Sorry if you were notified for a new chapter then came to see there wasn't one- we had a big problem with FF not saving my documents correctly, and since i copy and paste it from there to here, it was all messed up. thank you JMDeatonfor helping me sort it all out! I'd be so scatterbrained if you weren't here to help xD

All my problems they will run away from you and I see
All the angels sit and stare at you
You are everything but not today

I'm so down and out 'cause
something is wrong without you
When you're not around
Just shadows and rain fall
Wait till tomorrow
I'll wait

Just wanna be with you
Only you
Always you
You're so beautiful to
me It's true
Amazed by you
I think I'm falling

All Mine, One Ok Rock

Jace

It'll be okay, they keep telling me. She'll be fine.

As if I don't know that. She'll be perfectly fine, but I can't stand this. It's impossible to sit still and just... wait. Pacing a hole in the floor of an unfamiliar house that we've been put up in, while we're here in Alicante, is not how I want to spend the morning of Clary's trial. I should be in there with the rest of them, but when the Clave is in session, nobody under the age of eighteen is allowed in there.

Isabelle makes me stay here at Amatis Graymark's - Luke Garroway's sister - with her, while the trial begins. We've been sitting here all morning, Isabelle flipping through Maryse and Jocelyn's journals. I've been restless, fidgeting around and pacing. I tried sitting down and helping her get through them, but it was fruitless. I couldn't focus on anything. Not when I shouldn't even be here. I should be there, waiting for her to come out of the damn thing. Regardless of what the verdict is, I should be there for her.

The stress and annoyance has me at my wit's end, and every noise of each passersby makes me jump to conclusions, thinking that it's over already. Of course it's not over yet. It'll be a while, and then Jonathan, Maryse, and Alec will come back to tell us whatever the outcome is. I envy them, especially Alec. I would like to think that I would know if things didn't turn out well, through the bond that Alec and I share. It would stress him out, and I would feel it. Right? If only there were a way to see, or hear, what your parabatai was seeing or hearing.

"Jace, you need to chill out," Isabelle mutters from her spot perched on the sofa, the journals scattered all about her, along with various notes, written out on hot pink post-its. She looks completely relaxed. "Go make some tea, or take a nap. Go train or something."

"I hate tea, there's no way I could sleep, and if I try to train, I'm going to massacre the targets," I groan, throwing myself onto the couch childishly.

"Well then, go make me some tea," she says, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Fine," I sigh and take myself to the expansive kitchen. I shuffle through the cupboards, looking for a kettle and tea; I remember Amatis briefly mentioning that she had some in here, somewhere. Amidst my raid for Isabelle's tea, I hear the tell-tale creak and click of the front door, and my heart begins to race. Is it over? If it is, has Clary been freed and cleared of the bullshit charges against her?

I let the cupboard fall shut loudly, and rush out of the kitchen, eager to hear the news. Any news would be appreciated right about now. Anything to get me through the rest of the day.

"Are they back-" I stop mid-sentence as I round the corner and stop. I want to punch a fucking wall.

"Sorry, just me," Luke says sheepishly as he sets a duffle bag down by the couch.

"It's fine," I sigh. I forgot about him. He's been trying to keep in contact with us all, so that he can help; which is another reason why we're staying here at his sister's house. "Have you heard anything from anybody?"

"I came straight here as soon as I got in," he says apologetically. "They're not back yet?"

"Obviously," I grumble in annoyance.

"Trying to get this done here," Isabelle snaps in a testy voice, her eyes not lifting from the journals.

I turn and head back to the kitchen, Luke following right behind me. I fill up the kettle and set it on the stove to heat up, while I continue my search for the hiding tea bags.

"Here," Luke says, stepping around me and opening up a cupboard that I have yet to raid. I snatch the box of tea off of the shelf and toss it forcefully onto the counter, taking the smallest bit of satisfaction when it spills open and teabags scatter over the surface. Maybe I should go train for a bit, blow off some steam. "Woah, what'd the tea ever do to you?"

"No offense Luke, but I'm not really in the mood," I tell him and set a bag into a mug. "You want a cup?"

"Sure. What's on your mind, kid?" He asks, his voice light and almost paternal. I debate whether or not I should even answer him.

"A lot of things," I sigh, leaning back against the counter and drumming my fingers loudly against the edges. "Waiting is not my strongest point."

"Mine neither, Jace. But there's nothing to be done," he says kindly, pointing out something that I'm already cognizant of.

"I'm aware of that fact."

"You don't like not being able to do anything, huh?" He says quietly.

"That's the understatement of the year, my friend," I scoff and pour the scalding water over the bags, dunking them like I've seen Maryse do. "It's driving me nuts. I can't even go wait out by the Gard for them."

"It'll be over soon, they'll find the truth," he says, so sure of himself. "And when they do, Jonathan will be there for her. She needs that right now." He's right. Jonathan is her brother; she'll want to see him first and catch up. I hope she doesn't think that I've just up and abandoned her, though.

"They also know how to bend the truth to be what they want," I scoff, thinking about Robert. He's awfully good at that; if he can find some bogus charges, then he can throw a verdict.

"While that may be true, the Sword doesn't know how to bend it. It may be a flawed system, but it's a truthful one. Try to take a breather. Go for a run or something, blow off all that extra strain," he tells me, clapping his hand on my back reassuringly.

I nod absently, realizing that he's probably right. I can't keep driving myself, and everyone else, up the wall because I don't have control of any of it. The Law is hard, but it is the Law. I just hope that the Clave adheres to it as well.

Every step that I push myself, farther and farther, is a step that I can breathe a little bit easier. Each punch, each kick, releases the built up stress; that has been pent up for the past couple of weeks of waiting, of being away from her. I take it all out on the punching bag, like it's going to bring her to me, the leather beginning to rip and the metal chains clanging together loudly.

It's therapeutic, tearing at the heavy bag like a whirlwind, bruising my fists and creating a burn that replaces the loneliness that I've been feeling. It's like something is missing, even with Jonathan and Alec and Isabelle all going through this with me. Whatever Clary has done to me, it's something that they can't fix. I need her.

Who'd have thought? Me, Jace, needing a girl. Needing someone other than my parabatai. It's nearly unfathomable. But she does something to me. She gets under my skin, into my mind, and she does things that make me question everything.Myself, her, my friends. She's opened up so many new pathways for us, and although I don't like not knowing where they all go, I trust her to lead the way.

And By the Angel, does she know how to lead. She's strong-willed, and she speaks with such passion about what she thinks is right; anybody who begs to differ can kick rocks. She's a natural born leader, it's just ingrained in her very being.

But she's also different. She's powerful, and she can be ruthless. She does things that a normal Shadowhunter shouldn't be able to do. It scares others, but I think of it as an Angel-given gift -what else could it possibly be? She wouldn't have them otherwise, right? She wouldn't use these gifts to hurt anybody who doesn't deserve her wrath, but that's what the Clave is missing. They didn't see the pain, and the anguish, that Valentine caused. They didn't see the army that Valentine commanded, the army that would have invaded Alicante. The army that Clary stopped.

She did exactly what she had to, what any of us would have had to do if put in the same situation, and it terrifies them that someone could turn on their own kind like that. They're afraid of her, no matter what anybody else says. No matter who testifies in her defense, they will always be afraid of what they can't control, and they sure as hell can't control Clary. Nobody but Clary, herself, can do that.

Clary

I feel a bit irritated as I walk through Alicante with Jonathan. I'm free for a night, but I feel the pressure from everyone's gaze on me. It doesn't matter where I turn, someone's always there; gossiping with whoever will listen, glaring at me. Judging me, for a crime I didn't even commit. It should say a lot that the Consul herself, let me go for the night, but apparently nobody else has read into that much. I wish they would, so that I could walk back to Amatis' in peace.

"He's really anxious to see you, you know," Jonathan says suddenly. I glance down at him with pinched eyebrows.

"Jace?" I ask quietly, hopefully.

"Yeah. He was driving me nuts the other day," he laughs and rolls his eyes. "He wanted to go, but he couldn't for the obvious reason. And Isabelle made him stay back with her, so that we could have a few minutes."

"That's sweet of her," I grin and squeeze his shoulder lovingly. I really needed that moment with him earlier. It wasn't some grand reunion; it was just us. It made me feel safe, a sentient I've been lacking for the past weeks.

"Yeah, well, it's sweet of her, but sure to drive him even further up the wall," he scoffs playfully. "He's a wreck, Clary."

"What do you mean?" I ask cautiously.

"He's a mess. I'm your brother, but I'd say he was slightly crazier about this whole situation - I'm the calm one. He's just not right without you around," he says, watching me for a reaction. Try as I may, I can't keep myself calm enough to avoid blushing. If I'm being honest, I'm nervous too. I've gotten so use to having Jace around and I've been deprived of his sass for too long. "Oh my God, you miss him too, don't you?"

"Of course I do," I mumble bluntly. "I missed all of you guys."

"But you missed Jace in a different way than you missed me or Isabelle," he smirks wickedly.

"You know what I didn't miss?" I ask in agitation. "You hounding me about trivial things."

"You say that it's trivial, but I know you don't believe it," he continues, but stops when I send him a threatening glare. I'm starting to get really annoyed. I don't know what I feel, or if I missed Jace in a different way, like Jon says. I'd like to figure that out on my own time, without my brother's teasing. It's harmless, but it's still stressful. "Alright, alright, I'll stop."

"Thanks," I mutter and follow him around the bend.

"That's it up there," he says, veering the topic towards the big house at the end of the block. It sort of stands away from the rest of the houses, just a bit farther out. Vines crawl up the sides of the creamy golden walls, and I can hear running water once we get a little bit closer. "We all have our own rooms, it's pretty nice."

I hum in response and hold open the short half-gate that closes in the front garden, letting Jonathan go through first. He rolls up the path, glancing back at me with a smile that I try to reciprocate, but fail to. I'm so damn nervous.

"You can go first, surprise them. I'm sure they're all waiting to hear back from Maryse anyways, so they won't be expecting you to be here," he says, sounding a bit excited.

"Okay, then," I take a deep breath and then rap my knuckles firmly on the door, three times. I can hear someone shuffling around inside, and take a step back from the door.

"Hel-" Someone begins to say as the door opens, before they can see me. "Clary!"

Isabelle stands on the other side of the door in jeans and a tank top, her feet bare and a leather-bound journal in her hand. She drops the journal and pulls me into a quick hug before glancing behind me at Jonathan, both of them smiling.

"Hey, Iz," I smile, letting her pull me in.

"What's going on?! They found you innocent?!" She asks excitedly, her brown eyes sparkling with joy. "I'm so glad that you're okay!"

"I'm just here for tonight, like on bail," I tell her quietly, trying to look around inconspicuously. "We continue tomorrow morning, and I can't leave Alicante."

"Well, I mean, that's better than keeping you locked up in a cell," she shrugs and I agree with a nod. "And Jace isn't here right this second. He's been so antsy all day, and I couldn't handle it - I was about to slap him - so he's on a jog right now."

"Oh, alright," I nod, my stomach settling oddly with a little bit of disappointment.

"He'll be back soon." She bends down, picking the journal back up. "Do you want some tea, something to eat?" She asks and pulls me with her towards the kitchen.

"How about I make the tea and some sandwiches, and you guys go sit down," Jonathan pipes in way too quickly. Isabelle turns her dark eyes on him, shooting him daggers.

"My cooking is not that bad," she tells him condescendingly.

"Sorry sweets, but it really is," he laughs and leaves us alone in the living room. They're really comfortable with each other - and he called her sweets. She trails after him to the kitchen and I wonder if they've finally gotten together, but now isn't really the time to ask. I fall back into a big fluffy couch, the cool pillows cushioning everything that's been set out of line from sleeping on a thin pad on concrete for the past weeks. I could probably close my eyes and forget about everything, but I don't want to sleep the rest of the day away.

"Clary, what are you doing here?" A familiar deep timbre asks curiously. I open my eyes to see Luke standing there, all smiles. "I'm glad to see you."

"Hey, Luke," I say softly and stand to hug him. He still smells slightly of wet dog, but it's so good to see him again; after I sort of ditched him to stay at the Institute, and then the clash with my father, I haven't talked to him at all. I sit back down, making myself comfortable again. "I'm out on 'bail,'" I air quote with a small smile.

"Well, that's awfully kind of them to let you come stay with us for the night," he grins. "I have faith in that Sword. I may not be a Shadowhunter anymore, but I still believe that the truth will always find it's way out. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"Yeah, nothing but Robert Lightwood," I roll my eyes and lay my head back. "He has some sort of grudge against me, and I don't know why."

Luke is silent for a few moments too long. I sit up and watch him as he glares at the ground before heaving a big sigh and meeting my eyes. "I think-"

He's cut off by the front door slamming shut, both of us turning towards the arching entrance to the living room, waiting for whoever it is to come through it. I can hear someone talking, but not clearly.

"Who's at the door?" I ask Luke, knowing that his werewolf hearing is better than mine.

"I'm going to go make sure Jonathan and Isabelle don't burn down my sister's house," he says quickly, leaving me with a knowing smile. I watch him as he makes his way to the other arch, into the kitchen. When I turn back, I nearly have a heart attack.

"Clary," Jace says, just a whisper of a breath. He's standing there in a sweat dampened t-shirt, as if he's been training. I stand up from the couch and awkwardly step forward a little, around the coffee table, but he's still all the way across the room, his face so open and almost pained.

"Hi," I murmur softly and take another step forward, wishing that he would say something, do something.

"Is it over?" He asks, sucking in a deep breath, waiting for my answer. "Or am I seeing things?"

"Not yet," I look down at the ground, feeling so awkward and helpless under his heavy gaze. "And no, it's really me."

I glance up when he begins to move, and he crosses the space between us in long, purposeful strides before he's pulling me to him. His arms are covered in sweat, but they hold me so tightly, and I can feel myself breaking underneath him. I cling onto him with my face buried in his chest, and the salt from my eyes wet his shirt more. The silent tears don't stop flowing as he gently sways me back and forth on the spot, his hands running up and down my back, soothing it all out.

"It's okay," he whispers, kissing my exposed skin ever so gently, his lips coming up to my temple and the top of my head. He holds me together, as the tides of raw emotion seep through me in a way I've never felt before. I don't know if it's from finally seeing him again, or because I've been terrified of what can happen if this trial goes wrong. I don't want to lose him. I can't lose him; being isolated for weeks on end has made me realize that much.

I've always been so independent, but being without Jace is not something I want to experience ever again. I need him to function. I need his witty remarks and his sweet gestures. I need his arms around me, and I need him to tell me it's okay, because with the way that things are going, I'm starting to crack.

"Thank you," I whisper into his neck with a kiss. His head bows and his arms tighten for just a second before I pull myself back just enough to see his beautiful face again. He looks so tired but happy, the dark crescents under his eyes brightened just a little bit by his smile. I place my hands on his cheeks, running them over his jaws and his sharp cheekbones, making my decision almost instantly. "Thank you," I repeat, and pull his lips down onto mine. My lips are dry but his mouth is warm and giving against mine, letting me control the kiss.

He pulls me closer again, eliminating the gap between us, with a small whine from one of us - I don't know which, because I can't breathe, I can't think clearly. All that there is in this moment is Jace and I, and it's all that I want. With a soft smack of our lips, I pull away from him to breathe, relishing in the warmth he brings to my stomach as he pulls me back in for softer, shorter kisses.

"Miss me?" He asks, panting just a little bit. I smile and whack his arm gently before resting my forehead on his chest to hide my huge smile.

"Just a little bit," I laugh.

"Well, I missed you a lot," he sighs and pulls my chin back up. "I haven't seen your beautiful face in weeks, don't hide from me." His thumb brushes against my cheekbone tenderly and he just stands there, memorizing my face, and the blush that spreads across it at his scrutiny.

"Can I change my answer then?" I laugh, covering his hands with my own and lacing our fingers together.

"Of course," he rolls his eyes and squeezes my hands. My face heats up more in anticipation of what I'm about to say, because it's not something I've been able to put much thought into; it's not something that needs a lot of thought, it's just something that I feel.

"I really missed you, Jace," I murmur, smiling. I look down at our shoes, the tips of them just barely touching. "I love y-"

"Can we come in yet?" Someone shouts, completely cutting me off and making my stomach drop. I glance over at the doorway and then up at Jace, who is looking at me with a shocked expression on his face, his lips parted just a little bit. He doesn't move, or say anything, leaving me hanging there, suspended in a moment, that I never thought I would regret. Oh my God, he doesn't.

"I'm sorry," I whisper hoarsely, trying to not look so dejected. I'm about to turn to the doorway and call for them to come on through and put an end to my suffering, but before I can, Jace pulls me back by the arm a little roughly, and kisses me again, his lips frantic and then soft on my own, their warmth calming my wary heart. He pulls back and his golden eyes are on fire.

"Don't be," he murmurs strongly, smiling delicately down at me.

"You have ten seconds to be decent, and I swear to the Angel, I'll kick both of you guys' asses if you aren't," my brother calls, making the both of us laugh.

"We're good," I call back to him and step a little bit further away from Jace, so that we're not right up on top of each other when they enter the room. He reaches out and takes my hand, not caring who sees. He's pulling me to sit on the small loveseat when Jonathan comes in, one hand over his eyes.

"Really, Jon?" Jace asks, raising an eyebrow at my brother. He finally drops his hand and sees us sitting on the couch together, holding hands.

"Well, I don't know, you haven't seen each other in weeks, you know," Jonathan says, his voice heavy with sarcasm. I roll my eyes and slyly flip him off when Jace isn't looking. He sticks his tongue out at me playfully, but quickly straightens up when Isabelle comes in the room.

"Be nice, Jonny," she tells him with a smile as she sets down a tray of sandwiches on the table, then she sits at the end of the couch that he is closest to and hands him a sandwich.

"Sorry there's not much to eat as of right now, but Amatis and Maryse have gone shopping. They want to make you a nice dinner tonight," Luke says, coming in with glasses of lemonade. My heart warms at their generosity.

"That's sweet of them, but they really don't have to do that," I smile gratefully. "Sandwiches are fine."

"Don't even try arguing with my sister, she can give even Jace here a run for his money," Luke laughs and hooks his thumb over to Jace, who is already halfway through his first sandwich.

"That must be hard. Jace is one of the stubbornest people I know," I grin, glancing up at his profile, his curly, gold hair framing his face. He smiles straight ahead and squeezes my hand.

"I think your brother can contest with that title," Isabelle laughs softly, giving Jonathan a cheesy grin.

"That is very true," I smile at them.

"I personally think that Jon is worse," Jace cuts in, nodding enthusiastically. "I've been good lately."

"You've been mopey lately," Isabelle points out with a perfectly manicured finger.

"And you've been annoying," he deadpans, making her laugh.

"I don't find you annoying," my brother says kindly. I wonder if Jace and I act that cliché without knowing it.

"That's because you like her!" Jace snorts out in laughter, making Jon go red in the face and Isabelle smile up at him brilliantly. It's really, really nice to be able to do this again.

I'm happy to all be back together, and joking around with them. I've missed everybody so much, but Jonathan was completely right. I missed Jace in a totally different - not platonic - way, and anybody can see it clear on my face when I look at him. This boy has changed me completely from the emotionless girl I was when we met, to the one I am now. The girl that is... well... in love.

Jace

She's here. Right in front of me, in the flesh. She's not locked up in some undisclosed location, alone. She's not stripped of her marks, she's just… standing there, staring at me. I try to form the right words, knowing what I want to say, but none of it coming out.

"Clary," I sigh instead, just the sound of her name a soothing balm to my entire being. She looks confused, conflicted, and I wonder why neither of us have moved at all.

"Hi," she murmurs, her voice so soft and delicate, different from the headstrong warrior I've come to know. She sounds exhausted, and she looks it too. Her once bright eyes have deep circles underneath and she looks slighter than before, like she's lost some weight.

All that I can think of is... how exactly am I going to kill whoever did this to her, whoever treated her this badly that it physically shows in the way she steps forward so carefully. Like she's scared.

"Is it over?" I ask, holding my breath. This cannot be real; it all happened so quickly. "Or am I seeing things?"

"Not yet," she answers, looking down at the ground with furrowed eyebrows, as if she can't meet my gaze. "And no, it's really me."

That's when I find myself moving across the living room in just a few short strides, eliminating the distance between us. I don't want to be so far apart from her, especially when she's finally here and I don't know when she'll be ripped away from me again. She's been alone and I know she's strong, but the tolls are evident in her face and I want to be able to comfort her, make her feel safe again. So, I pull her to me, neither of us minding my sweaty shirt, or the way that we cling to each other, despite us being 'just friends.'

Her small body curls into mine and her arms squeeze my waist tightly, her shoulders beginning to shake and small cries fall from her perfect lips, now drawn into a grimace as she holds on. My heart breaks at the state that she's in, so completely worn down and tired. I hold her tightly and sway her back and forth, trying to soothe her hushed tears. My hands running up and down her back pulling it all out, letting her rid herself of the pent up emotion that she's no doubt been holding in since she was arrested.

My stomach drops each time she presses her face into my chest, and when her hands ball up in my shirt. I want nothing more than to protect her, to hold her and keep her safe. "It's okay," I whisper into her hair, kissing the fiery red that I've missed so much. She sniffles and takes a few deep breaths before leaning up into my neck and kissing me there, her lips dry, yet still so soft.

"Thank you," she whispers, and I tighten my arms around her, resting my head on top of hers for a few moments. I don't want to loosen my grip on her, but she gently pulls back and looks up at me, her beautiful tear-stained face so open and willing to let me in. She places her hands on my face, running her fingers over my jaw before she repeats her thanks. "Thank you," she says, but her voice is different. It's stronger, and more sure of herself, and I understand why when she pulls my face down to hers. I willingly let her kiss me, her mouth and hands guiding me in a way that makes me want to fall to my knees for her. She's so gentle and tentative, like she's getting to know me all over again.

I pull her closer to me, our bodies flush together and it excites me when she lets out a small whine when I do. It's all about us, just us, and nobody else. I could stay like this forever and never let her go, but it's getting hard to breathe with our lips sealed together. She pulls away, our lips releasing with a little smack, but I don't want to end this just yet; I pull her in, feathering kisses to her lips just a few more times.

"Miss me?" I breathe out through heavy breaths, trying to catch up. She's grinning like the Cheshire cat, but she rests her forehead back on my chest when she replies.

"Just a little bit," she giggles.

"Well, I missed you a lot," I inform her and rest my fingers under her chin, guiding her until she looks up at me with luminous green eyes, full of happiness. "I haven't seen your beautiful face in weeks, don't hide from me." I watch her closely and rub my thumbs over her cheekbones, rememorizing every perfect curve of her face as she smiles and blushes.

"Can I change my answer then?," she laughs playfully. Her small hands come up to cover mine on her face, lacing them together and bringing them down in between us.

"Of course," I roll my eyes and watch her as she fidgets, her cheeks pink still. She takes a deep breath and I squeeze her hands encouragingly.

"I really missed you, Jace," she smiles down at our shoes. "I love y-"

"Can we come in yet?" Someone calls, cutting her off. She looks over at the door in annoyance, but I'm left standing there, unsure of what to say back to her. I don't think that I can speak anyways, not through the roiling in my stomach that threatens to make me sick with nerves. Was she going to…?

When I don't move or say anything, she takes a step back from me, her face absolutely crest-fallen although she tries so hard to hide it. "I'm sorry," she whispers thickly, the words pulling at my heartstrings. It's not that I haven't had the chance to think about it, cause I have, but she tries to pull away and I don't have the time to make this right, not right now with everyone wanting to reconnect with Clary.

So instead I pull her back to me almost harshly, and kiss her; my lips frenzied against her own, that move back against mine with shock. It's quick and I pull back for a second before kissing her again, softer this time. I want her to know that I want her. That I need her.

"Don't be," I tell her boldly, but with a smile on my face.

The entire evening, I spend at Clary's side. Whether it's on the couch, or at the dinner table, she keeps at least one of her hands clasped tightly in mine at all times, ignoring the looks from her brother and Isabelle. They've both been rooting for us for the longest time, and we're finally making progress.

It physically hurts though, knowing that she has to go back into the room of waiting Council members and continue on with this trial, with the pain that the Sword brings. What's worse is not knowing if she'll come out of the trial tomorrow with her Marks, or whether she'll be stripped and exiled from our world. We would be denied contact with her, and I know that I couldn't do this again.

But I'm a Shadowhunter through and through, and the thought of leaving that behind scares me equally as much as Clary getting exiled. But for now, the verdict is unknown, and I'm just worrying myself by thinking of the possibilities, no matter how likely they may be.

All of us stay up together - Isabelle, Jonathan, Alec, Clary, and myself - catching Clary up on what we've found so far in the journals. Well, what Izzy's found. It's not much to go off of, most of it incessant teenage ramblings. I'm sad to say that we haven't found anything particularly relevant while she's been gone, but thankfully we have her Aunt Tessa to help. She had to return to the Spiral Labyrinth for the time being, but she's digging for us, for the prophecy that Starkweather mentioned. It's like a big waiting game for us.

Eventually everyone started to wander off, Alec to his own room and Jonathan and Isabelle to theirs -apparently they're sharing now, "Just so I can help him around," Isabelle claimed. I raised my eyebrows at Jonathan, glaring between him and Isabelle, but he just shrugged and nodded his head towards Clary; I suppose that we are both in the same boat, involved with the other's sister. It puts Alec on the absolute edge since that's his baby sister, but I understand it. They really do care for each other.

"You should get some sleep too," I tell Clary, when we're the only ones left on the couch, with her cuddled into my side. I drape my arm around her back and kiss her on the forehead, making her smile at me.

"I'm not really tired," she tells me matter-of-factly, but I can read the exhaustion on her face; like it's printed in the papers. Why is she lying to me?

"Tomorrow's going to be even longer, Clary," I sigh and close my eyes. I'd give anything in this world to take her place so that she doesn't have to go through it all, again. The stories alone that I've heard, of the weight of the Sword, make me shiver uncomfortably.

She whines and sits up a little bit straighter. "I guess so. But, you need sleep too."

"You need it more though," I insist, grabbing her face and running my thumbs under her dark eyes, where the purple half-rings lie, making her face look sunken in. She stands up and grabs my hand, leading me up the stairs and down the hallway. Passed Jonathan's room, passed Alec's, passed Izzy's abandoned room, and to hers on the end. Mine sits right across from hers.

"Why do you always have to be right?" She smiles and leans against her closed door. I step closer and rest my hands on her waist, dipping my head down to kiss her softly once more.

"Because I just am," I smile down at her and she shakes her head with a small grin. She leans up onto her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me again; an indulgent, sweet, goodnight kiss that she pulls away from to soon. "What time do you go back tomorrow?"

"Nine in the morning," she sighs, squeezing my hand.

"I'll be waiting out there for you, you know," I tell her as she turns away. I won't sit behind at home, waiting, this time. I'll be there, or as close as I can be.

"I know you will be," she murmurs so softly and places a quiet, little kiss on my cheek.

I awake sometime in the late hours of the night to the whisper of the door being pushed open. Sometimes I hate being a light sleeper, because the smallest noises wake me up, but other times I'm glad. For instance, I'm glad that I'm awake now, because there Clary stands in the doorway to my room, her arms wrapped around herself. The soft blue moonlight dances across her freckled face and reflects a shimmering trail down her cheeks. I sit up immediately and call out to her, the sheets falling down around my waist.

"Clary? What's the matter?" I ask quickly. She takes a tentative step towards the bed and I hold a hand out to her, urging her forward. She crosses the room in a few short strides and takes my hand. I can feel her shaking.

"I-I can't sleep," she mumbles, her face tilted down. I lead her to come sit next to me, our backs against the headboard of the bed.

"Why can't you sleep?" I ask her as I wrap an arm around her and pull her closer into my side. She nestles in and lets her hand sit on my stomach, her fingers absent-mindedly tracing the lines of my abdomen, making my stomach jump.

"I just… can't. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in weeks, and it's catching up to me. I'm just so freaking frustrated," she tells me, her voice growing quicker and louder. I run my hand up and down her arm, trying to calm her down from the state she's worked herself into. "And I'm scared, Jace. Robert was unrelenting. And I have to go back in there, again. I have to hold the Sword, again and let it pick through my brain," she chokes out, and I can tell she's crying again. She lays her head down on my chest and I feel the salted diamond dribble down my torso.

"I know," I speak quietly, sinking back down into the bed and pulling her down with me so that we're facing each other on our sides. I pull the blankets up over us and pull her closer to me, letting her cry silently against me as I whisper reassurances to her. "You're strong, Clary. So fucking strong. Don't you ever forget that, alright? Show the entire Council and Clave who you really are."

"I hate this all so much," she sniffles, after a few minutes of her gathering herself. Her voice is still hoarse and low, but there's a spite to it now. "I wish they would just see. Robert just keeps digging for answers that aren't there, and he doesn't even care how much it hurts me. He's determined to find his version of the truth, and seeing as how I can give no actual context or insight to my answers, I'm not entirely sure that I'll win."

"You're going to win. You're going to clear your name for you and your brother. Robert is going to be sorry he even started this fight, because he's going to look like a damn fool. I have no doubt about it. Even if he can't see it, I'm sure that the rest of the Council will be able to see the absolute truth, not the bits that he's forced out of you," I tell her with certainty, pulling her closer to me. "And whatever happens, we're all going to be there with you. I'm going to be there with you."

"You don't know how much that helped," she sighs, curling into me. We just lay there for a few minutes, and I can feel her breathing even out, she even yawns against me.

Clary tilts her head back, finally looking up at me, her jade eyes so luminous in the light of the moon, even when they begin to droop with sleep. She studies me for a few moments before leaning forward and kissing me softly, a silent thank you.

"Clary?"

"Hmm?" She hums, squeezing her eyes tightly before looking back up at me, trying to shake the sleep off.

"I know what you were saying earlier, you know," I hum, running my hand through her hair when her cheeks try to match her hair color.

"I know it might me too soon, and I'm sorry, Jace. I don't want to make things weir-" She looks nervously around, trying to avoid my gaze, but I rest my hand on the side of her face, capturing her entire attention. I feel way too warm, nervous even, but I know that she's going to keep rambling if I don't stop her.

"I love you too," I cut her off, and she pauses for a few seconds. I hold my breath waiting for her to respond, and when she finally does, it's in the form of a brilliant smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing me tightly, and I return the favor. I can't get enough of the sanctuary that this small girl brings me when she wraps me up in her embrace, so warm and loving.

I didn't think that I could ever feel this way about a girl, but somehow Clary has wheedled her stubborn way in, and I'm glad she did, because I can't imagine a life without her. I need the hearing to go well, because I don't think that I could stand it if she were found guilty. I need her in my life.