Chapter Eight:

Clary POV:

"Hey, I'm going to make a quick stop at my house. I want to grab a few things from my room that I left."

"Alright. Don't be to long though. Who knows when Jon will get back." He kissed my check and I made my way over to my house.

They still kept the spare key under the door mate. I walked into my old house and took it in. Everything that was there of me was completely gone. The pictures, the blanket I always used, my drawings. Everything. It was like I never existed. I walked up the stairs to my room, and I opened the door. When I walked in I had no idea what to expect. My room had been completely trashed. My drawings were all ripped up and my bed was torn. My walls had the word 'whore' spray-painted on it. I shook my head and made my way over to my closet. I went to the back and grabbed the handle to the safe that was in the wall. I kept all of my important things in there. My favorite drawings, my favorite pictures, all lost memories of a family that I used to belong too. No matter what happened I just couldn't part with these things. I grabbed them and made my way out of the house. I walked back over to the Lightwoods when I got a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Clarissa Fray?"

"Yes, this is her. How may I help you?"

"My name is John Miller, I'm from social services. I'm calling to confirm that you're mother just died. Is that correct?"

"Yes. That is correct." I walked into the house to find all the Lightwoods in the living room, Izzy started to speak when I held up my hand to stop her.

"And you don't have a father?"

"I think he died before I was born." I put my coat on the hook and make my way farther into the living room.

"And I already called your brother who has informed my that he doesn't know who you are, so I assume you two aren't close."

"Excuse me, but what is this phone call for?" I was annoyed and really not in the mood.

"I am calling to inform you that since you aren't 18, and you have no legal guardians anymore, you will be placed in foster care until your birthday."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I yelled and I caught everyone's attention. "I'll be 18 in August."

"But that isn't for 8 more months."

"So your solution is to put me in the system?" Confusion spread across everyone's face. "Listen, I'm in college, and I don't need someone to take care of me. I've been doing it my whole life. Who would want a 17-year-old kid anyway? The foster care system isn't going to do anything for me."

"Clarissa.." He started but I cut him off.

"Clary, call me Clary or nothing at all."

"Clary, I'm afraid my hands are tied. We can discuss this more in person. I would like to meet tomorrow. 3 o'clock?"

"Yea, sure. Bye." I hung up and threw my phone on the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Izzy asked.

"Apparently I'm being put in the system because I'm not 18 yet and 8 months is to far away to let it slide." I sit down on the couch and put my head in my hands. "This day can't get any better, first my room…."

"What happened with your room?" Izzy interrupted.

"I went back to get some things and I walked into my room and it was completely destroyed. My drawings were torn, and my bed was ripped apart. Jon spray-painted the word 'whore' on my wall. It's a mess, and now I'm being put in the system because I'm not 18 yet and Jon told him that he had no idea who I was. God, so much for a family."

"Clary, may I speak with you for a moment?" Mayrse asked and I followed her into the kitchen

"What's up Mayrse?"

"You said you were meeting with the social worker tomorrow correct?" I nod. "Well can I come with you? Maybe I can talk him into letting us be your 'foster parents' until you're 18? I mean, you are already living here. And they already know we can do it, we adopted Jace years ago. I don't see why they would appose it."

" I think Jace and I dating would turn them off to the idea."

"We can figure that out later, but it's worth a try right?"

"I really appreciate that Mayrse." I give her a hug and we make our way back into the living room.

"You look so much happier now, what did you two talk about?" Jace asked as he put his arm behind my back and pulled me closer to him.

"Mayrse is going to talk to my social worker with me to ask if she can be my foster parent until I turn 18."

"Really mom?" Izzy screams.

"She's basically another daughter to me already."

"But won't us dating be a problem?"

"We'll talk to the social worker and figure everything out, plus being a lawyer does come in handy, I'm sure I can find a loophole somewhere." Mayrse smiles and I can't help but smile back. All I can do is pray that this works out.

Three o'clock rolled around and Mayrse and I made our way to the office of Social Services. We waited for about 15 minutes until John called us back.

"Hello, Clary. Who have you brought with you today?"

"This is Mayrse. I've been staying with her family when I am home for breaks from school for the past two years."

"Oh, I was under the impression you lived at home with you mother and brother."

"No, I got kicked out before I left for college."

"Oh, I apologize."

"Mr. Miller, I would like to keep Clary under my supervision until she turns 18. She's been in an unstable environment for so long and I feel like she has finally found a good and stable home. Would you really take that away from her?"

"I don't want to do any of this Mayrse, but I have to follow the rules."

"I was a foster parent at one point many years ago, and I actually adopted that child and he has been excelling. My family is more than capable to look after Clary."

"I know you are more than capable Mayrse but I have to follow protocol…"

"What if I emancipate myself?"

"What?"

"What if I get myself emancipated from my guardianship of my mom. I know she isn't around anymore, but can I still do it?"

"I don't see why not. You aren't in high school, so I think the court would be more than willing to get it done in a quick manor."

"How do I do it?" He started to explain the whole process, and it sounded complicated but I wanted to do it. If I don't, he was going to put me in the system. We filed the form and Mayrse put a rush on it considering I'm in college and would need the paperwork before the spring semester. We made our way home and found the Lightwood children all waiting around for the news.

"They wouldn't let us foster Clary." Mayrse stated and I could see the faces fall. Especially Jace's.

"But, I'm going to get emancipated." I smiled and made my way over to Jace who immediately perked up.

"What's emancipated?" Max asked.

"It means that I no longer have to answer to my parents."

"But you don't have any." Everyone looked horrified, but I laughed.

"I know that buddy, but according to the law I can't not have parents, so when I emancipate myself, I'll be in charge of my own life."

"Good! Your mommy was a meany!"

"Why do you say that Max?"

"Cause one day I saw her hit you with pan." My mind instantly went back to that day. I had come home an hour late because I had to make up a test but she didn't want to listen to my 'excuses'.

"Max, why didn't you ever tell me that?" Mayrse said in a worried tone.

"Because after she hit her Clary got right back up. She didn't look hurt, but it looked like it hurt. How many times did she hit you anyway? I tried to count but I stopped after 8." He was so curious, that I couldn't keep it from him, plus that was a while ago, and I'm not ashamed of it.

"I got about 60 hits with that pan that day. All sporadic, and all from behind." I answered his question. He nodded and went back to looking at his comic.

"60? Why?" Jace asked as he rubbed circles on my back.

"I was an hour late getting home after school. I tried to tell her I had to make up a test, but she didn't want to hear it. 60 hits for every minute I was late." I looked around the room and they all looked mortified. "That was one of the milder punishments. I could tell you horror stories about her idea od punishments."

"Clary, we are so sorry we never noticed this earlier. We lived her for 7 years prior and never knew anything was wrong. Her and Jon always seemed so sweet."

"They were. To each other and to the outside world. I was just a burden to them. I don't blame you for not noticing. Hell, Jace and Alec have been in the house when some of these punishments have taken place, and they had no idea either."

"Really? How often were we over and it happened?" Alec asked looking like a deer in the headlights.

"Frequently. I remember one night, you guys came back from practice and you had a double header the next day so you spent the night, and when dinner was over I was cleaning the dishes and my mom was dissatisfied with the meal so she shoved my head under water until I passed out. When I woke up, she was standing over my body yelling at me to wake up and finish the dishes.

"How did we not hear any of this?" Jace asked.

"Jon's room is sound proof. Trust me, I screamed my head off in hopes that one of you would be walking to the bathroom." I looked at Jace and I could see the guilt in his eyes. "Hey, I don't want either of you feeling like you could have prevented any of this. I'm not mad at either of you for never hearing my screams. I got really good at hiding the burns, and the bruises, and the cuts. Plus, I was a fantastic liar. Even if you saw something, I could have convinced you that it was nothing."

"I just can't believe we were in the house when it would happen."

"Why do you think Jon always took you upstairs? He soundproofed his room for a reason. He didn't want to hear the screams anymore."

"What a bastard."

"Jace." Mayrse yelled.

"Well it's true. She was tortured, and Jon knew. That's fucked up."

"Language. Please." Mayrse said as she looked at Max.

"Sorry, but it is. And we were there. We had no idea."

"What's the worst she's done to you?" Izzy asks and they all fall silent.

"You really want to know?" They all nod. "Well, when I was 14, I fell asleep in class. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but I was so tired from getting beat the previous night, I couldn't lay on my back, so I didn't sleep. The teacher called home and told my mom that I was sleeping in class. You can only imagine how mad she was at me. I mean, I would get slapped for bringing anything less than an A home. I got home that day and it was oddly relaxing. Nothing bad happened. I was making dinner when Jon came home with Jace and Alec. I made you guy's dinner, and when you left I cleaned up. Still I got no punishment, but I knew it was coming." I looked around and saw them awaiting the horror. "I finished washing the dishes when my mom called me to the back room. When I walked back there I saw her standing next to a chair. She told me to sit. And I obeyed. She tied me to the chair, and made 8 cuts on my upper thigh. Thick slices. I lost so much blood. She kept me that as I was floating in and out of consciousness. When I got to the point of being ghostly pale, she called 911 and an ambulance. When they got there I had ended up on the living room floor. She told the paramedics that I tried to kill myself and when she got home she found me. I was in the hospital for a week, and she sent me to an institute for 2 months."

"What the hell. Why?" Was all Izzy said.

"She needed a break from me, and that was her way of sending me away."

"She almost killed you because she needed a break?"

"Yup."

"Why didn't she just send you to someone's house?"

"I didn't have friends guys. I have been on my own since I was 12. You have no idea what it's like living under the control of someone who can do anything they want and get away with it. I missed so much school I was paranoid that I wasn't going to graduate when I wanted to; I thought I was going to have to stay there longer. I couldn't just walk around the neighborhood asking for a place to stay, they would think I was crazy."

"You could have come here." Izzy says.

"No I couldn't have. You three are friends with Jon, and I doubt you heard any good stories about me. You would have laughed at me, and slammed the door in my face."

"You don't know that."

"But I do. You guys probably all thought I was Jon's weird sister. The introvert who was really smart. Right?" They all nod. "Exactly. I had nowhere to go. I had no one to turn to. I was stuck, so I just endured it until I could leave."

"We are all so sorry Clary." Jace said.

"I know, and it's really okay. You and Alec saved me eventually. Took you guys long enough, but you did. And I'm okay now. Still scarred, literally. But I'm here, and I'm free." He kissed my temple and I cuddled into his side. I had finally told someone about the worst of my past and they were all so supportive. For the first time I finally feel a weight lifted off my shoulders, and I feel like no matter what I go through now, I will forever have the Lightwoods behind me, supporting me. Especially Jace.