I'm so so so sorry for the late upload! I wrote, rewrote, scrapped, and edited this chapter at least 4 times. None of them seemd right and so I have finally settled on this one. I hope you like it and was worth the wait.

Disclaimer: I do not own TMI, all credit to Cassandra Clare blah blah blah you guys know the drill

Before I let you read, I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed and sent me such nice messages! You guys rock.


The next morning Clary awoke with a groan. Her muscles were screaming in pain with every breath she took. she laid, staring at the ceiling, willing the pain to go away soon. On the bedside table, her iPhone buzzed with a few incoming texts. It was Izzy.

Iz: collab-day today! Shopping?

Me: collab-day?

Iz: teacher meetings - - all afternoon classes canceled!

Iz: so are you coming?

I squinted my eyes as they flashed over the text. That meant no math, english, or PE! It also meant no art class either. I frowned at the last thought, but quickly got over it. I wasn't a major fan of shopping, but if it meant being away from Valentine then I was all for it. slipping on my slippers and opening the door, I went downstairs where Valentine sat hunched over a laptop in the kitchen. "Goodmorning my pet" he cooed as I grabbed a glass and some orange juice. He was obviously feeling fine after last night. No doubt didn't even remember any of it.

"Goodmorning Valentine" I smiled, doing my best to seem happy and obedient. At a very young age I learned to never call Valentine 'father' or 'daddy.' Something about the terms made something snap within himself. And right now was not the time to have a fight.

Putting the carton back in to the fridge I walked over to the bar, sliding on to the plastic barstool. "So… a girl from school just text me and told me that it's a collaboration day at school. Everyone get's out at twelve."

"Oh?" he asked, quirking a brow. "Alright. I'll have the boys pick you up then." he stated while still fully engrossed as to whatever was on his screen.

Clary bit down on her lip, she had to word this perfectly or else Valentine would freak out. With any luck, she'd get the entire afternoon off free of her father and the brat-patrol. "Alright" I nodded, impassively "These girls at school were talking about going shopping, but I told them I couldn't go. You should have seen their faces, it was like I was some kind of alien species! I swear that is all they do here" I ended with a laugh, picking up a magazine and flipping through a few pages.

Valentine looked at me with wide eyes. I had his full attention now. Manipulation was never so easy. "Clarissa! We are here to assimilate, to blend!" he said matter-of-factly. Valentine turned back to his laptop, then looked down at the ground thinking aloud to himself. "no no it's not safe….oh but she must..they might notice her….hmm..no ..no no…yes! Hmm…Yes, yes yes."

"You're going." he deadpanned, looking her straight in the eye.

I looked at him surprised. OMFG it worked!i "A-are you sure Valentine?"

"yes, yes…It's settled. Landon will give you some money. Go on, get dressed, shop, blend in" he said shooing me out of the kitchen.

"Alright, thank you da-Valentine" I smiled widely, before running up the stairs. My excitement could hardly be contained! I was actually going shopping! Like as a hangout and not because I needed things because of a big move across the country.

Clary: When do we leave?! :D

"EEEEEK! Clary I'm so excited you get to come with us!" Isabelle shrieked excitedly, throwing her arms around me. "We are going to have So. Much. Fun!" When I had gotten to school that morning Isabelle was practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation for that afternoons activities. Now that classes had finally finished she was literally shredding through the crowds of students towards the parking lot. "Is she always like this?" I murmured to Jace who stood next to me.

"She hasn't had her own personal barbie doll in a while." someone answered loudly for him while squeezing between us and linking his arm around mine. "I'm Magnus by the way." The extravagant boy introduced himself. It took me a moment to fully take in his appearance. He was very handsome with high cheek bones and full lips. From afar I hadn't really noticed the extent of his style but now up close I could see exactly why him and Isabelle were so close. He wore a long grey trench coat with black leather pants and a royal blue sweater underneath. Grey glitter eyeliner thickly lined the outside of his green eyes.

"Oh shoot! I forgot to clean out my car!" Isabelle exclaimed as they reached her two door convertible. Clothes, makeup, and other various beauty products were piled high in the girls backseat. There was no way someone could fit in the backseat, even someone as small as Clary.

"It's alright, she can come with me" Jace answered quickly. He had barely said two words to her all day and now suddenly he was offering her a ride? Jace Heronalde was quite possibly the most confusing human she had ever met.

He led me over to a dark grey Infiniti. Unlike Isabelle, Jace had kept his car in impeccable shape. Not a single fiber of lint cluttered the immaculate automobile. "Nice car" I breathed as he opened the door for me. what a gentlemen. I raised my eyebrows in surprise while sliding across the smooth leather leaned down close to my face, my heart fluttered with how close he was. "…Try not to drool on the interior, angel" he smirked, before shutting the door. I snapped my mouth shut and instantly an annoyed look washed over my face. "Prick" I whispered as he walked across the front of the car.

The drive over to the mall was short. Barely 10 minutes. Jace blasted music through the speakers the entire time, making any attempts at conversation impossible. His hands strummed mesmerizingly along the steering wheel to the beat. I briefly wondered what it would be like to have his hands on me, but shook that vision away quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally found a parking spot and the blaring music came to an end. "So why'd you agree to go shopping with Iz? It's obviously not a hobby you enjoy." Jace had said as we walked through the parking lot. I was momentarily stunned.

"It's not the fact that we are shopping that made me want to come, but rather that I was getting to hang out with friends. Believe it or not, that doesn't happen very often for me" I confessed, saying the last part barely above a whisper. I sneaked a glance up at him. Bad idea. He was staring down at me pityingly, as if trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle. "..Because of your dad?" he said more of a statement than a question. I nodded my head. I could feel his stare practically burning a hole in my head but refused to look up at him. "He's just protective.." I murmured the rehearsed line. He nodded his head, obviously not convinced, but thankfully not pushing the subject.

When we walked inside the mall Isabelle already had two bags from Brandy Melville on each arm. "I tried to wait for you, I really did but they just screamed to me. I couldn't walk away" she had said guiltily. "Come on! I saw the most amazing dress for you at Bloomies! You are going to die!"

"She's right, you are!" Magnus piped up. He fondled my red curls curiously as the group made their way down to Bloomingdales. "The dress is going to pop against these." And he was right. The dress was a brilliant shade of royal blue. It was also extremely short; barely reached mid thigh. Thankfully, it had long sleeves and a high neckline that covered most of my bruises. A faint hint of purple and blue dusted across the back of my right shoulder. But my hair covered it so I had nothing to worry about.

"Are you ready yet?!" Isabelle said in the next stall over.

"Umm…" I replied, tugging at the fabric, willing for it to come down longer with no such luck.

"Don't make me come in there and rip the curtain down Clary!" Izzy retorted. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before pulling the curtain back and stepping out into the viewing area.

"It's alright…but these shoes are impossible to walk in Iz." I said hesitantly as Izzy emerged from her own dressing room in a magnificent silver gown that was about as long as my own. She looked flawless. When I had come out of the room I hadn't realized there would be an audience, but of course their was. Alec and Jace both sat lazily on the couch nearby; Alec playing on his phone and Jace with his head propped up by his hands watching absentmindedly at the tv screen nearby. Magnus was a few feet away mulling through an assortment of nail polish. All three glanced up as we walked out. shit shit shit I thought silently to myself. I never was big on attention. Right then left, right then left, watch the step watch the step! Right then left.

"Shut up! You look Uh-Maezing! Ugh!" Izzy gushed running over to my stall and pulling me over towards the three way mirror. It was a miracle I hadn't tripped over my own damn feet in the process. "Clary it's absolutely stunning on you! Magnus beamed, leaving his pile of nitrocellulose and glitter to join us on my other side.

"Thank you.." I murmured glancing in the mirror back to the only opinion that really mattered to me. He sat in the couch, his eyes blazing over my figure. Heat flushed my cheeks in embarrassment under his analytical gaze. Why, you might ask, was he the only opinion that mattered? I couldn't tell you. but for some reason, having him like the dress made me feel a whole lot more confident. Izzy and Magnus continued talking next to me and eventually moved out of the dressing room towards a pile of shoes Magnus had collected. "They're on sale! We have to get them all" I heard him gush.

Turning back to the mirror, I just continued to stare at myself. The only other person who had been able to make me feel this beautiful was Leveanna. I wish she could be here for this. To see me making friends. Real ones this time. "You look beautiful" a deep voice interrupted my thoughts. I glanced up, noticing Jace who had moved from his position on the couch over to my side. He has his hands shoved in his pockets, looking at me through the mirror.

"So he speaks" I reply sarcastically. He chuckles lightly at my response. "Would you prefer me not to?" His eyes turn bright and mischievous as his hands snake around my waist, pulling me back into the dressing room. My breathing hitches as he closes the distance between us. "Because I can do that as well" I am breathing rather heavily now. He has his body pressed against me which is backed up against the wall. I glance from his lips to his eyes that are now very, very close to my own.

My heart is pounding through my chest, threatening to burst through. It was like just being this close to him had drugged me I realize what is happening, his lips are crushing down against mine and our tongues are instantly engaged in a sensuous dance. I run my fingers through his golden locks, something I had been dying to do since day one. His hands are moving expertly across my slender frame, eliciting embarrassing moans from me. Had I not been so drunk on Jace my cheeks would have been on fire by now. "Jace.." I whisper "We shouldn't your sister is right-" almost instantly we both hear the clatter of heels against the old linoleum flooring.

"Clary, are you ready to go yet? Magnus and I want to hit a few more stores before closing" Isabelle's voice fills the echoing dressing room. Jace and I instantly separate to either corners of the room, neither of us saying a word. We stand there, staring at each other. I can see the instant panic that has been stained on my face mirrored in his own. Before I can do anything, Jace is by my side, pulling me to the center of the changing room and turning me around to face the mirror.

"We're in here Iz, the zipper on Clary's dress got caught. She'll be ready in a minute" Jace replies as he slowly unzips the dress. I close my eyes, relishing his touch, letting my mind drift off to a more x-rated version of why this greek god was removing my clothing.

"Oh no!" I can practically hear Isabelle frowning. "MAGNUS GET ANOTHER ONE OF THE ARMANI BLUE IN CLARY'S SIZE! I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO PUSH OVER AN OLD WOMAN, JUST GET IT!" we hear her scream. Both of us have to cover out mouths in order to keep ourselves from cracking up.

When he finishes unzipping the dress I can feel his long fingers brush against the small of my back subtly and slowly move up towards my neck before sliding one side off my shoulder. I feel his lips against my shoulder and lean back against him automatically. His lips travel up my neck but I cry in anguish as his hand moves over the large bruise covering my opposite shoulder. I quickly recover and turn around. "Clary? What's the matter, are you hurt?" he asks in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry…It's nothing, I just fell the other day. I was just..surprised, is all" I strutter, trying to laugh it off. I can tell by his expression that he is having none of it. "Clary, let me see-"

"Jace? What's taking so long! Magnus already has the duplicate!" Isabelle interrupts. "But we should hurry.. I think he stole it out of this other woman's hands." He glances up at me once before disappearing behind the curtain but I know this isn't the end of the conversation. Once he's gone I feel myself slumping against the wall, letting out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Well shit.

After we left Bloomingdales, Izzy and Magnus dragged us to at least 20 other stores where Isabelle insisted on buying at least one thing at each of them. Through the duration of the shopping trip, Jace hadn't mention one word about the incident in Bloomingdales. By the time we finished up at Zara's I was about ready to go crash, both mentally and physically. Jace and Alec seemed to be on the same page as well. "So, are you still enjoying 'hanging out'? " Jace grumbled sarcastically as we fell into plushy chairs. Izzy and Magnus had reluctantly agreed to stop for an hour to eat.

I huffed, defeated, while picking up a menu and hiding my face with it. "Maybe next time we should do something a little less..athletic" I laughed.

He chucked beside me, picking up his own menu and browsing through the selections. After a few minutes a waitress finally came over and began to take our order. "And what can I get you sugar?" she asked, batting her pathetic eyelashes at Jace. I wanted to throw up. Seriously? Just take our order and go I thought annoyed. Where did all these emotions come from? Jace was obviously good looking so I couldn't exactly blame her for trying..

We all ordered our food and began snacking on the bread. When Nancy, the waitress, returned with our food and drinks, she pressed her palms against the edge of the table, leaning over towards Jace, giving him an impressive view of her cleavage. "Is there…anything else I can get for you?" she asked.

"No thank you, we're perfectly fine" Izzy replied curtly, clearly annoyed with Nancy's behavior as well. At least I wasn't the only one. The waitress leaned back off the table, shooting Izzy an evil glance. "You can leave now" Izzy body checked the girl while shooing her off. Nancy rolled her eyes and walked away. Jace hadn't even looked at the girl. I smiled triumphantly to myself. "What a slut" Izzy said as the waitress walked away.

"Agreed" I murmued, spearing my pieces of chicken. Jace smirked at me. Oh stop giving me that look golden boy. The rest of lunch went by uneventful. Magnus and Isabelle droned on about the newest collections while Alec and Jace conversed about football season coming up. "You'll be at our first game won't you Red?" Jace nudged my shoulder.

I smiled nodding my head "I'll try… I have to ask my dad first"

"Awesome" Alec said excited. "This year is gonna be the best! Seriously Dalton Prep won't know what hit them!"

Jace had been explaining to me about how last year they had almost made the championships when a strange woman approached our table and gripped my arm. She had on a dark navy pinstripe pantsuit and her white blonde hair slicked back into a bun. "Clarissa? Is-is that you?" she asked, her icy blue eyes flashing across my face. "You're….you're so big now, oh my dear! Where have you been all this time?" she exclaimed, wrapping me into a tight hug. I stiffened under her embrace and pulled myself away. "I..I'm sorry, I don't know who you are." I said as panic began to take over my body. This must be one of the people Valentine had warned were hunting me. I froze in fear.

"No no…you must be Clarissa, Clarissa Morgenstern! I never forget someone. Especially one as special as you." She said shaking my shoulders.

"No.. you must be mistaken" my voice trembled. I backed away into a wall that stood behind me. Funny, there hadn't been one there a minute ago. The woman advanced towards me, reaching out her arms to grab me again but stopped. "You ARE Clarissa Morgenstern and you must come back with me to the Institute. We have been searching for you for so long-"

"She said, you must be mistaken..Please leave. Now." Jace's deep commanding voice seethed behind me. He wrapped his arm protectively around my waist, bringing me close to his side and away from the woman. Next to us, the entire table was staring quizzically at the interaction. The woman stared at me, her eyes begging me to come back with her. Even through the fear and confusion cluttering my mind, there was something familiar and happy about this woman that stood out in my memory. Seeing that I obviously wasn't going to move, the woman huffed annoyed and stalked out of the mall hurriedly. She pulled out a cellphone and began furiously dialing a number and shouting into the receiver.

"What the hell was that about?" Izzy asked, breaking the awkward silence. "Are you alright?" Jace's soothing voice murmed next to my ear. He had me enveloped in a hug, trying to stop my shaking. I nodded quickly. "Um.. I'm sorry you guys, but I have to go..my dad, he's uh expecting me home now." I said, unfolding myself from Jace's embrace and picking up my purse and bags.

"Here, I'll drive you" Jace said, grabbing his keys.

"No!" I replied quickly. He froze at my sudden outburst. "My dad, he sent someone to pick me up. They're waiting outside. But thank you" I smiled, genuinely thankful for his concern. Everyone just stared at me with equal amounts of confusion.

"No problem Clary" Isabelle said hesitantly. "We'll see you in school then, this was fun" she smiled, giving me a quick hug. I hugged and thanked her for bringing me then waved at the rest before rushing out the door where Landon and Markus stood waiting. "Take me home" I said quickly. They caught the urgency in my tone and immediately snapped into protection mode. "Is everything alright Miss Morgenstern?" Markus asked, taking my bags and helping me into the car. "Fray!" I yelled nervously as they shut the door. "My name is Clary Fray." I repeated.

Jace's POV.

"No! My dad, he sent someone to pick me up. They're waiting outside."

I stopped as Clary quickly grabbed her stuff and began rushing out the door. "um..okay" I mumbled, setting my keys back down at the table. I stared off as the red head disappeared behind the sliding glass doors. What was that about?

"I'm just gonna go make sure she got to them alright." I said before running after her. When I passed through the door, I immediately spotted her climbing into a black suv with the same guys who had escorted her to school earlier. She seemed panicked. I scooted along the side of the wall attempting to listen in on whatever they were saying.

"Is everything alright Miss. Morgenstern?" I heard one of them say. Morgenstern? But that was the name that the woman had called her. I watched in confusion as they drove off. When I returned back to the table Alec looked up at me, "So'd your little princess make it back to her soldiers okay?" he joked. I laughed picking up a fry and tossing it at Izzy, "Wha- Jace!" she exclaimed, picking the greasy fry out of her hair.

"Hey, what was Clary's last name again?" I asked, ignoring her annoyed look. She stared at me through squinted eyes. "..Fray" she finally answered hesitantly, looking at me like I was crazy.

Hmm..then why did they call her Morgenstern? And more importantly, who was that woman?


Thank you for reading my latest installment. I do hope you like it. Please please please review below! Even if it's just something as simple as "Liked it" or "ehh" I literally check every 5 seconds to see what you guys think of the chapters and stare at each individual review for the longest time! Ciao