Chapter 8

So… Cassandra Clare owns the characters, Marvel and DC Comics own the teachers, and Good Charlotte owns the song Hold On, for which the title came from… Read on!

Clary was looking at herself in the mirror of the girl's bathroom. Lunch had just started but she was still trying to get the nerve up to actually go to lunch, where she would have to sit with Magnus and act like nothing had happened last night. Jace would also be there and Clary was getting nervous that he was going to find out her carefully hidden secret as well. That and Clary wasn't sure she was up to acting normal amongst the others. Clary took a deep breath and then put her focus back on her reflection. She had been meticulous with her makeup this morning, making sure that the bruises weren't noticeable without making it look like Clary had a pound of makeup on. It really was a good thing she had three years of practice. After a few more seconds Clary decided that she wouldn't be able to put off the inevitable any longer, especially when it came to Magnus.

When Clary reached the table that her friends were sitting out she slipped into a spot between Simon and Isabelle and laid her head down in her arms on the table. She was exhausted and she hadn't bothered with trying to find something for her lunch that wouldn't upset her father. Food was one of few things that even when he was sober he was a bit stingy with, though it was something that was even worse when he was having one of his nights. Clary wasn't sure how long she was there before she noticed Jace's gaze on her, she also didn't know how she knew Jace was looking at her, she just did. But she most definitely wasn't about to acknowledge his presence, not when she felt so emotionally drained. She had been so glad when Chemistry had started and they had taken notes and been given a worksheet to do, it meant that Jace didn't have time to talk to her or question her about things she couldn't give strait answers to, especially when she didn't think she was up to coming up with a convincing cover.

Suddenly Clary heard her name being called. She promptly ignored it, maybe if she breathed slowly enough she could play opossum and they wouldn't bother her. Much to her disappointment it didn't seem to be working.

"Clary." The voice said again, and even with her arms shielding her ears she could tell it was Magnus. Clary suddenly felt extremely nervous.

She took a deep breath before looking up. Magnus was looking at her with a mixture of mild concern and some other emotion she couldn't quite name. Clary could feel the other's eyes look between her and Magnus and she was instantly uncomfortable. Magnus, seeming to notice this, stood up and motioned for her to follow him. Clary sighed and followed her friend as he led her out of the cafeteria and down the hallway and around the corner. Suddenly Magnus stopped and Clary had to take a step back to keep herself from running into him.

Turning around, Magnus sighed and looked at her as he crossed his arms. "So, are you going to tell me?" His tone was expectant.

Clary swallowed and started pulling at her right sleeve again, but Magnus's eyes were quick to pick up her fidgeting and she quickly dropped her hand. She took another deep breath before saying anything.

"What… what do you think happened?" Clary stuttered, looking at the floor.

She heard Magnus sigh. "I think that is obvious. The only reasons for you to have bruises on your face and a cut on your arm are you were either in a fight or someone abused you. Now the former isn't likely, so that leaves the latter."

"How do you know I wasn't in a fight?" Clary's voice was even, but even to her ears it was somewhat meek.

Magnus laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Really, Clary?"

Clary just sighed; she still wasn't able to look anywhere but at the floor.

"Now, are you going to tell me as you promised or are you going back on it? Because if you are then that means I am free to tell someone if I wish, including your father."

Clary snapped her head up at Magnus at the mention of her father, her breath caught in her throat. At first Clary thought he was just bluffing to try to get her to talk but looking at the expression on Magnus's face made it clear that he wasn't kidding, he was dead serious.

"Magnus." Clary croaked out, barely audible. "Magnus," she tried again, "I promise I will tell you. I will, just not now. Not here."

Magnus eyed Clary carefully. "Clary." His voice was almost condescending.

"Please, Magnus." Clary pleaded. "I promised and I will keep my promise. But it has to be somewhere safer."

"Safer?" Magnus looked at her puzzled.

"Somewhere where it will only be you and I. That way I know for sure no one else over hears us. No else can know but you, Magnus."

Magnus nodded but still looked a little uncertain. "Clary-"

"No, Magnus. It is my secret, my life. So I will tell you under my terms and you will swear that you will not tell a soul, no matter what it is."

Magnus looked her in the eye for a while, it was almost as if he was waiting for her to back down but Clary wasn't going to back down, especially not when she had suddenly found some new found courage. Finally after what seemed like hours to Clary but had in reality only been a handful of seconds Magnus nodded his head.

"Fine."

"Thank you, Mags." Clary said, relief flooding through her. Yes she had to tell someone her secret, but she was still in control because it would be on her terms that Magnus found out the truth.

"When are you going to tell me?"

A little of Clary's bravado dissipated at Magnus's question. It was obvious that Magnus wasn't going to be patient on this matter and the sooner she told him the sooner he would stop badgering her about it.

"I can tell you tonight." Clary sighed.

"Where?"

"The park. I'll text you when I'm about to leave my house."

Magnus nodded and then hugged Clary. "It's going to be alright, Clare, I promise."

Clary gave her friend a stiff smile as he stepped back a step. She was thankful, for what seemed like the hundredth time, that the bell rang. She didn't know what to say to Magnus and she was sure she would be able to keep up what little of her easy going façade she had left going.

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Magnus still felt uneasy. No matter how many times Clary tried to reassure him or brush off his concern he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Clary was going to tell him tonight was going to be big. It had to be for Clary to be so hesitant to tell even him about it and then to make him promise to not tell anyone else. He just hoped he could keep his promise. Magnus knew that Jace had P.E. with Clary, he also knew that the boy was very observant, which is why he was waiting around the corner from the gym waiting for the bell to ring so he could grab Jace and talk to him for a second. He had never had a chance to talk to Jace after last weekend and he felt like now was as good a time as any.

The instant the bell rang Magnus strained his ears to hear the arrogant voice of Jace Lightwood. Sometimes Magnus was truly amazed that Jace was Alec's brother. Sure he knew that Jace was adopted, but it still amazed him how close the two could be for being so completely different.

Suddenly Magnus heard Jace laugh and her turned his head towards the sound, all previous thoughts gone in an instant. Without a second thought Magnus stepped away from the corner and found the golden haired boy a couple feet away from him. Magnus quickly grabbed Jace's arm and pulled the boy behind him.

"What-" Jace started but was quickly shut up at the quick glare Magnus gave him. Magnus didn't stop until he was in a corner of the building he was sure they would be safe to talk in. Stopping he turned and look at Jace.

"Look, I'm flattered by you kidnapping me, but we don't bat for the same team." Jace smirked. Magnus scowled at the boy.

"Don't knock till you try it." Magnus said with a devilish grin, hoping to make the arrogant boy squirm and was rewarded with Jace's eyes looking at him in slight shock and him shifting his weight a little.

"Now," Magnus said, completely serious, "I want to talk to you about Clary."

Jace's brow furrowed a little and he seemed to be looking at Magnus almost uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I want to talk about last weekend, among other things." Magnus said as he crossed his arms.

"Look, I already apologized to Clary about that and she said she was fine." Jace said defensively.

"I want to know what you said to her. I also want to know why she's been upset to often at lunch and art. It has to do something with you."

Jace sighed as he leaned against the wall. "I don't know why but every time I try to talk to her I always manage to stumble across some subject that makes her really defensive and then she just gets mad at me. I swear I'm not trying to piss her off on purpose. It just kind of happens." Jace shrugged, but sounded completely sincere.

"Like what?" Magnus asked, still eyeing Jace.

"Her family mostly. That and yesterday with Sebastian."

Magnus sighed and ran his hand over his face. Of course, he should have known. Jace was a curious person and he didn't know anything about Clary's past, it was only natural for him to dig to try to find the truth.

"I suggest you stay off the topic of her family." Magnus said finally. He was rewarded by a sarcastic look from Jace. "And Sebastian." This was returned with a scowl.

"Why?"

Magnus closed his eyes and then opened them again. Jace was getting on his nerves. "Clary's had a rough time." Magnus started and then seeing the look on Jace's face he held up his hand and continued. "It not my business to tell you about Clary's family, though I have no doubt you could learn bits and pieced from other people. I just think that it should be up to Clary when she wants to tell you and how much. Same goes for Sebastian."

` "So you don't like him either." Jace stated.

"Sebastian? Not practically, no. He and I never saw eye to eye. The only reason he ever really put up with me was because I was Clary's friend." Magnus answered. Jace really was observant. He hadn't even been aware of his slip of his dislike for Sebastian.

"So is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" Jace asked as he pushed himself away from the wall.

"No. I wanted to ask if you have noticed if Clary has been acting strange or not." Magnus stated carefully, watching Jace's reaction.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean." Magnus stated impatiently. That boy needed to find a different question to use.

Jace frowned and raised him hand to the bruise on his cheek bone, almost subconsciously. A bruise that Jace had almost seemed proud of and had been adamant to tell everyone at lunch how he had been rewarded with it after getting in a fight in the boys locker room yesterday.

"Yesterday, after I was done changing in the locker room, I went to talk to Clary. I had upset her and I wanted to apologize." Jace sighed as he dropped his hand to the side. "She noticed my bruise right off, even when I could barely see it in the mirror right after. Clary tried to assure me it wasn't that bad, not that I really cared. But when I tried to ask how she had noticed it in the first place she just shrugged it off. I called her out on the fact that I thought she was hiding something, just for her to run out of the gym doors before the bell rang." Jace was frowning and his brows were furrowed. Magnus could tell he was holding something back that Jace was clever and was probably slowly putting together pieces of the puzzle that was Clary's secret.

"She noticed your bruise." Magnus was still watching Jace carefully.

"Yes."

"What happened after you called her out on it?"

Jace looked at him as he too was gaging Magnus and his responses. "What-"

"Don't you dare," Magnus said, "tell me now."

"I went after her and grabbed her right arm. Have you noticed her constantly pulling down her sleeve? I have, I called her out on that too but she brushed it off and I changed the subject. Anyways when I grabbed her she basically flinched away and I grabbed her arm tighter and she just looked at me wide eyed as if I was hurting her, even though I wasn't holding her tight enough to hurt her. She yanked her arm away from me and walked away, the bell rang as she did and I lost her in the crowd." Jace said, his thoughts all over the place, something that didn't seem to be a common Jace trait.

Magnus suppressed a sigh. So Jace had noticed Clary acting strange. In fact, Jace may have been the first one to notice it. The thought made Magnus feel bad a little. He was Clary's friend; he should have noticed something was up. But then again she hadn't been acting any different for the past three years; he had just thought that the way Clary acted now was a result of her dealing with things. Magnus had never thought about there being more too it.

"What is it?" Jace asked when Magnus didn't say anything. Magnus could practically hear the gears turning in Jace's head, hear him becoming more suspicious.

"It's nothing right now. I was just thinking." Magnus said quietly then looked up at Jace. "Thank you for telling me. Just please try to not push Clary too much on uncomfortable subjects, no matter how curious you are." Magnus reminded him and started to walk away.

"Wait." Jace said as he grabbed Magnus's shoulder. "That's it?"

Magnus looked over his shoulder at Jace. "Look, I can't tell you anything right now. But the way you are going you may just figure everything out on your own. Maybe if you can stop being a jerk for about five minutes Clary will actually start to trust you. Once she does I'm sure she'll open up more, she's not one to tell just anyone about her life."

The two boys looked at each other for a few more seconds. Finally Jace let go of Magnus and nodded. Magnus faced forward again and started to walk off. He didn't know why, but if there was anyone Clary was going to open up to it would probably be Jace. Magnus just hoped he wasn't wrong about trying to throw Jace a bone.

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Jace didn't move from the spot in the hallway he was standing in for a while, even after Magnus was long gone. For some reason he just couldn't seem to wrap his head fully around what had just happened. Sure he found out that Clary wasn't an overly opened person and she had a past of some kind she wasn't willing to talk about, but Jace had already assumed that and this had just confirmed the suspicion. But he had also ended up with several more questions. Magnus knew something, something the others probably didn't know, and for some reason he thought Clary might actually tell him. Jace could hardly go five minutes without upsetting her. How was he going to gain her trust to tell him whatever it was she was hiding? Why would she even tell him to begin with? And why did Magnus seem to think that Clary would tell him? Jace honestly had no idea.

Finally, after shaking some of the thoughts from his head, he headed to class. Hopefully he wouldn't get in too much trouble for being late, not that he really cared in the end. Jace just didn't wasn't his family jumping his case about skipping half of a class. As Jace walked to his class he saw a flash of red and stopped, then made his way to where he had seen it. He stopped at the door of the girl's bathroom and put his ear to the door.

"How am I going to tell Magnus?" He heard Clary's voice, even with the door muffling the sound. Tell Magnus what?

"What happens if he breaks his promise and tells people anyways? No, he wouldn't do that. Besides he knows how much I don't want anyone else knowing." Clary's voice seemed to become resolved a little.

What was she talking about?

Jace heard running water and then the sounds of the paper towel dispenser and quickly stepped away from the door and continued on his way. He was even more confused now. But he was just that more determined to figure out himself what was up with Clary.

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Clary was lying on her bed dressed in a pair of sweats, a hoody, and old tennis shoes, waiting to make sure her father was asleep before she left. Finally she heard snores coming from the direction of her father's room and texted Magnus. Pocketing her cell, she opened the window and made her way down the tree and once her feet touched the ground she made her way to the park. As she walked along the sidewalk she pulled of her hood to cover her face and stuffed her hands in her pockets with her head down. It didn't take Clary long to reach her destination. The park wasn't the kind with swings, slides, and teeter totters but a make shift skate park with a few ramps and other things skaters could do tricks off of along with two picnic tables.

Clary paused in the shadows as she spotted Magnus already sitting on one of the tables with his back to her. She had to take a deep breath before she could continue on to where Magnus was. He heard her before she was even half way to him and turned around.

"Clary." Magnus said as he looked at her. Clary gave him a half smile. "What's with the B and E outfit?"

Clary sighed. "Nothing."

Magnus gave her a disbelieving look as she stopped in front of him and before she could do anything he swiped her hood off. To his credit, Magnus didn't gasp, but his eyes did widen in surprise for a second and then hardened a little. Clary had to force herself to not look away or try to hide her face. Valentine had had another one of his bad nights, which resulted in more bruises and a slight cut on her forehead that Clary had no idea how she was going to be able to hide tomorrow.

"It's not that bad, Mags."

Magnus gave her a look that said he thought otherwise. "Stop trying to make this into nothing, Clary." Magnus chided her.

Clary didn't say anything but she did get onto the picnic table to sit next to her friend.

"So, when are you going to tell me who did this?" Magnus questioned. Clary couldn't tell if he had any suspicious as of to whom it was or not. But in the end it didn't really matter if he did suspect anyone.

"Yes, but please, promise me one more time that you won't tell a soul. Not any of our friends, not your family, not a teacher, no one." Clary pleaded. Magnus gave her a doubtful look.

"You have to promise, Magnus."

"Fine. I promise not to tell anyone." Magnus agreed somewhat reluctantly.

Clary took a deep breath to steady herself. She had kept the truth secret for nearly three years now and she wasn't sure how to go about telling Magnus the truth.

"Alright. Just, please don't say anything until I'm done. I'll tell you everything, when it started, who, everything. But only if you don't interrupt."

Magnus nodded his consent and looked at her with his steady golden green eyes. Clary took another deep breath.

"The person who has been the cause of all the injuries is…" Clary paused. She was second guessing herself. What if Magnus didn't keep his promise? What if he didn't want to be her friend anymore? What if he looked down on her and thought she was weak?

Magnus grabbed her hand in his and Clary look at him, her thoughts disappearing. Magnus nodded for her to keep going. His eyes full of emotion. In his eyes Clary could see concern, sympathy, gentleness, protectiveness, and many other things. All of it positive. Clary took another deep breath as she realized that Magnus wouldn't abandon her. He wouldn't hate her or look down upon her, he would merely try to protect her and lend her his strength and comfort, which was what he had been doing for the past three years.

"My father." Clary croaked, barely audible as an unwanted tear slid down her cheek. "My father," this time her voice was steady, "he's the reason."

Sorry for taken so long. I had meant to get this chapter out at the beginning of the week. If I'm able I will try to write another one this weekend and post it.