An agonizing scream of pain echoed through the silent house. Jocelyn jolted awake at the sound. Quick as a flash she was up and running to her daughters room with Luke close behind. The door rebounded off the wall as she threw it open. Clary laid thrashing and whimpering on the bed in her sleep. Jocelyn hurried over and began to shake Clary by the shoulders.

"Clary, Clary! Wake Up!," she cried desperately.

"Jace. No. Please," the quiet plea was barely audible from the young girls pale lips but still carried inconceivable pain.

A hand grasped Luke's heart in a vice grip as her watched the tears pour down his loves face and the young girl he considered a daughter remain trapped in a world of pain. Slowly he walked over to Jocelyn and pried her fingers off her daughter's arms so she wouldn't injure her. Clary continued to howl in anguish while her mother sobbed at her side.

Maryse stood in bemused horror as her son gasped and withered in his bed. Sweat ran in rivets down his body. Robert tried in vain to wake him using all the methods he could think of. She tenderly brushed strands of his gold hair from his clammy forehead. She captured her husband hand for comfort and reassurance as she tried to think of a way to release Jace from his nightmares.

"Leave her. Not her. Not Clary," he breather in a tortured voice.

Robert sifted through ever memory and fact in his brain, as he sat by the bed, frantically trying to think of a way to help his boy. Jace's body suddenly arched of the bed sharply, a piercing cry tearing from his throat. Robert held him down; trying madly to aid Jace in his mental battle.

Then he went limp and silent. This terrified Robert more than the screaming and flailing.

"Jace, Jace? Can you wake up for me please?" Maryse said quietly, shaking his shoulder lightly.

At her touch he gasped loudly, his eyes snapping open.

Jace jolted upright. His first thought, to get to Clary. He had to get to her. Uncaring that he was only in his sweats, Jace swung off the old bed and ran toward the door. He could hear his parents calling out to him from down the hall but he didn't stop. He had to wake Clary up. At the thought of her in pain he moved quicker, flying out the door and onto the dimly lit street.

Clary, Clary, Clary, Clary, Clary, Clary, Clary. He chanted her name over and over again to block his own pain. He had no visible wounds but the pain was there, sharp and real. And he knew Clary was going through the same thing.

The small red house soon came into view yet he felt no relief. He cringed as he approached the door. He could hear her howling. He didn't bother to knock. He just snapped the lock and barged in. Jace charged up the stairs and up to his girlfriends' room. The sounds coming from the other side of the door made his knees buckle before he righted himself and stormed through the door.

Clary floated in a haze of pain and awareness. She could hear someone sobbing close by her. Then there was a flurry of activity. The sobbing quietened and the sound of hushed whispers sounded. Then there was a familiar warmth against her cheek.

"Clary? Come on. Wake up for me, please?" she knew that voice. Smooth as velvet yet gruff and masculine.

Torturously slowly she swam through the fog of the implanted mental pain; trying her best to wake up for him. Gradually her eyes began to flutter and his warrior face became clear. The relief was clear as the tension visible drained from his body. Tenderly he reached down and drew her up to his chest. She could feel his nose burying into her wealth of red hair.

"It hurts," she confessed in a broken whisper, her lips grazing his bare chest.

"I know, I know," he said softly.

They held each other in silence for a few more moments; simply savouring being together. However the moment was soon over as someone politely cleared their throat. Clary glanced up to the far corner of the room over Jace's shoulder to look at her mother in the far corner of the room. Clary felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she took in her mothers' appearance.

Jocelyn's face was pale and her skin shimmered in two clear tracks under the weak light, her eyes red and bloodshot. Luke had her wrapped securely in his arms with a concerned frown gracing his face. Clary eased out of Jace's embrace and opened her arms to her mom.

Jocelyn rushed over to Clary and folded her into her arms, holding her tightly. She had known something was desperately wrong when Jace came through the door. He had looked in pain himself but only held concern for her daughter. She had watched in shocked happiness as Jace walked to Clary's bedside, begged her to wake up and her daughters two marble green eyes had come into view.

Tightening her arms Jocelyn asked carefully, "What happened?"

Clary inhaled sharply. She didn't want to talk about this now nor did she want to sleep. She wanted to be with Jace. She needed to know he was here and out of harm's way. She felt a stray tear drip down her face at the thought of him being threatened because of her.

"Clary?" her mother's stern voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality.

"Mom please, I don't want to talk about it just now ok?" Clary murmured.

"But –" Jocelyn protested releasing her.

"Jocelyn maybe you should leave it for tonight. We'll have Maryse and Robert over for lunch and discuss it then" Luke objected.

"No! She's my daughter, I deserve to know what happened now not tomorrow" Jocelyn argued back.

"Mom, Jocelyn" three voices said disapprovingly.

"What? I'm doing what a mother should!" Clary's mother complained.

"No. You're being pushy and trying to feed your own curiosity. So now we are going to bed and discussing this tomorrow" Luke said sternly and grasped her upper arm to move her out the door.

Jocelyn huffed and shrugged him off, walking promptly out of the room. He sighed helplessly as he watched her go. Did they still have that blanket on the couch? He turned back to Jace and Clary with a soft smile. Jace glanced up with pleading eyes. Luke ginned wickedly and nodded in allowance.

Jace continued to hold his beautiful crying red head long after the resounding of the click of the door, announcing Luke's departure, was gone. Neither of them spoke or slept. He peppered light kisses on her hair every now and then but even they were soundless.

"What do you think will happen?" Clary asked him suddenly.

"I don't know. But we'll face it together. Tomorrow."