AN: This is the last chapter! I hope you like it :) enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments, though I would love to have my own Jace. Everything belongs to Cassandra Clare.
Clary POV
When they were sure Jace was okay, Alec, Isabelle and Magnus left the room. Jace sank down on the edge of his bed. Clary stood in front of him, studying him worriedly.
"Again, I'm fine." Jace said, rolling his eyes. "Stop looking at me like I'm gonna fall to pieces."
Clary shook her head and tilted his chin up. He looked up at her questioningly, but she just brought a finger to his throat and softly stroked the pink line the magical ropes had left on his skin. He flinched away and Clary raised an eyebrow.
"I worry about you." She said, sitting down next to him.
"Well, you shouldn't." Jace patted his pockets. "It'll be gone when I get my stele back."
Clary kissed his cheek, then sighed. "Maybe you should try to sleep." The dark circles below his eyes were distracting. Maybe if he'd had a few hours of sleep, she would believe him when he told her he was fine.
"I'm not tired."
"Stop lying."
Jace sighed and stretched out on the mattress, pulling Clary with him.
Clary didn't understand what Jace was doing. She kept quiet, so he would fall asleep, but he stubbornly kept his eyes open. When practically every breath he took was interrupted by a yawn, Clary couldn't take it any longer. She pushed herself up on her elbow and glared at him.
"Why can't you just go to sleep!" she said exasperatedly. "You obviously need it."
Jace didn't answer her right away. "I can't- I just-"
Clary interrupted him, her voice suddenly much softer. "Jace," She laid her head on his chest, because she knew he'd talk easier if he didn't have to look at her. "Are you scared?"
His arm wrapped around her body. "Why would you think that?"
"Because even though we met only a couple of days ago, I think I know you pretty well. And the last time you acted like this, you told me you were afraid. I can see it in your eyes."
He sighed. "Well, yes, then." His fingers combed through her hair. "The last time I closed my eyes, my sleep wasn't very… pleasant."
"I'm sorry." Clary whispered. She hadn't really thought about that.
"I mean, I know Magnus had no other choice and the connection is broken now, but it's hard to just stop thinking about it."
Clary felt his body tense beneath her and moved a little so she could reach his lips. She kissed him softly, her fingers twisting in the soft curls at the back of his neck.
"Let's just talk then, okay?"
"About what?"
"Do really not remember why you lost your memory?"
Jace laughed softly. "I'm not sure whether you knowing me so well is a good thing."
"So you do remember?" Clary wasn't surprised.
Jace nodded. "I just don't think Magnus would like it if I told everyone."
"My lips are sealed, promise." Clary said.
"Did anyone already tell you about the downworlders?"
Clary nodded. "Alec told me a little."
"Well, a week ago, something was stolen from the Queen of Seelie Court."
Clary interrupted him. "I said Alec told me a little."
"The queen of the fairies?" Jace tried.
"Okay, go on."
"So she asked for our help because she didn't think one of the faeries did it. As a reward, the one who found out who did it would be granted one wish. Of course Isabelle immediately began choosing new shoes or whatever, and Alec didn't really believe the Queen, but I started really thinking about it. Magnus was with us, and he kept looking at me with this weird look on his face."
Jace POV - three days earlier
Jace sighed. They'd been talking all day about who could've robbed the Seelie Queen, and they didn't have a clue. He slouched in one of Magnus's loveseats and really wanted to go home. Apparently, Isabelle was feeling the same way.
"Look, we're not getting anywhere like this. Let's continue tomorrow by actually talking to people who might know more. I'm getting bored."
"Hallelujah." Jace said, and he pushed himself upright.
Alec frowned but nodded. "Fine. We'll start anew tomorrow." He made his way to the door after kissing Magnus goodbye.
Isabelle spotted Alec's jacket on the edge of a couch, picked it up and ran after Alec, yelling at him for having to pick up his things behind him.
Jace was just so tired of everything. He wanted to be outside for a while, alone, away from the mess and the talking and everything.
Magnus stopped him in the doorway. "You don't look so good."
"Thanks." Jace said, trying to walk around Magnus.
"What, no witty comeback? No insult? What has gotten into you?" Magnus seemed genuinely concerned.
Jace didn't know. He knew it wasn't just that moment, he'd been like this for some time now, and he knew it worried his family.
"What would you have asked?" Magnus asked him, a gleam in his eyes.
Jace was too tired for games. "What?"
"The Seelie Queen. What would you wish for, if you were given the chance?"
"Love." Jace blurted. He hadn't meant to say that, but the word left his lips before he even thought about it. He sighed. "I would wish for true love."
Magnus smiled at him and Jace thought there was something sad in that smile. "Maybe I can help with that?"
Jace laughed. "Thanks, but no. Isn't Alec enough for you?" He shook his head. "I just don't believe in love. Not for me." He moved past Magnus and left the building.
While he walked down the stairs, his vision suddenly shifted. For a second, everything was a blur and he had to blink a few times. His head felt weird, his chest tight. He needed to get outside.
Out on the street, with the night air brushing his skin, his thoughts cleared. Why had he just told Magnus that? He really needed to get a grip. He made his way to the Institute but stopped when he passed the lake. His stomach was twisting and his head still felt strange, so he decided to stay outside for a few minutes, before going home. Maybe the cold would sharpen his senses again.
The pathway around the lake was icy and covered with snow. It crunched beneath his boots and the cold pinched at his cheeks. Maybe he should go back. Jace turned around but lost his balance, his feet slid and he grabbed a branch to keep from falling. He was breathing heavily and tried to figure out what was happening to him. He never lost his balance before.
The world turned around him, and black spots danced in front of his eyes. He lost his grip on the branch and fell down, tumbling down the slope, almost all the way to the lake. He stayed down and tried to catch his breath. A branch or a rock had caused a gash in his side, and with the last of his energy, Jace managed to trace a healing mark on his skin. Then everything turned to darkness.
Clary POV
Clary had been listening to Jace with wide eyes. "I found you the next morning. You were there all night, in the cold!"
"The healing mark must've helped me with that." Jace said, shrugging.
"so you think Magnus did that to you?" Clary asked.
"I'm sure that it didn't happen exactly the way he planned it, or if he really thought something would happen, but I'm certain that he caused the dizziness that made me fall."
"So he brought us together?" Clary was very excited but tried not to show it too much.
Jace made a face. "He probably did something wrong, which made me fall. And you found me while walking the dog, by coincidence."
Clary thought about it. "It could explain how I felt about you, though." She looked up at him, her hand stroking his cheek. "I never understood why, but from the moment I saw you, I cared about you." She blushed a little.
"You held me. When you found me, you held me off the ground. I remember you stroking my hair…" Jace's voice trailed off, sounding tired. "I remember wondering why… You didn't even know me."
Clary nodded. "I really wanted to get to know you. I felt something for you right away." When she looked up at him, his eyes were closed.
She reached up to kiss him on the lips. "Sweet dreams." She told him, and snuggled closer to him.
He drifted to sleep with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
AN: first of all, everyone who read this story and everyone who reviewed: thank you so much! I hope you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it :).
For the last time: Did you like this chapter? Was it a good ending?
What part of the story did you like most? Please review!
