoke, leaning in to look at Clary more deeply. "And I want to be with you. I can't do that from here. I need to be where you are."

"But I'm going to be in London," she confessed. "Magnus has called and we–"

"I know," Jace interrupted. "I've called Magnus and talked to Henry and Charlotte and there's a spot on the Manchester City team. They're scouting me and want me and so I'm being paid to play overseas. I'll be closer to where you are, where Emily is." He smiled so brightly that the setting sun couldn't even match it. "Clary, I'll get to be with you in every way you deserve."

She was so shocked at all this and was ready to jump into his arms when her name was suddenly called. She glanced back the house, spotting Emily. The girl was yelling, "Clary! Clary!"

And that's when she shot out of bed, heart racing and pulse pounding.

"Clary!" Emily yelled from beside her, a wide smile on her face and a mess of hair on her head. "Good morning," she beamed. "Now get up, Daddy and I made breakfast."

It was just a dream, she thought to herself. Just a dream.

Sooooooo, yup. We're getting there. Clary's having realizations and they're together in L.A.! let's see what happens soon and let me know what you think in the reviews. Stay tuned :)