Clary

I look at him, lifting my hand up and running it through his hair. "It's fine Jace. She overreacted and she'll get over it. You're the only guy I've hung out with, other than Simon, and he's like a brother to me. You well... mmh… are definitely a threat to her innocent little girl, and she doesn't know how to handle it. I'm not defending her, because God knows I'll be killing her myself soon enough. She'll just have to get over seeing us together." He grimaces at that and my heart races. What if he's going to stop being my friend? "Won't she?"

He looks down and says…

Jace

"Well," I say and I look down at her, and there's a look of pure terror spread across her face, and there's a look of pure horror spread across her face. I can't do it. I'll protect her from father by staying near her, not leaving her.

But the better question is, what does she think I'm going to say? Does my not being around her make her as horrified as it does me? I'll ponder that in my bed tonight.

I look up and smile at her. "Threat to her innocent, little girl? Am I a threat to your innocence, Clary?" The thought makes my heart pound. I've never actually had sex, but I definitely know what it is, and how it works. The thought of that with Clary, especially with her being my first… well let's just say, if I were wearing jeans and not hospital pajama pants it would be… erm, yeah.

Clary's horrified look, at the thought of me leaving her, turns to mortified embarrassment. She looks down, her face turning red. She peeks up at me, sees my grin, and slaps my arm. In a small voice she says, "Apparently I don't have innocence."

I gasp.. I didn't think of that. Of course someone as beautiful as Clary would have already had sex. Unexplainable jealousy floods through me, and it's my turn to blush and I look down.

Anger is next. I bet it was that asshole, Simon. I'll beat his fucking ass from here to next week. I haven't seen him hang out with her at all the past month. I've been there. She used to talk about childhood memories of the two of them, and when I asked her what happened she clammed up on me.

She must see my expression, and opens her mouth to say something. She looks confused. But I open my mouth, clearing my face of the anger and jealousy, and strain a smile towards her. "You mean your virginity?" Then I clap my hands together, and move to sit crisscross apple-sauce on her bed in front of her. I grab her hands and I say, "Give me the details, babe, because I have to know," while pushing the pain, physically and mentally, down. I continue to joke with her and acting like I am her gay best friend.

She laughs at me and looks relieved. And a little sad. She blows out her breath and opens her mouth to answer, but the door is opened gently, and Trisha and, the doctor, comes in. I look down and see our still clasped hands and my gay pose. I groan and fall back. They always find us at the damnedest of times.

"Fuck!" I shoot back up and groan again; this time in pain. I slowly sit up straight and look at Clary. She's biting her lip and trying not to laugh. She's sees my pissed off expression and falls over laughing.

"You are so bipolar Clary! Like 10 minutes ago you were crying about my pain, and now you're laughing your ass off. That isn't funny at all."

"I'm sorry! It's not funny. This isn't funny at all!" she laughs some more and contains herself. "I cried because it was my fault, and because of… something else. That was your own stupidity. You fell over because they caught you being stupid."

I scowl at her. "Whatever," I say, still scowling, but a smile peeks through and both of us are laughing at each other's expense. We finally stop and are both grinning from ear to ear. I turn and crawl to where she is, putting my arm hesitantly over her shoulders. I turn to the doctor and he has a smile on his face as well.

He walks closer and Clary shifts nervously under my arm, moving herself closer to me, subconsciously. I think. He says "Hello Clary. Jace. I apologize for ruining your fun, but it's time Jace needs to come back to his own room; at the request of Mr. Herondale."

Clary glances at me, thinking I requested to leave, but there's no way I did that. And then I realize, my father. I haven't seen him even once in the week I've been here.

I stand up, leaning over to hug her and I kiss her forehead. "You get better, 'kay? I'll come see you in the morning. My father is probably going to get me released from here but I'll squeeze in some time." And he'll probably kill me.

She wraps her arms around my neck and whispers "Thank you, for everything, Jace. You're a great… friend. You're my only friend, to my knowledge, really. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She smiles at me and kisses my cheek. I smile and pull back. I turn, and walk out the door.

I get to my hospital room and see that the recent company has left the room, though there is a new person there.

Father. But he's not alone. His ally and partner in crime Axel Mortmain is here also. They are speaking in a whispering. "I don't care, Valentine. That boy needs to tell you what he knows. In my opinion, you didn't punish him enough, but alas, that isn't my place. He's had his rest and it's time he stops dragging his ass around and tells you what is going on."

I slowly enter the room and Valentine turns to me. "Hello, son. Nice of you to finally come in. Where were you, exactly?"

Before I can answer with my already thought out lie, the door opens behind me. I turn, and Clary rolls into my room, sitting in a wheelchair with Tisha standing behind her.

I gasp and look from Clary to my father. "What are you doing in here?" I ask her coldly, hoping she'll take the hint and leave. She looks at me with hurt so intense it makes me wince, slightly. Her gaze moves to my father and Axel before she looks at me again, this time with anger of her own.

"Well, I was coming to tell you my mom is having me released early, and that our meeting in the morning could be postponed until later. But I see you're busy, so bye."

I step forward to stop her from leaving, but I catch myself. I can't do anything in front of my father. So, I let her walk, or rather roll, away and hope I can be forgiven for my coldness. Then I turn to my father and brace myself for the thousand questions I know he has.

AN: was grounded for two weeks and my mum took my phone! I'm sorry and then IWriteNaked beta'd it. (thank you!). storyn OweiteNaked