Jace's POV
She's here. She's here. She's here.
These words run through my mind repetitively, as I stare down at the only girl I've ever loved. The only girl I will ever love. She stares back at me with wide, frenzied eyes, her mouth open in a small 'o'. Her red hair is pulled back in a messy bun at the nape of her neck, and all I can think is: She's so beautiful, she's so beautiful.
"What-where have you been!?" I shout, fury overcoming me. I'm angry she has just turned up, looking like a freaking model but like hell at the same time. I'm angry that she's been gone all this time. I'm angry that she hadn't even bothered to come back.
A tortured screech fills the room and Clary winces.
"Stop shouting at her Jace, I almost got hit because of you," Zander announces, appearing with ichor dripping off of his blade. He wipes it off on the corner of his shirt, not even flinching when he sees Clary.
"Y-you knew she was here?"
"Of course I knew she was here; I brought her," He shrugs. Alec appears next, smiling at Clary and replacing his blade in its sheath. A frustrated growl rips through my teeth. Am I the only one that didn't know that Clary had returned from her little escapade? A scream answers my question.
"Hi, Izzy," Clary breathes, winded. Isabelle had almost bowled her over; gathering her in a vice like hug. "Izzy... can't...breathe."
"Izz-" Zander starts, as Isabelle pulls back. He's too late, however; a sharp crack resonates around the room when Izzy's hand snaps back against Clary's cheek.
"YOU LEFT US!" She cries. Her eyes blaze, but you can see she isn't so much as angry, as upset. Tears pooled in her big brown eyes- I hadn't seen her cry since Max died. "You left us," She whispers, before burying her face in Clary's hair and hugging her parabatai again.
"This is really very touching and all, but what the hell is going on?" I growl. My heart is screaming in exultation, that Clary is back, but my head – the part I have learnt to act on when my heart began to act rashly and hurt too much when it broke – is angry; angry that Jocelyn took Clary away, and didn't even bother to check in.
A blush paints Clary's pale cheeks as she disentangles herself from Izzy.
"Maybe we should talk about this back at the Institute," She suggests, timidly. "Luke and Magnus can explain some things a lot better than I can." My eyes flicker to Alec. He's gripping his blade tight and his breathing is laboured.
"Luke?" Isabelle asks hopefully. She had always got on well with Lucian for some weird reason. I think he represented the dad she wished she'd had; strong, hopelessly in love and loyal. Her father was weak – not in the literal sense but he was weak mentally. Robert and Maryse thought we didn't know about the affair. We did.
"Fine, let's go," I mumble before making my way through the crowd and out of the club. The fresh air hits me and I take a deep breath. I should be happy. I should be jumping for joy. I should be taking her in my arms and kissing her. But I can't. Every time I look at her, all I can hear is the sound of my heart breaking and feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. How can you trust someone, who hurt you so much?
Isabelle's POV
When we walk into the Institute I'm instantly hit with the smell of my mother's cooking. I watch a small smile grow on Clary's face and her eyes close for a moment.
"MARYSE!" Jace shouts, dropping his blade into an old umbrella stand.
"Coming!" My mother appears in the doorway and freezes. "Ah."
"Yes, ah," Jace spits and folds his arms across his chest. "Care to explain?"
"Luke! Magnus! Indie!" Mum shouts. Wait, Indie?
"You were meant to be watching her," Luke announces calmly, staring at Zander evenly. He looks the same as he always did; dark hair and blue eyes.
"I'm not a child, Luke," Clary mutters under her breath, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I don't need a babysitter."
There's a silence. Right, Magnus is here.
"Magnus," I say, stiffly. "How are you?" Hey, at least I'm trying to make conversation. I hate awkward silences.
"I'm doing okay, thank you," He replies. The tension in the room is insurmountable.
"Is anyone going to explain?" Jace asks. Clary shuffles uncomfortably.
"Maybe I should g-"
"No," Jace growls.
"Magnus," Indie says for the first time. "Maybe you should tell them." And so he does. He starts off by telling us how Jocelyn had found him, begging him to wipe her memories and how he had done it every year since. He tells us how Clary had started remembering things; how she started to remember us. He tells us how Jocelyn had been taken and how Clary had fought off a demon with no real training. He tells us how they found Luke – chained to a chair and being interrogated by the Pangborn brothers. He tells us how Clary and fought them pretty much single-handedly.
When he finishes there's a long silence.
"So, what you're saying is that she can't remember anything?" Jace says way too calmly, staring down at the floor.
"I'm right here, and I have a name," Clary mumbles. She's ignored. "I can remember a few things."
"A few things," Jace whispers, dragging his eyes up from the floor to meet Magnus'. "You creep!" He screams and lunges at the warlock.
He throws heavy punches at Magnus' stomach and face – growling and hissing and spitting.
"You're. The. Reason. She. Left. You. Made. Her. Leave. Me," Jace howl s, punctuating each word with a punch. Clary steps forward but Zander grabs her wrist, shaking his head. "You're the reason." And then he's gone; sprinting up the stairs with his shoulders shaking.
"Jace!" Clary cries, looking after him with a distressed look on her face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for causing you all this pain. I'm sorry."
"Clary, it's no-"Zander says.
"I'll see you later," She mumbles and leaves.
"Smooth, Bane," Alec says.
"It was your Parabatai that beat me up. What did I do?"
"What didn't you do?" Alec shoots back, venom in his words. I meet Indie's eyes with a small smile. Some things never change.
Like my love of shopping.
Like Alec's quick comebacks.
Like Mum's amazing cooking.
Like Dad's idiocy.
Like Zander's constant self-depreciation.
Like Luke's good, pure heart.
Like Clary's obvious love for Jace.
And Jace's obvious devotion to her.