Chapter 16

And while I know I said I was going to edit my chapters better I think I'm just going to go with it. So here is the next installment of Hold On for you with very minimal editing, sorry. (And by minimal I mean next to none.)

It was Friday and Clary was back at school. Somehow, she had managed to make it through her morning classes, and even lunch, without Jace or Magnus giving her too much trouble. In fact, they had been pretty quiet all day and hadn't really talked much at all unless spoken to. The other two Lightwood siblings were a different story. Alec hadn't been too bad, just glad that she was back at school and asked how she was doing. Clary had told him fine but he didn't seem to completely believe her. And while Alec had been very curious of how she was doing Clary had been fine with his questioning and fussing over her, it was Isabelle that had nearly given her a headache.

While Clary was starting to get really close to the dark headed girl she still wasn't use to her openly curious personality. It wasn't good enough for Isabelle when Clary had told her she just hadn't been feeling well enough to come to school, Isabelle wanted details. She also didn't let a subject drop until she was either satisfied with it or everyone else made is apparent that the conversation was over. And as hard as Simon tried to distract Isabelle, it was easier said than done.

Clary was just thankful that she only had two more classes: gym and art. For once, Clary was glad she had an injury serious enough to keep her from having to participate in gym. There was no way Clary would have been able to play her match today. This meant she would have to forfeit and her opponent would get to play for the "championship" but Clary didn't care too much. It hurt to breath too deep; Clary couldn't imagine how she would be able to get through a game.

After having her x-rays done, which had confirmed that Clary had a couple slightly cracked ribs, Clary had had mix feelings. She had been mad and somewhat relieved at the same time. Mad because it was yet another injury and one that would be impossible to hide. Relieved because she was guaranteed a doctor's note to get her out of gym for at least the next week and she didn't think there was any good way to hide this injury or to overcome it. But thinking back to her father's face when he had heard the doctor's new, she couldn't help but feel guilt. Valentine's face had immediately gone pale and his eyes had widened a little and Clary knew that the look in his eyes was remorse and self-loathing. In that moment she had wanted nothing more than to hug him and tell him it was alright, but Clary knew better than that because the only things were going to be alright were if Valentine got some kind of help.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Clary handed the doctor's note to Coach Wayne. He looked at it and then glanced up at her.

"Cracked ribs," he said in a matter-of-fact tone that almost seemed curious.

Clary couldn't help but blush. "I- I fell down the stairs." She stuttered, feeling as if she needed to explain herself. "And it's only a couple days."

Her teacher gave her a look and Clary couldn't tell what it meant or what he was thinking. Finally he sighed and just nodded. Clary gave a weak smile and went to sit in the bleachers with her homework so that she would have something to do.

"Why are you sitting out?" A voice said, startling Clary who had been so observed in her math homework that she hadn't noticed someone sitting down beside her.

"Jace." Clary said, meeting his golden eyes.

"I have a doctor's note." Clary replied, glancing back down at her homework.

"For what?"

Clary continued to stare blindly at the paper on her lap before she turned her head up to look at the golden haired boy beside her. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Jace's eyes seemed to widen for a split second before narrowing. Clary could see the resolve settle I his eyes as he nodded his head. "I want to know."

Clary searched his eyes for a few more seconds. "I have a couple cracked ribs and the doctor advised I not participate in gym for the next few days. At least until he's looked at them again next week."

Jace's face went pale and then started to flush a little and anger flashed in his eyes. His hands balled into fists and he closed his eyes and took a couple deep breathes. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"So that was the reason you stayed home yesterday?" Jace's voice was soft, almost sad and this confused Clary. She still didn't understand why Jace cared so much, why he was so invested in her. And his mood swings didn't help. One moment he could be joking with you, then he would be irate, and a few seconds later somewhat contrite. It was bizarre.

"Yes. My dad took me to the ER after breakfast and then I stayed home because we didn't get back until after noon." Clary shrugged and then smiled a little. "Actually, it was kind of nice after we back home. Dad made some homemade soup and we watch the Batman trilogy together."

Jace just looked at her like she was crazy and her smiled slipped off her face. The realization that he didn't understand hurt a little and Clary didn't know why.

"It was nice." Jace hissed in a low voice so that only she could hear. "It was nice? Yes, because I suppose being beaten and then watching television with the man who cracked your ribs is wonderful."

Clary was a little startled at the venom behind Jace's voice and she stared at him wide eyed for a few seconds before anger took over her shock and her eyes narrowed.

"How dare you. How dare you act as if you know what it's like in my household! You don't know how much I miss how things use to be, no idea at all, and it does not matter how bad things get because I will always cherish the days that are normal."

Jace opened his mouth to reply, but the Coach Wayne called his name and after looking at Clary for a few more seconds he got up and made his way towards our gym teacher. Clary watched him walk away and then closed her eyes tightly as she felt the sudden whelming of tears in her eyes. Blinking a few times she forced them back and focused back on her work.

…..

…

…..

Magnus had called Clary yesterday evening and had asked if he could come over for a few hours after school. After asking her father and getting his consent she told him he could come over. So, at the end of art class Clary couldn't help but feel nervous as she gathered her things and waited for Magnus right outside the door.

"Ready to go?" Magnus asked as she fell into step beside him.

"Yes, I have everything I need."

"Good, then I will just follow you home."

Clary nodded and made her way out of the school and to her car. Magnus had parked beside her today and Clary was glad that he had because his constant presence was comforting.

"Clary."

Clary turned her head and resisted the urge to scowl. Jace was walking quickly towards her and Magnus.

"What do you want?"

"I talked to Mr. Banner and he said we could turn in our project Monday since you've been . . . sick. So I was wondering when would work for you." Jace stated stopping in front of her.

Clary couldn't keep the doubtful look off her face as she took in the golden haired boy in front of her. She ran her hands across her face and pushed some of her hair back from her face and sighed.

"I'll talk to my dad and let you know."

Jace tensed a little at the mention of her dad but he didn't say anything, just nodded his head.

"I guess I'll call you later." Clary said as she opened her car door and tossed her backpack into the passenger seat and started to get in.

"Wait." Jace grabbed Clary's car door and kept her from closing it.

"What?" Clary didn't want to deal with him again today.

"I just . . . I mean . . ." Jace stuttered a little.

"Just spit it out, Narcissus, stop pussy footing around." Magnus said. Clary looked and saw that her friend had his forearms resting on the hood of his car and he was looking over the top of it with a look of amusement at Jace.

Jace glanced back. "Stay out of this, Bane."

Magnus smirked. "Just hurry up and own up to whatever you did wrong this time. Clary and I have places to be."

Jace scowled and then looked back at Clary.

"Well?" Clary asked when Jace didn't say anything.

Jace took a deep breath and rocked back on his heels a little. "I just wanted to apologize for being . . . insensitive and upsetting you in gym."

Clary looked at Jace and studied him for a few seconds. While he didn't seem to thrilled with having to apologize he did seem sincere. Finally Clary nodded her head at him.

"Fine. Now will you let go of my door?"

Jace opened his mouth and then closed it. His eyebrows winkled a little in displeasure, but he let go of Clary's door and took a step back.

"Fine." He said and turned away and stalked off.

Clary dared a glance at Magnus and found that he was giving her a curious look.

"I'll tell you later." She sighed and closed her door. Clary started her car, back out of the parking spot, and then drove home with Magnus following her the entire time.

…..

…

...

Magnus

Settling down out the counter, Magnus watched as Clary busied herself with getting stuff out to make supper. Clary had declined Magnus's offer to help, so instead he scrutinized her, watching every move she made to see if she would give away what was injured from Halloween.

"Are you sure you don't want my help?" Magnus asked again as Clary started to wash up several potatoes.

"No, it's fine." Clary replied. They continued to sit in silence and Magnus watched as Clary started peeling, cutting, and putting the potatoes into a pot filled with water on top of the stove.

When Clary was about half way through her mound of potatoes, Magnus got up , grabbed a knife, and joined Clary.

"Magnus," Clary started to protest.

"Don't," Magnus stopped her, "I'm going to help you rather you like it or not."

Clary nodded and the worked, once again, in silence.

Once all of the cut of potatoes were placed into the now boiling water, Magnus was growing impatient.

"Clary," he said gently, "why were you gone yesterday?"

Clary stopped pulling carrots and celery out of the fridge and turned to face him. She didn't say anything; she merely just looked at him.

"Clary." Magnus prompted.

Clary ran her hands through her mess of curls and sighed. "I have a couple cracked ribs and some bruises. My dad took me to the ER yesterday morning and it took up the entire morning between the initial checkup, x-rays, and getting the results. So when we were done we got a bite to eat and then I stayed home for the rest of the day."

Magnus caught his breath a little at the mention of cracked ribs, but he was glad that, overall, Clary was alright. "What about the rest of yesterday?" He wasn't sure he really wanted to know, but at the same time, he had to.

"Nothing," Magnus put his full focus on Clary as she smiled a little. "We just lunged around and watched television together. It was really nice."

"Oh," Magnus said, relief flooding through him. "That's good."

"That's not what Jace said," Clary's voice was bitter and she went back to pulling out vegetables from the fridge.

"What do you mean?" Magnus was startled by the sudden hardness of her voice.

"He made it clear that he was less than pleased and that I was a fool." Clary responded in a clipped tone.

Magnus felt himself get a little irritated. He knew Jace was trying to help Clary and that Jace was concerned for her wellbeing, but the boy didn't know what Clary's life had been like before everything had happened.

"Don't be too mad at the idiot, he just doesn't know how good things use to be."

Clary snorted. "Yeah, but it didn't mean he had to be so cruel about it. I mean, you are handling it perfectly fine, Jace however nearly blew a casket."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "But he is Jace."

Clary looked at him with this weird look on her face. "You are actually defending him."

Magnus just stared at Clary for a few seconds. She hadn't said it defensively, just shocked. And in all honesty, it was shocking to Magnus too. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would stick up for Jace Lightwood, and to Clary of all people.

"I guess I am," Magnus shrugged, "but only because he really doesn't know how wonderful of a family you had. He just doesn't get it. And I know how both you and your dad's lives were changed after the accident. Sure I don't know the full extent of it, but did see the change in the both of you. I get it, for the most part, how much he means to you and how much you just want things to go back to how they were."

"So you are saying I should cut him some slack."

"Exactly."

Clary stared at the floor for a while before tilting her head back, looking at the ceiling, and then finally she looked at Magnus. "Fine. I'll give the idiot some slack."

And with that Clary started washing the vegetables she had grabbed from the fridge and then placed them in from of Magnus to cut. The rest of the time was spent with Magnus helping Clary make supper and the two of them talking about random things. As five thirty neared, Clary started to get a little antsy.

"Would you stop worrying, I'm going to be gone long before you father gets home. Plus he knows I'm here, so it's not like you will get into trouble." Magnus sighed, getting a little irritated at Clary's uneasiness.

"I'm sorry." Clary blushed.

Magnus shook his head but then thought back to how Jace had been over, and was possibly going to be coming over again tomorrow. He knew Jace would want to prod at Clary and try to get answers out of her. It's just how the boy was.

"You know," Magnus said slowly, thinking of the right way to approach what he wanted to say, "I think that you should be more . . . open with Jace."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you should tell him." Magnus responded, looking her in the eyes.

Clary's eyes widened for a second. "You have got to be kidding."

"I mean it, Clary. You need to tell him, because if you don't he is going to keep digging and he is either going to figure it out on his own or he is going to find out from someone else. And in all honesty, I think it would be best if he heard it all from you."

"Magnus." Clary said and then stopped, as if she didn't know what else to say.

Magnus sighed. "Jace is clever and he is going to find out eventually and when he does he is going to come at you full force with questions, which is exactly why you should be the one to explain everything to him."

Clary closed her eyes and just shook her head. "I don't want his pity." She admitted quietly.

"Jace isn't going to pity you. He may feel sympathetic, but he would never pity you."

"Everyone pities me, Magnus." Clary responded with sad eyes. "The girl who lost half her family and was forced to take care of her father all on her own."

"But this is Jace," Magnus argued. "He's too much of a sarcastic jerk to take the time to actually pity you."

That caused Clary to smirk a little. "I suppose that it true. He really is full of himself."

Magnus smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if he spent all of his free time staring at his reflection in the mirror."

Clary laughed a little and Magnus felt a little more at ease than he did a few minutes ago.

"So . . . does this mean you will tell him?"

"Yes." Clary sighed. "I'll tell him." She looked at Magnus. "But on my own terms when I am ready."

"I don't want to rush you, but the sooner the better, because the longer you wait the nosier he is going to get, and he is already getting pretty nosy."

Clary nodded and looked at the clock. "Time for you to go."

Magnus looked at the clock and saw that it was almost a quarter till six. "I guess it is."

He gathered up his things and made his way towards the front door with Clary on his trail. Magnus paused right outside the door. "It was nice coming over, I've missed this."

"Me too." Clary smiled and gave Magnus a quick hug.

"I'll talk to you later."

"Alright" Clary responded and watched as Magnus made his way to the car. He noted that she didn't shut the door until he was backed out of the parking lot.

On his drive home he couldn't help but hope that his advice had been the right thing to say. Because while he knew for a fact that Jace would figure everything out on his own soon, he wasn't sure how Jace would react. Jace was one of those people who came off as a complete jerk who couldn't care less about other people, but Magnus knew that Jace really did care and wanted to protect Clary. Magnus wasn't sure why Jace seemed to dead set on trying to help his friend, but he wasn't complaining. He just hoped that Clary would give Jace the chance to prove himself.

…..

…

…

Jace

Frustrated, Jace pushed himself away from the desk he was sitting at. He had been at the public library since school got out, trying to dig up what old news articles. It had been a good hour and a half and he still hadn't found anything. He had been looking through the newspaper archives starting with three years ago and working his way back. All he had found was an article about the school having a tribute ceremony for Jonathon.

"This is ridiculous." Jace hissed under his breath.

"What is?" Jace turned around at the sound of the voice behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Jace asked, not hiding the distaste in his voice at all as he looked at the dark headed boy across from him.

"It's a library, so obviously not getting something to eat or buying new shoes." Sebastian shot back, crossing his arms.

Jace snarled his lip a little. "Thanks for the clarification."

"Now, what are you so perturbed about, Lightwood?" Sebastian asked as he tried to look around Jace's head at the computer screen.

"Nothing that concerns you." Jace replied icily.

Sebastian's eyes must have found something on the computer screen, because they narrowed and he glared down at Jace.

"What are you looking through the old newspaper archives for?"

Jace knew that Sebastian didn't need to be told what he was doing, the boy already knew and he wasn't happy. Why Sebastian wasn't happy Jace wasn't completely sure, but it did intrigue him a little.

"Once again, nothing that concerns you, Verlac."

"I think anything that concerns Clary and the Morgensterns concerns me." Sebastian warned quietly. Jace was a little surprised at how worked up he was.

"I'm trying to find answers since no one around her seems to be willing to enlighten me on what I want to know. Now leave." Jace said and turned back to face the screen. Sebastian placed his hand over the back of the chair, preventing Jace from rotating around.

"Listen here, Lightwood," Sebastian said, leaning down a little so his face was closer to Jace's, "there are reasons why Clary has buried some of her past and people around here have moved on and don't care too much to unbury that past. Valentine Morgenstern is a respectable man and both he and his daughter have had a hard time. So I suggest you give up and just go with it. Besides, if Clary doesn't want to tell you obviously she doesn't think you deserve to know."

Jace bristled at Sebastian's words, and to his surprise it wasn't the part about Clary's father, but the part about Jace not being good enough to know. He didn't know why the word got under his skin, they just did. But he didn't know a lot of things when it came to the tiny redhead who seemed to have bewitched him. Never before had he taken such an interest in someone else who wasn't family.

"Clary told me about Jonathon." Jace replied with a smirk. When Sebastian's eye's widened and then seemed to narrow again in a look of disgust Jace felt self-satisfaction at ruffling the other boy's feathers a little.

"She did now? But how much did she tell you?" Sebastian asked, gaining back his composure.

"Enough, more than you probably think she did." Jace replied, wondering just how much Clary hadn't told him and wondering if he could get something out of Sebastian.

"That her brother is dead." Sebastian stated, more than asked.

Jace nodded.

"That he was practically perfect and that she looked up to him."

Jace nodded again. Clary hadn't specifically said either of those things about her brother, but it hadn't been hard to guess that Clary had thought highly of her older brother.

"That she misses him."

Again, Jace just nodded.

"How about how he died?" Sebastian asked, tilting his head to the side a little.

That one caught Jace. It was the exact thing that Jace had been trying to dig up and hadn't been able to find yet. Sebastian smirked a little when Jace didn't nod his head.

"That's what I thought." He smirked, sounding a little too pleased.

"I feel like her confiding in me, trusting me with a secret, is better than nothing," Jace shot out before he could stop himself. As soon as the words left his lips he clamped his mouth shot and let out a heavy breath. Sebastian always managed to rile Jace up over nothing and that, in itself, bothered Jace.

Sebastian tilted his head to the side again. "Like what?" Jace didn't say anything and a sly smiled spread crossed Sebastian's lips. "Should have stopped while you were ahead, Lightwood. Or really, you should have stopped before you made it worse for yourself."

"Yes, well, at least I'm not like another brother to Clary."

Sebastian's face reddened a little and Jace had to force himself from smirking. Suddenly, Sebastian's face was right in front of his. Jace could hear Sebastian's heavy breathing and see the rage in the dark eyes that started back at him.

"I'd watch what you say, Lightwood, and what you do. Because if you heart her in any way or make force information out of her that she isn't ready to share, I will hurt you. I will make you wish you had never even laid eyes on her." Sebastian snarled in a low, even tone.

"Why do you care so much? She's just and old friends little sister."

"I care because that girl has gone through more crap than anyone who was as kind and carefree as her should have gone through. You don't know what she used to be like. How happy she was and how whenever you were around her you couldn't help but be happy as well. Clary may appear weak and easily breakable, but she isn't. She is strong and knows how to forge ahead without accepting any help from anyone else. Clary is a survivor, but I won't have anything else hurting her if I can help it."

Jace didn't take his eyes off of Sebastian's the entire time, so he knew that what Sebastian said was the truth. He genially cared about what happened to Clary and didn't want her to get hurt anymore. Jace could only wonder what Sebastian would think if he knew the truth. How would he react if he knew that Clary had the possibility of living through Hell anytime she went home? That she was still hurting, both physically and emotionally, every day.

"I'm not going to hurt her." Jace said, starting to understand Sebastian just a little and gaining a little respect for him that hadn't previously been there. "I want to be able to protect her too."

The two boys just stared at each other for a while until finally Sebastian straightened up and nodded. "Fine, but I suggest you let her tell you when she's ready. If you somehow manage to dig up anything and she finds out she will kill you."

"What is it with you and Magnus? He said the exact same thing." Jace huffed a little, the tensions leaving his body a little.

Sebastian smirked. "Because he knows her even better than I do, and because we have learned the hard way not to mess with a little red head when she's angry."

"Whatever." Jace said as he turned back to the computer. A second later he looked over his shoulder and saw Sebastian still standing there, watching him.

"Well?"

"Nothing," Sebastian said. "Just don't hurt her."

Jace watched as Sebastian walked away and then turned back to the computer screen, his hand hovering over the mouse. With a long sigh Jace clicked out of the archives and leaned back into the chair.

He suddenly felt exhausted as all of his emotions from the past three days finally caught up to him. All day Wednesday Jace had worried about Clary and even when Magnus had told him that Clary never came to school on Wednesday he didn't feel any better. But Jace had endured it and waited, not so patiently, for Thursday to roll around. And when Clary wasn't in chemistry or precalculus, Jace started to feel uneasy again. Jace had barely managed to sit through lunch without getting up and storming out of the school.

Jace knew rushing to Clary's house was rash, but he didn't care. And after going to her house and seeing that she seemed alright, and Jace had successfully walked away without throwing a punch at her pitiful excuse of a father, he drove. It was dark by the time he got home and while Alec had given him a pointed look, he hadn't asked Jace where he had been. Jace had tossed and turned all night as his mind kept trying to think of anything and everything that could keep Clary out of school.

The next day wasn't much better, because while Clary was back, there was never a good time to ask her what had happened, at least, not until gym. Jace knew he hadn't handled the situation very well and that he had probably just destroyed any progress he had made with Clary. But he couldn't help himself, anything about that man just made his angry. So when Clary had said that even after her father had cracked her ribs the night before that being able to watch movies with him was nice Jace just lost it. No matter how hard he tried to understand where Clary was coming from he just couldn't. Jace just couldn't wrap his mind around how much Clary was willing to protect a man that abused her or how she could easily overlook the bad when it was present.

And that was just fueled Jace's need to know what had happened in Clary's past in more. Jace didn't know if knowing how Jonathon Morgenstern had died or what had happened to Clary's mother would help Jace understand why Clary still loved her father so much, but he hoped it would at least be able to aid him help Clary.

Running his hands through his hair, Jace packed up his stuff and got up to leave. On his way out of the library, he spotted a clock and saw that it was almost seven. Jace had spent more time in the library than he had originally thought. When he was almost to his car, Jace felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out he looked down at the name and instantly answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Clary voice was soft she almost sounded a little hesitant. "My father is alright with you coming over tomorrow so we can finish our project. He's going to be out anyways fishing with some friends." She added the last little half quickly, as if Jace needed the incentive of her father's absence to agree to come over.

"Oh," Jace said, a little surprised. "Alright, when do you want me to come over?"

"I thought around nine or so."

"That works for me." Jace replied.

"Great."

"Clary," Jace said a little hesitantly before she could hang up.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, again. I just, I don't get it."

There was silence on the other end and Jace thought for a second that Clary had hung up on him. He was about to check his phone when he heard her sigh on the other side of the line.

"It's alright."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Jace said, relieved that she didn't still seem completely ticked off at him.

"See you tomorrow, and Jace?"

"Yea?"

"Bring some pie with you."

Jace chuckled a little. "Yes, ma'am."

And it is finished! Finally! And even better yet: It is almost Thanksgiving break meaning I will have a full ten days of no homework to write (hopefully)!