*All the characters from The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare and her incredible mind. Nothing will ever be owned by the author of this story. ;)*

Musical Preferences:

Plain Gold Ring- Kimbra

Danny, Dakota, and the Wishing Well- A Silent Film

Once he couldn't hear her cries anymore, he slipped to the floor and cried.

Chapter Fifteen

The night was dark, no moon visible. The streets were dangerous at a night like this, but Clary couldn't force herself to take a cab in fear she wouldn't be able to stand ten minutes locked in the little yellow box. She was going mental as it was just walking the streets. Her house was closer by the second, and that's all she could think of. Needing to get out of the goddamn dress and clean the soles of her feet from the dirt she was accumulating, she started speed-walking.

The farther from him she could get, the better.

"This is so unfair," she muttered to herself. Her hair was fisted on the hand not holding her heels. The tears had stopped ten minutes after she had left his apartment. Now she was just a mess full of disappointment, confusion, and anger.

Funny thing was, the closer she got to her bed, the more she was filled with anger.

One minute she was walking across unknown neighborhoods, the next she was fitting her key in her doorknob and flinging the door to her apartment open. She was counting on getting herself in some sweats and opening that vodka bottle she had gotten two years ago when she first got this apartment, but her friends had the perfect timing for ruining her plans with Mr. Hangover.

Leaning against the doorframe of her apartment, she saw them—Isabelle in clubbing attire, Simon in normal jeans and shirt, Magnus and Alec, and Camille and Jonathan. They all stood up as they saw her, the same worried expressions in all of their faces. Those were the perfect moments where the ability for raising just one eyebrow would've been a godsent gift.

Sniffing, she threw her shoes to the other side of her living room. "Leaving, guys?"

The first to respond was Isabelle, stalking forward to her. Clary frowned and moved out of the way before Isabelle could get an arm around her. "Clary, I know this sucks but—"

Clary snorted and looked at her best friend like if she was stupid. "What sucks is that he missed out on some fuck-tastic sex tonight." She could hear her brother and Simon groaning, but she really couldn't find it in herself to apologize. "Now, I'd appreciate if you all left so I can drink myself happy and wake up just to go back to bed."

Isabelle rolled her eyes and grabbed onto Clary's forearms before she could make her way to the kitchen. "As much as I love this sassy Clary, I know that you are hurting and I need to know what happened after you both left. They don't know shit," Isabelle said as she pointed back at the crowd of adults.

Clary rolled her eyes back at Isabelle and got out of her hold. "I want to get drunk!" she exclaimed. "I don't ever, ever get drunk and the day I want to, you won't fucking let me. It hasn't been thirty minutes since I cried my fucking eyes out and you want me to do it again." She glared at her best friend and then at everyone else watching the exchange before returning her attention to Isabelle. "Thanks for the concern, but no thanks."

She could see the surprise in her friends' faces as she walked past them to her room. Locking the door behind her, she striped out of the now gray dress and put on the largest and coziest sweats that she owned. Once she went out, she saw that more than half of her friends had gotten the message. Isabelle, stubborn as always, was sitting on the table and Simon on one of the chairs next to her. Clary tried hard not to roll her eyes as she passed them on her way to the kitchen.

The vodka bottle was under the sink, unopened and perfect in Clary's eyes. She took the bottle opener and, expecting her best friends to be behind her, she turned around and gave Simon the bottle and opener. With one look to Isabelle, he opened it and gave it back to Clary who had already gathered three glasses. She poured a considerable amount of liquor on them and passed one to each of them before taking the bottle and her glass and making her way to her couch.

"If you're staying, you're drinking with me. No buts," she said as she left the kitchen. Surprisingly, Simon was the first to plop himself next to her and drink out of his glass.

"Ah, Fray. I knew we'd always go back to this," he said with a terrible accent that didn't even have distinction.

She punched his arm softly with a snort. "We have never drank together."

"I'm trying to bond with you. Shut up," he tells her as Isabelle nearly stomps over until she stands in front of them with her hands on her hips.

"You two are being childish and this is not how Clary should be handling this situation." Clary almost laughed because this may be the first time that Isabelle was ever against drinking.

Simon sat up and put his glass on the coffee table in front of them. "You may be right, Iz, but this is how she wants to handle it. Let her. She'll come to us sooner or later and tell us what happened. But right now," he paused as he settled back and wrapped an arm around Clary as she finished her drink, "she wants to get drunk. And, I say, why the hell not?"

Isabelle glared at him for a while, but he didn't take back any of his words and that made Clary so happy that she poured herself more vodka and cuddled against Simon. Isabelle seemed to give up after a while, going back for her glass and sitting on Clary's other side.

"This is the last time I try to be the adult," she said as she threw her glass back.

w.^.w

"How can I get her to sign the papers without taking this to court?"

"Bribe her? I really can't help you. What did you do with Kaelie?" Jace's lawyer asked from the other side of the phone call.

"I let her keep the house," Jace muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just think that Aline won't settle for having the apartment. She was always stubborn and wants to destroy me for this."

There was a tense silence between the two men. "Well, bribe with more? Ask her what she wants. Usually what they want is not the most you can give them."

Jace glanced at the clock at his table. 8:56. People should start pouring in anytime soon. "Yeah, yeah, okay. I gotta go, Hodge. The day is starting."

"Good luck, Jace," and the line went dead. With a sigh, Jace let his head fall to his hands and pressed the palm of his hands to his eyes. He couldn't find sleep at all the night before, so at around five in the morning, he managed to get to his office and keep busy. Avoiding the subject that was causing him insomnia was better than facing it.

He knew Camille and Magnus would come any time now to break him down. They had grown fond of Clary, thought she was the one. Hell, Jace knew she could be the one, but the circumstances were just always against him when it came to Clary.

He was just grateful he got the amount of time he got with her at all.

As expected, Camille came in with a sour look on her face. She locked the door behind her and Jace sort of breathed a sigh of relief. At least Magnus wouldn't join on the scolding.

Camille didn't get to it immediately, which surprised Jace slightly. She paced from one side of the office to the other, her arms crossed in front of her, and her severe bun sharpening her face.

"How was your night, Jace?" she finally started, and her voice was icy. Jace had heard this tone a billion times, but this time, it actually cut through him.

"I think you know the answer to that question," he said softly. He lowered his eyes and finally felt the exhaustion sinking in.

Camille snorted. "No. I know how Clary spent her night, I'm wondering if you did the same."

"If she cried all night, then yes. We did the same thing." Jace closed his eyes and laid back. It hadn't been five minutes into the conversation and he wanted it to be over.

Jace looked up after the silence between them had lasted quite a while. Camille was staring at him with a frown and troubled eyes, sort of like that wasn't the answer she was expecting. She stared at him for a while and Jace just stared back before she turned around and sat on one of the chairs in front of him. "Really?" she asked him softly. Jace nodded and looked at the clock again. 9:03.

"I've been here four hours. I couldn't sleep," he tells her quietly before running a hand down his face.

"She went home and got drunk," Camille tells Jace incredulously. Jace frowns at Camille before chuckling.

"Well, that's unusual," he tries to say with a small smile, but he can feel his throat closing up and oh no, not again.

"You really fucked up, Jace," she says almost smugly. Like and I told you so and Jace is not really up to that shit.

Glaring, he scoffs. "No-fucking-duh, Cam. I think I know how much I fucked up. I'm the one that lost her, remember? I'm getting those fucking divorce papers signed and becoming a fucking priest if that makes you fucking happy."

"Wait, hold up," she says while standing up. "You're not going to fight for her?"

Jace shakes his head and looks up at Camille with confusion. "Of course not. She would never take me back. She told me so herself. She said, or at least implied, that she would never forgive an infidelity. And I am not what she deserves," he says, his voice catching at the end and he really doesn't want to cry more. It's a blow to his manliness and even though Camille has seen him cry before, it's usually her that makes him cry.

"Shit," Camille mutters while walking to Jace's side and sitting on his arm rest. She wraps her arms around him almost hesitantly like she doesn't know what to do. And that's enough for some tears to fall from his eyes as he buries his head in her neck. He feels her hands on his hair, just combing through the strands and he's suddenly very happy that Camille came in to scold him.

They don't really notice the jiggling of the doorknob until the person walks in. Jace refuses to let go of Camille as he doesn't want whoever it is to see he was crying. But when he hears Camille say "Aline, what are you doing here?" he has to separate himself from her.

He rubs his face multiple times before standing up to address Aline. Behind her, Magnus frowns at him, as if he really doesn't understand what's going on. Aline has a similar expression on her face.

"Yes?" he asks Aline. She recoils slightly, like she doesn't know him, and maybe she just doesn't know this Jace. He's pretty sure he doesn't know himself either.

"I-um, I wanted to talk to you Jace. But—I just remembered that I have t—um—" she stumbles on her words as she looks at Camille and Magnus behind her before looking at Jace again.

"Actually, Aline, could you stay? I want to talk to you, too." Aline hesitates a bit before nodding. Camille touches Jace's arm and looks at him questioningly. Jace just nods and smiles at is pushed out the door by Camille, who just smiles encouragingly at Jace.

Aline is still standing near the door. Jace smiles at her as he sits down.

"Take a seat, please." She sits and Jace looks at his clock. 9:24. He looks back at Aline. "How are you?"

w.^.w

"Yes, Mr. Campbell? Hi, it's Clary Morgenstern. I was wondering if you were free today to substitute? Yes? Yeah, a friend of my family died and today's the funeral. Oh, it's okay. Anyways, thank you and on my desk should be a folder with what I was planning on having the kids do today. Thank you again. Bye."

"Funeral?" Isabelle asked from her side where she was still half asleep.

"Not a lie," Clary started and cuddled closer to the couch trying to go back to sleep. Simon groaned as he was moved from his somewhat comfortable position. "I need time to mourn the death of my heart."

"Touché."

"I'll start quoting W. H. Auden. 'I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong,'" Clary continued.

Simon put his hand on her face. "How about you shut up."

w.^.w

It was long and tedious, but before noon, Jace had the divorce papers signed. Aline stayed and heard what had happened. He hadn't been expecting complete understanding, but he managed to keep the conversation light, without any heavy arguments. There had been no yelling from either of them. It had been like an awful business meeting revolving feelings.

Jace felt little feminine and he didn't necessary like it.

When she got up to leave, Jace accompanied her out and hugged her, thanking her over and over again and then apologizing for hurting him. She'd smiled at his words, but it wasn't a necessarily happy smile. It was a resigned, maybe even a tad bit relieved. Jace was just sorry he couldn't treat her correctly.

Looking at the time, he figured he should go eat something. And probably tell Camille how everything with Aline went. He was actually surprised she hadn't barged in right after Aline had left. With a frown, he left his office and started walking to Camille's office. The door was closed, which was unusual. For her, at least. There were multiple voices that stopped as he knocked tentatively and started opening the door without waiting for an answer. He was surprised to find not only Camille but Jonathan looking at him as he walked in.

He almost wished he hadn't come in at all.

They both looked furious and not only at themselves, but also in him. They were both glaring at Jace and before Jace could even move, Jonathan landed a punch to Jace's jaw. He stumbled as he felt the hit but he didn't really hurt. It was more numbed than anything and Jace felt that he deserved it. Jace could just imagine what he would do a guy like him if he was dating his sister. He's just surprised Jonathan stopped after the first punch.

"Get an ice bag and some Benadryl," Jonathan said in a clipped tone. "You may be an asshole, but I'm still a doctor over that." Jace looked as he looked at Camille and back at Jace. "Goodbye, Cammy." And he left the room, bumping his shoulder with Jace as he went.

The door closed behind him and Camille growled and slammed her hand on her desk. Jace frowned and looked at her only to find her glaring at him with more venom that before.

"Why is it that you always ruin everything?!" she yelled. Jace rubbed his jaw and tried to ask her what had just happened, but she continued without letting him talk. "I was happy! And because I always stick by your side, everything ends up hurting me too!" She sat on her chair and put her head on her hands. "I had finally found someone who made me happy and who I made happy," she said in a small voice. "And you ruined it."

"Cam, I—" he started but she just shook her head and raised it up from where it was in her hands.

"Jace, don't. Just . . . don't." Her eyes were rimmed red. Ready to cry. "Could you leave? I really . . . I just want to be alone."

Jace nodded and exited and went directly back to his office, ignoring those calling for him until he heard Magnus. He turned around and made eye contact with him.

Magnus was frowning and there was a question in his eyes. Jace just shook his head and went inside his office. There was nothing else to say.

Where to freaking start? Well, school sucks, guys. I'm sorry about how late it is (and how short!) but this just leads to the next part which I'm actually quite excited to write because it's kinda a new idea...? You can thank Camille for it because while she read a part of this she sort of... yeah.

Anyways, I'm hoping I don't take as long as I did with this next time but AP tests are coming up and I'm finishing this year and it's just been really stressful but thank you for sticking around if you still have. :)

I wanna thank all of you for still reading and reviewing and know that I love you all very very much.

It'd be fantastic if you guys could...

Review?