Author's note time: So I love sensitive Jace but I also love angst-y Jace (I love every Jace)! So I thought I'd start it off with that. Short A/N here because I want to get on with this chapter. I'll probably do the reviewer's word thing again but have fun reading. Thank you, lovelies!

DFTBA,

KelseyDockry.

Disclaimer: If I owned The Mortal Instruments do you think I'd be on FanFiction?

"I'm not going to stay there, I'm not going to do that to you," he said.

"Why does Maryse even want you there?" I asked.

"Because Aline freaking Penhallows is there," he sounded angrier that I felt.

"So what does your mother care?"

"She's sucking up to those damn Penhallows and they don't want Aline to be lonely," he snorted and said, "They know that she just wants to be with me."

"Why is she sucking up to them?" I was utterly confused.

"I don't know, what does that matter? That bitch Aline sure knows how to play people like freaking puppets."

"Jace, it's fine. You don't have to if you don't want to," I tried to comfort him.

"No, Clare, it isn't fine. I don't know why Maryse thinks she owns me like that."

"She's your mother, Jace,"

"I don't give a damn if she took me in when I was ten. I could have gotten along fine without her."

"No, Jace, you know that you love her."

"No I love you. I'm just plan pissed at her. I mean by the angel! Do you know what she said to me?" He asked.

"No, I couldn't hear from the counter," I said.

"She asked me why I was here and I told her because you're my girlfriend. Then she asked me if I was only here for sex and I told her it wasn't like that. Then she told me that I needed space from you and that I need to stop being around you all of the time." He was fuming.

"Jace…" I didn't know what to think about that or what to say.

"I can't believe her! Ugh, she thinks that Izzy and Alec are little perfect kids and that I'm the second coming of Valentine."

I put my hands on either side of his face and waited for him to look at me eyes. "Jace," I said. "You. Are. Not. Valentine. Okay? You aren't anything like him. Please tell me you understand that."

He pulled me onto his lap and hugged me. "I love you, Clare. Do you know that? I love you more than I should ever be able to love anyone."

That was enough of an answer for me. I kissed him softly in reply and his arms tightened around my waist crushing me into his torso. His hands roamed my back and shoulder as if to make certain that I was there and not going to disappear at any given moment. I remembered the time that I thought that he would disappear from my arms. The time that I was afraid to breathe or open my eyes around him because I thought he'd be gone and never come back. That feeling was terrible and I never wanted him to feel that way. I rested my head on his shoulder and tried to reassure him that I was there for the long run.

"You don't mind if I crash here do you?" He suddenly asked.

I laughed and said, "Have I ever?"

"So what are we going to do to make you feel better?" I asked him after a while.

"Let's get out of here. Let's go do something," he answered. He got up suddenly, pulling me up fast with him. I laughed at him.

"Where are we going?" His hand pulled mine fast to the door and I slid on my shoes almost too slow.

"I don't know! Let's walk until we've found something to do!" He said pulling me quickly down the stairs. I almost tripped over him and I couldn't stop laughing.

We hit the side walk and he ran down it dragging me behind him, still laughing, and dodging all of the other people. We slowed after a minute and he just walked by me smiling like a little kid.

"Where are we walkin' to?" I asked.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked that infuriatingly gorgeous smile still on his lips.

"I have an idea," I said, taking the lead this time.

"What is your idea?" He asked.

"I owe you somethin'," I told him.

"And what would that be?" He asked.

"Oh that'd be a secret."

We walked until we went to a shop on the outside of the mall. I looked at his confused face and laughed. The shop was small for a big mall like this but still bigger than a little boutique. The walls were a light green and plastered with band and movie posters. The floors were light wood and the racks held various kinds of clothing for men.

"What are we here for?" Jace asked as his eyes scanned the racks of clothes.

"Hi, I'm Maria. Can I help you two?" A short sales woman asked. Maria had long bleach blonde hair that was very straight and pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing skin tight blue jeans, pink high tops, and a blousy orange tank top. She was short, shorter than I was and very skinny.

"No, thanks," I said. I looked to the front of the store and saw exactly what I was looking for. I pulled him with me as I walked back to the rack that held the leather jackets.

"Jackets?" He sounded very confused.

"Hmm," I searched through the rack until I found a replica of the jacket I was looking for. "Here we are!" I pulled it out and showed him. "Look familiar?"

"No way!" He examined it. "This," he said. "This is-"

"Your jacket," I said.

"Why?"

"I kind of owe you one after that night on the boat and that demon, wouldn't you say?"

He smiled, "I love you so much."

"Yes, I know. Try it on."

He took it and pulled it off of the hanger. He slid it on over his white t-shirt. I stared at him, I didn't think that it was possible for him to look better than he had but this jacket actually did the impossible. I realized that I was staring for too long and moved my eyes to his. He smirked at me, his eyes telling me that he noticed the awe that played out on my face.

"I'm guessing that it looks okay then?" He laughed.

I blushed and looked over at the counter. Maria was staring just as much as I had been with lust written all over her face. "Maybe you should ask Maria over there," I said.

He laughed and put an arm around my waist. "You can't blame me for my rock star good looks," he whispered into my ear.

I elbowed him in the ribs and he shrugged off the jacked with another laugh. We went over and bought the jacket. He looked like a kid who was just bought a lifetime supply of candy and Lego's and were told that they were moving to Disneyland.

We walked out and I asked, "Happy?"

"Very."

"Good, that took forever to find."

He laughed and I looked up at the sky. It was becoming a pink and violet which was the warning for me to go and sing to Max so that he could sleep.

"Jace…?" I was worried that he would be upset if I went back to the Institute with or without him.

"Hmm?" He whispered in my ear.

"Max…" I pointed at the sky and he seemed to understand.

He sighed and said, "Okay, let's go."

"I'm sorry but you know that he won't sleep if I don't."

"I know," he sighed.

"I love you," I said trying to make him feel better.

"I love you too," it almost sounded like a reflex.

We continued walking and I noticed that I was late when every neon light in the city went on. We hurried and the elevator was painfully slow. I had my plan down, walk fast to Max's room, get him to sleep, and then get out of here as fast as I can. That plan had to be followed and preferably without Aline emerging from her cave of doom.

The elevator opened and Jace went out to his room to avoid being seen while I hurried to Max's. When I got there he was pacing around his room, "Something wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, Clary," he seemed startled. "I didn't hear you."

"It's late." I pointed at the alarm clock. "Bed, now."

He laughed and I pulled out my guitar. My hands started strumming and I sang in fluid French. When I'd finished the last line I looked back at Max and he was already asleep. I don't think that he'd ever heard the full song. I stuck to the plan and turned to go out in the hall. Of course a plan so well thought out couldn't go perfectly.

"Oh, Clary darling!" Magnus said.

"Hi, Magnus," I said while I still walked through the hall, hustling to Jace's room.

"Where are you going so fast?" He asked.

"To get Jace," I said.

"Where are you two going to go?" He asked, keeping up with me easily.

"Probably my place," I said.

"Ooohhh."

"Not for that, Magnus!" I blushed.

"Sure, Clary. I totally believe you," sarcasm oozing out of his voice.

I got to Jace's closed door and turned around to face Magnus. I smiled and placed my hand on the doorknob.

"Well have fuuunnnnn with Jace."

"Bye, Magnus."

I opened the door and Jace walked out. "Be safe!" Magnus yelled down the hall.

"What was that?" Jace asked with a cocky smile.

"Shut up," I murmured as I walked the opposite way as Magnus.

"Let's go!" He whispered to me and pulled me by the hand as he jogged down the hall.

We turned the corner and ran straight for the elevators. We got there and went behind one wall to hide. I felt extremely foolish for having so much fun with this hide and seek thing. Judging by the smile that played on Jace's mouth he did too.

The elevator came way too slow and the music was just insanely aggravating. I was worried that Aline would summon the elevator and that we would be on when she did. Thank the angel that that wasn't the case. The doors creaked open and we ran again through the chapel and down the sidewalk.
We decided that half a block away was far enough that we didn't have to worry about being caught. I saw the regular crowd of people on the street. The crowd was mostly tourist couples as the families would be eating or elsewhere by now. The night life started to creep by as the sky and air around us got darker and darker by the second. The neon lights that I'd grown up around all flicked on which officially told every parent to shuffle their kids to the hotels and all of the couples and singles to come out and party. We walked down the sidewalks and I looked at the buildings that I'd known better than any in Times Square.

"So now what?" I asked him as my eyes shifted from the neon lights to the pretty light in his eyes.

"I feel rebellious, let's go litter."

"Jace, I'm serious."

"Is it my turn to drag you somewhere?"

"I suppose it is."

"And so it shall be," he said and squeezed my hand. So we walked.

So now is the Author's note: Whoa! I just realized that this makes me kind of an author! Dude! Now I feel special. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing maybe? That would be so nice! Okay, you know the word deal and this week it was Fallen Angel211 who chose rock star good looks. So I'll probably pick another reviewer for the word but I might not because waiting for replies kills me and I hate not being able to write!