The flashing light from the portal slowly dimmed around them. Clary lifted her head and looked around. Dark wood wall paneling and long green drapes hugged the large windows. Emberbeam's office. She couldn't believe she was back at The Academy. She thought about how in the past 24 hours she'd had a ton of chances to leave for good, and she hadn't taken them.

"Oh" Emberbeam's voice came from the other side of the room, "welcome back you two". She slammed a folder a little harder on the table than she had meant to before getting up and walking to where Jace stood still carrying Clary. "Did you have fun?" She asked sarcastically.

"Let me explain..." Jace began, but was instantly interrupted.

"Don't worry" Emberbeam explained, "Jocelyn has already explained everything". "How's your foot?"

"It should be better by now" Clary said and urged Jace to put her down. She tried walking but flinched from the pain as soon as her injured foot hit the ground. Jace quickly moved forward giving her something to hold on to. "I don't get why it isn't getting better".

The door opened and Izzy walked in confused as to what was going on.

"You wanted to see me headmistress?" She asked.

"Isabelle, would you be so kind as to help Ms. Morgenstern to the infirmary please?" Emberbeam asked, but it was really more of a command. Izzy nodded and beg and to lead Clary out into the hallway. "Mr. Herondale" she spoke again when Jace was about to follow the girls out of the room, "might I have a word with you".

"Umm..." He thought of what she was going to say, "sure". Emebrbeam sat back down at her desk and Jace sat on the opposite side.

"I know what I did was wrong and I'm" he began, but was interrupted again.

"It's okay Mr. Herondale" she grinned, "I'm glad you were there to help her". Jace had no idea what to say now. He had expected to be patronized, not to be prized for his actions. "I can't say I'm surprised this happened. Ms. Morgenstern has been through a lot, and I knew she was going to be a handful since before she even got here. Her mother has been worried for a long time. I imagine your aware of what happened..." Jace nodded reassuringly. "Well after her dad passed away, she closed herself off from everyone in her life. Her family got concerned, her instructors at the Institute got concerned, and the Clave got concerned" she cleared her throat before continuing, "i have noticed that she has taking a liking to you, Mr. Herondale".

"Me?" He asked shocked

"I know this might be a little bold of me to ask from you" her tone changed from casual to serious in a single moment, "but, I need you to get close to her. This might be the first time she tried to run away, but I assure you it won't be the last. She needs someone she can count on, someone she can trust here".

"I can do that" he nodded and she gave him a pleased smile.

"Good"

"What happened to your foot?" Izzy asked as they waited for the nurse to take a look at Clary's foot. The infirmary was a small room with a couple of beds a bright lights.

"I twisted it" Clary answered. The iratze was still glowing just above her ankle.

There was a long silence in which neither of them had anything to say. They had been living together for a couple of weeks now, but they had never actually had a real conversation.

"Can I ask you something?" Izzy asked breaking the silence. She wasn't sure if she should be asking her this, but she had to know.

"Sure" Clary nodded pushing her hair away from her face.

"Why don't you want anyone knowing who you really are?" Izzy finally said.

Clary laughed to herself. She knew eventually this conversation would happen, but she wasn't ready for it. "I just didn't want anyone knowing" was all she managed to say. There was so much more to that.

Izzy knew there was more to that story, but she didn't want to dig into her personal life. She just nodded and gave her a weak smile. "You're a very strong fighter" she pointed out trying to change the subject, "You'll probably be working the field in the next year or so".

"You're not so bad yourself" Clary grinned, "I've seen you in class".

"I'm not that good" she looked down.

"Yeah" Clary insisted, "you really are. You just have to show off a little more, maybe Hodge will finally see how good you are".

Izzy couldn't help but smile. Clary could see her change right in front of her. Her eyes light up and she held her chin up a little higher. She just need someone to push her.

"Ms. Morgenstern" a woman, about the same age as Clary's mom, walked into the room, "so you twisted your ankle".

"I got an iratze, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better" Clary explained staring at her swelled up foot.

"Well looking at your medical records" the woman looked at a folder, "I do see that iratze a have a slower effect in you due to the amount of angelic blood in your system". Clary looked over at Izzy for a moment, but Izzy continued to stare at her foot. So the rumors were true.

After about another half an hour, the nurse did confirm that Clary's ankle was broken, which really pissed off Clary.

"It's a pretty bad break" the nurse explained as she bandaged her foot, "you just need to stay off it, use crutches, and retrace that iratze every morning when you get up and every night before you go to sleep. You should be good as new in a week".

"Thank you" Izzy answers for Clary as she helped her get up and use the crutches she had gotten to leave the room.

"So" Jace said as he worked with the punching bag when he saw Clary come into the training room with her crutches the following morning, "how's cripple doing?"

"You know, even in crutches I could kick your ass" she gloated

"You're not serious right" he stopped punching to speak with her, "I thought you couldn't put any weight on it for a week"

"I can't" she agreed.

"I didn't think you'd get up early now that you can't train" he reached for his towel to wipe his forehead.

"Well, I wouldn't want you getting ahead. Would I?" She smiled, "plus, I brought you someone who wants to train a little more"

"Sorry I'm late..." Izzy said as she ran into the room.

"Izzy?" Jace smiled confused.

"Hey Jace" Izzy walked over to him, "ready to eat it?"

"I see Clary's been rubbing off on you" Jace prepared by grabbing a makeshift seraph blade.

"Well" Izzy grabbed a blade too, "let's see if you really are as good as you say you are".

They began sparring and Clary just watched. She would never admit it, but deep down she was a little glad that she had agreed to come back.