"Stay here." Clary was going to argue, but she saw the set of his jaw. She had been around stubborn males- her father, and brother- her whole life, she knew which battles to fight.

"Fine." She walked into her room and shut the door on him. It was childish, she knew.

The room was small and boring. Everything was white, the walls, the sheets, even the small runner rug covering the space in front of the bed. She put her two suitcases next to a dresser, and sat on the edge of the double bed wrinkling the sheets. She had a feeling who ever was at the door was for her. She prayed to Ithuriel it wasn't her father or bother. She had no doubt by now they knew where she was. If it was them they wouldn't come alone, they would have an army of demons on their side.

The thought forced her to think of weather or not she even wanted to be returned to them. She meant what she said, she loved her father- unconditionally, her brother Jonathan too. But this is the most freedom she ever had. It was a sad truth, she had to be kidnaped by the Clave, and held for questioning to get her first taste of freedom. Could she go back to living in a golden cage? Clary had never wanted for anything, except freedom. But was this truly freedom? There was no doubt that she would be tried by the Mortal Sword.

All the Morgenstern family secrets out for everyone to hear. Her blood and her... extra abilities, Jonathan, what her father wanted with the Mortal Instruments, hell even Simon and Jace. How could she keep any of that information from being heard by the entire Clave? Along with the Silent Brothers... She couldn't. Clary felt the onslaught of panic for the first time since her father closed her sitting room doors telling her the Clave had found the manor. She stood and started pacing. What was she going to do? She had a stele, she could draw a portal- but then she will be on the run from the Clave. She didn't like the idea of giving them a reason to lock her up the next time they met if she did escape. And she was sure she would see them again. Still the questioning, or trial seemed like the more immediate threat. Before she could have a full blown panic attack her door opened. She spun on her heel and came face to face with Simon. Clary almost burst into tears.

"Simon!" She threw herself into his arms, not even looking over his shoulder to see who showed him to her room. "Simon, their gonna try me by the Sword." Her grip on him was almost frantic, like she was trying to mold them together.

"Shh.. Clary. Can we have a minute?"

Simon shifted her so he could turn around. Clary looked away from Simon, at this new angle she could see Jace standing in the doorway looking slightly annoyed, and Isabelle standing just behind him. She felt like she got caught doing something wrong when she made eye contact with Jace and let go of Simon. Then she shook herself, why would seeing Jace, someone she hardly knew, stop her from hugging her very best friend in a time of crisis?

"Sure. We'll be in the training room if you need anything. You can stay in the room to the right of Clary's if you like Simon." Isabelle said pulling Jace out by the wrist. Jace looked at Clary once more before letting himself be moved. Simon and Clary looked back to each other not noticing that the door was left slightly open, or the two people standing quietly outside of it.

Simon sat at the foot of the bed. But Clary could not sit. She felt the panic that Simon's arrival had momentarily dulled return more insistent than before. She started pacing again, she was wringing her hands together and biting her lip. Simon himself had never seen Clary so undone. She was always calm, except when she's excited, or angry- mostly tho Clary was calm. He knew it was a product of how she was raised and trained. Valentine often trained Clary himself, and had Simon stand around fetching any thing they needed. He had heard Clary's father tell her time and again to never let people see how she is feeling. 'Keep a calm mask, emotions are weaknesses never let people know your weaknesses. They will always use them against you.' Simon could almost hear Valentine speaking in his mind.

"Their going to know everything. If they ask the right questions, and I'm sue they'll keep asking until they ask the right questions. Can you imagine the looks on their faces. It would be funny if it wasn't so catastrophic."

"They have no grounds to use the Sword, you've done nothing wrong." Simon tried to calm her.

"I was born." She let out a breath, and sat leaning against the headboard facing Simon, their knees touching. "They don't see me as Clary, Simon, no one but you see's me as Clary." She gave him a small smile. "I will always be Valentine Morgenstern's daughter. They won't let this opportunity pass them by. The law will be bent or even outright broken if they must, but I will be tried by the Sword." He looked like he was about to argue, but then he sighed, defeated.

"Yeah. I know, but you've done nothing wrong. They can't arrest you."

"I'm not worried about being arrested." She made an impatient noise waving his assurance aside. "I spent my whole life guarded and locked in the manor, I don't think prison would be such a lifestyle change for me. Besides they won't be looking for crimes I've committed, this is all about my father. And while I may not know who he has on his side, or what demons, or what ever it is the Clave wants to know, I do know things. Things I think are much worse, people think he's a monster now. What will they do when they find out what he did to his own children!" She stood and started pacing again, oblivious to the shock and fear her words caused the two eavesdroppers in the hall. Simon stood, stopping in her in her tracks.

"Your father made this mess Clary, when the truth is out there he will be the one to pay for what he's done. It's not your fault."

"It's not about fault! What do you think they'll do to me, or you, or the others when I'm forced to tell them everything my father did, they will study us! We will be test subjects!" Simon laughed a laugh completely void of humor.

"Clary, we've always been test subjects. Speaking of test subjects, the guy who showed me to our room, Jace is he...?"

"Yes." Clary answered tersely.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Of course I am. How could I not tell him, it would be beyond cruel."

"Your father is going to be furious, more furious than you probably ever made him."

"I'm aware, but I won't let Jace find out the truth through courtroom gossip." Simon scoffed.

"Don't try to make it something it isn't, you would've told him weather there was going to be a trial or not." Her lips twitched upwards.

"True, but I'd have more time to tell him without the trial. Now I only have a few days, what if he doesn't believe me? He doesn't even know me."

"If he doesn't believe you he will when he hears the 'courtroom gossip.' If your lucky your father might get you back before they get a chance to use the Sword. Or you can escape, no one here will be able to stop you if you have a stele."

"You mean we can escape?" He gave her a confused look. She snorted. "What you thought they'd let you walk out the front door? You may not be as high priority as I am, but your a prisoner as surely as I am my friend." She laughed while he crossed his arms. "And don't forget Rebecca, she's in the room next door. But no, we can't escape. The Clave would love an excuse to lock me away in some forgotten dungeon. I don't fancy giving them one. As for my father coming, well I don't think him beating the door down with a hoard of demon's is a very good idea."

"He won't just let them keep you, you know this better than anyone."

"I know, I was telling Jace before you came. I can only pray he tries for fast and sneaky instead of bloody. I may not know them well but the Lightwood's let me come here knowing who I am. They were circle members, they knew my father, I don't doubt they know he will come for me. Still they bring me to where their children live. And Jace... I won't let my father hurt them if I can help it."

The thought of Jace being hurt by her father sent a jolt of fear through Clary, she may have just met him but she did feel drawn to him. Weather it was the guilt she felt about what her father did to him, the fact that she hadn't told him yet, or the angel blood they shared, Clary had no idea. While Clary was thinking about the strange connection she had to the Angel Boy as her brother called him, (it was a fitting name she thought,) Simon was studying her face with dawning horror.

"It's him your worried about." He asked with an edge to his voice.

"Huh? Who?" Clary turned to look at him. He was sitting straight up almost glaring at her.

"Jace," Simon's voice was mocking and hard, a tone he didn't use often. "You'd sacrifice all the Lightwood's for him. Don't bother denying it." Clary's jaw dropped.

"I've known them all the same amount of time, I'd protect any one of them from my father, but yes, I am most concerned with Jace. He's the one with a connection to my personal life, more than one. I wont defend myself on the subject anymore, whats your problem?"

"Nothing." He stood and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just tired."

"How'd you find me anyway?"

"Fell, he did a tracking spell for me, than opened a portal. I had to go to Central Park, it was the only place I could picture properly in my mind. Thank the angel you were in one of the most famous cities in the world." He yawned. "I'm going to sleep, you want me to stay in here with you? I can sleep on the floor by your bed like when we were kids."

"No, I can't sleep, I don't want to keep you awake. Go to your room, I'm just going to draw for awhile, maybe walk around, if I'm allowed."

"Alright, but try not to stress yourself out. What's gonna happen is gonna happen, no use worrying about it." She smiled.

"I'll try my best." He kissed her forehead before walking to the door. "Simon, I'm glad your here." She said to his back.

"I'll always come for you Clary."