Chapter Twelve

A/N: Thank you to rori-mori for reviewing.

The Brooklyn Bridge stood proud above the river, all cement and steel and weather-worn granite. It was an impressive structure, for one made by mundanes, though it was nothing compared to the great adamas towers surrounding Alicante. But it's unsightliness did not matter to Jocelyn, for nothing had ever felt so much like home.

"Noon tomorrow." Valentine reminded her, and she winced at the sound of his voice, bringing her from the memories of her life in New York. She looked over her shoulder at him for a moment, then nodded.

She had expected Valentine to linger a while, to watch which direction she went before returning to Idris, but as soon as he had said his piece, he was out of sight, true to his word. And she was left alone, and free.

Her feet began to move of their own accord, leading her down a path she had walked so many times before. The smell of damp concrete permeated her nostrils as she walked down the steps into the subway and the sun glinted off the city skyline when she emerged again. It seemed everything around her was new here, shining glass and busy streets, a beacon of the modern age so different to the tradition-steeped Alicante. Perhaps that was why she had always loved it so much.

It would not be difficult to find the place she was looking for, even if she did not know the route so well she could draw a map from memory. The tatty bookstore stood out like a sore thumb in the midst of all its sleek surroundings. It was ironic, given how much its proprietor had to hide.

Jocelyn's hands shook violently as she pressed the doorbell, hearing the faint echo of the chime from inside. A figure emerged from the shadows, obscured by frosted glass and moving slowly towards the door. They paused for a moment, considering her, then a series of quick footsteps followed before they flung the door open and threw their arms around her shoulders.

As she clung to Luke, breathing in the familiar scent of his denim jacket, Jocelyn could feel tears welling in her eyes. Since childhood, Lucian had been her safety, the one person who would always be there to protect her, should she ever need protecting. She had not felt so safe since the day Valentine had come to the apartment; she had doubted ever since that she ever would again.

"Jocelyn, where have you been?" Luke asked, pulling back from their embrace, though his hands remained on her arms, as if he thought he would let go and she would disappear once again. "Your apartment was trashed, no one's heard from you in weeks. What on Earth happened to you?"

"I was in Idris." she answered. She did not have to specify with whom; even if Clary had not spoken to Luke, he would have worked it out for himself.

The book-keeper sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. He looked as if the world were crashing about his ears. "So you were right, then? He's alive?"

Jocelyn nodded slowly, not meeting Luke's eyes. He had been her best friend for so many years, he knew her better than anyone in the world; if he looked into her eyes for too long, he would see the truth written there, and he would never forgive her for that.

"It's not just him." Jocelyn confessed, the one piece of information she could not bear to keep to herself. The thought of the boy sharing Valentine's home pulsed through her mind with each heartbeat. "Luke, he has Jonathan. My Jonathan."

"Jonathan's alive?" Luke breathed, smiling a little in spite of the horrible situation they found themselves in. He could see just how much that knowledge meant to her, even if it might have pulled a little at his own heart. "How- where has he been? I thought he was… with your parents, when the fire broke out."

"When Valentine got to the house, he took Jonathan, got him out of the way before he…" Jocelyn trailed off. Even after all these years, she could not complete the sentence. "They were stood there watching when we got there, they saw everything."

"Valentine let Jonathan see that? See his grandparents die, see what it did to you?" Luke was incredulous, his eyes beginning to blaze with fury. That had always been the thing about Luke; he was so loving, so good, that he found it difficult to believe when those around him did evil. Perhaps that was what had taken them so long to discover Valentine's true nature, Luke's good-natured blindness, and her forced ignorance.

"Jonathan still remembers it." Jocelyn sighed, recalling the awful expression on her son's face when he had told her of that night. "He told me that it was the first time he remembered hating his father, when he saw what he'd done to me."

Luke's eyes met hers, understanding already clear in them. He knew exactly what she planned to do, of course he did. "Jocelyn, it's so dangerous."

"But I think he would do it." Jocelyn pressed, her voice breathy with determination. "I think Jonathan would come back to New York with me, if I can just get him away from Valentine long enough. Valentine treats him horribly and I can hear in his voice that he's fed up with it. All I have to do is convince him that he'll be okay with me."

"And what if you can't?" Luke fought back, his voice stronger than she had heard it in a while. "What about Clary? Jocelyn, you haven't even asked about her!"

"Don't you dare." Jocelyn whispered, her voice dangerously low. "Luke, I have thought about Clary every minute of the last few weeks; she's the reason I'm here at all! I would never put anyone in the world above her. But if there's a chance I can get Jonathan back, I have to try. He's no less my child than Clary, and right now, he needs me more."

Luke's expression was clearly unconvinced, but he nodded nonetheless. Jocelyn smiled a little at that. There had been a thousand occasions over the years when she had made a bad decision, and yet Luke had stood by her through it all. Now it seemed he would do the same this final time.

"I'll help you get Jonathan back." Luke confirmed. Jocelyn opened her mouth to thank him, but he cut her off. It seemed his offer of help this time was not unconditional. "But only if you tell Clary the truth about all of this, before you try anything against Valentine. If you're going to turn her life upside again, she needs to know why."

Jocelyn closed her eyes a moment, her worst nightmare being realised before her eyes. For all these years, she had done everything in her power to keep Clary innocent, not only of the existence of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, but of the awful crimes her mother had committed against them. To have to confess it all herself, the very thought made her sick to her stomach.

But Clary was not innocent anymore. Her mother had been abducted, her apartment destroyed, her world turned upside down. And if this was the price she had to pay to have her children close, then Jocelyn would have to pay it.

A/N: I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I think Jocelyn still wants the best of both worlds; she wants both her children with her, away from Valentine. Let's see if she can manage it. Please review!