I hadn't planned on updating until next month, but I've got this all written, so might as well post it, even though it's a bit of a short one! Only a few chapters left guys, so make sure you're checking out my other Clace stories on my profile. I've actually just updated my profile, and I have my new updating schedule on there, so go check it out!

Clary was honestly getting tired of the way that Jocelyn was looking at her. She had always had a close relationship with her mother, given for a long time it had only been the two of them. And even when Luke had come into the picture, he had always been respectful of their bond and their time together. But now that bond felt as thought it had frayed—which undoubtedly happened when children grew older. Clary knew that Jocelyn was upset—and probably disappointed in her, but they hadn't really talked about it. Luke was practically living there now, but he was giving them space to work things out.

"Hey, babe," Jocelyn murmured as Clary came into the kitchen. Her mum was still dressed in her scrubs, so she had clearly just gotten back from work, and she was just getting soup ready to cook through the day before she went to bed. Clary stood there awkwardly in the doorway, picking at a loose strand of thread that was hanging from the thread that was hanging from the hem of her shirt. "Have you taken your iron tablets today?" Jocelyn asked, not turning around as she stared down into the soup pot.

"Nah. I just got up," Clary replied.

"Work late last night?" Jocelyn asked, finally turning around and looked tiredly over at Clary.

"Just couldn't sleep," she said with a one shouldered shrug.

"Mm," Jocelyn mused, looking back at the pot on the stove. There was a time when Clary would have told her what was wrong and what was keeping her up, but instead they both just stood there in uncomfortable silence. Finally, Jocelyn gave her a small smile.

"Well, I'm off to bed," she said.

"Bye, mum," Clary returned her tight smile as Jocelyn leaned in to kiss her forehead before disappearing down the hallway. Clary swallowed hard and walked over to the cabinet, pulling out a glass of water and filling it. The iron tablets that the doctor had prescribed her where sitting behind the tab, and she sighed. She was feeling a lot better now, not as tired and not as weak, but the doctor had told her to continue using the tablets until she finished the prescription. Clary threw back two of them and washed it down with the water. She cleaned out the class and put it away before turning back around and propping her elbows up on the bench, wondering what she should do.

It was the first day since her...Accident—she still couldn't think of it as a miscarriage...This was the first time since her accident that she was properly lucid and didn't have work. When she was living with Jace, she would hang out with Isabelle or just lounge comfortably around the house until Jace got home. But she already felt restless and almost out of place here.

Clary sighed and went back to her room. She dressed in leggings and an over-sized tee-shirt, grabbed her wallet and set of keys and headed out of the apartment.

It wasn't until she hit the footpath that she realized that the shirt she was wearing was Jace's.

Clary wasn't even thinking about texting ahead and letting Simon know that she was coming over; they had always just traipsed into each others houses. She used the spare key that Simon had given her a few years ago to let herself in. The house was quiet, but that would be because all of his family was at work. It was only just after ten, so Clary wouldn't be surprised if Simon was still in bed. During the school holidays he would stay up until five in the morning playing video games. She was guessing that things would be exactly the same now, and she was going to find him fast asleep in front of his TV.

She pushed the door open and froze.

"Clary!" Simons eyes widened in shock.

"Shit, Red!" Isabelle cried out, scrambling off Simons lap and trying to flatten her hair by combing her fingers through it.

"Ohmygod!" Clary gasped and slapped her hands over her eyes and jumped back. "What the hell is going on here?!" Clary exclaimed, her hands still covering her eyes.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Clarissa," Isabelle snapped, clearly embarrassed. "You've practically seen me naked before."

"But not Simon!" Clary protested.

"I thought that you guys had known each other forever," Isabelle muttered.

"Yeah, but he's like my brother," Clary stated, spreading her fingers cautiously to make sure the coast was clear. Simon and Isabelle were both sitting on his bed, feet on the floor and arms folded over their chests as they looked over at her ruefully. "Okay, this is fucking weird. When did this happen?!"

"Uh, I think—"

"It's kinda just—"

They both stopped and stared at each other and fell quiet.

Clary looked between the pair and then sighed. This would explain how Simon had Isabelle's number the other day. She lifted her hand back to her head and pinched at the bridge of her nose. She wasn't sure what the correct etiquette was here—was she meant to be angry that they hadn't told her, or happy that they had found each other? She sighed again and glanced down at the shirt that Isabelle was wearing and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

It as Simons, a black and white outline of Darth Vader holding up a peace sign and a scrawl of writing, announcing 'I was just misunderstood'.

"Okay, um, this is..." Clary shook her head and took a step back. "This is too weird. I'm just...I'm just gonna go," her voice dropped to a mumble for the last part of the sentence. She turned on her heel and practically fled down the stairs, bee-lining for the front door.

"Wait, Clary!" Simon shouted out, scrambling off his bed to try and chase his friend. Isabelle grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"It's a girl thing," she told him, getting up and searching for her sweatpants to throw over her neon green underwear. She found some, jerked them on, and took off out the door, after the red head. Clary was walking down the side walk, arms crossed over her chest. "Clary!" She shouted and jogged after her. Clary stopped and turned back to face the dark haired girl. "Shit. For a short legged person, you cover ground quick," she stated once she caught up with Clary. The shorter girl raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "Okay, so me and Simon," she began with a wince.

"You and Simon," Clary repeated the words back and made a face at how they tasted coming out.

"Yeah, me and Simon," Isabelle pursed her lips and ran her hand through her hair uncomfortably. "I don't really know what to say, honestly. We just kind of clicked when you first introduced us, and we've been texting and talking, and just started meeting up—"

"And screwing?" Clary asked bluntly.

"No! No, no, no!" Isabelle shook her head from side to side furiously. "We haven't done that...Yet," she mumbled. Clary just stared at her for a long moment, before shrugging and looking down at the ground. She wasn't angry, she was just getting tired of the incessant drama, and she just didn't need anymore right now.

"Do you like him, Iz?" Clary asked Isabelle. "He's not like all those other guys that you've been fooling around with?" Isabelle took a few steps closer and looked Clary solemnly, shaking her head.

"Nothing like those guys. I really do, Clary," she murmured.

"Okay," Clary gave a one shouldered shrug. "Then I'm happy for you guys. Just don't hurt him." A large smile broke out over Isabelle's face, relief flooding through her. She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Clary's neck and squeezed tightly.

Thank you Clary. We were really worried about how you would react," Isabelle's voice was muffled. When she pulled back, she was still smiling.

"No, it's fine," Clary swiped at the hair that being whipped in front of her face from the wind, and forced a smile. "Look, I'm gonna head off, let you guys chill out," she was already backing away as she was talking.

"Are you sure?" Isabelle looked worried as she watched Clary back away. "You can stay—we can all watch a movie or something?"

"No, no, it's fine," Clary gave her another tight smile, honestly just wanting to get out of there.

"Hey, um, Clary?" Isabelle still looked nervous as she continued. "Jace misses you—we all do," she said hesitantly. "But Jace really misses you. And I think...I think that he think it's his fault—or that you think it's his fault." Clary chewed down nervously on her lower lip as Isabelle continued. "He just needs you to talk to him, Red." Clary stared at her, and without even knowing it, tears flooded to her eyes and began to drip down her cheeks. "Clary..." Isabelle took a tentative step forward but Clary just shook her head and turned around, wiping angrily at her face as she walked away.

Let me know what you think, pretty people.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR xx