Clary was not drunk, but Jace sure waz pretty making his best man toast. Pretty… pretty boy. Her pretty boy. Okay, maybe she was a little tipsy.

"Good toast," Clary mumbled as Jace sat back down and she wrapped both her arms around one of his.

"Thanks," Jace chuckled.

"Is she drunk?" Simon's voice entered Clary's mind. She had a feeling Simon was sitting on the other side of Jace, with Izzy on the other side of him, but she hadn't turned to look. With her arms holding Jace's in a death grip, Clary stared at her plate. It was a light metallic silver colour with bronze detailing. There was a little cake left on it, but she wasn't looking at the cake. Clary was thinking about chains. Mean of her to chain pretty Jace to her, far far away. Mean. Mean Clary. Suddenly sulking Clary turned to rest her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. She felt Jace's lips gently kiss the top of her head and smiled. Pretty Jace. Hers now, but then far far away! Things were continuing to happen around her, but Clary didn't have the energy to deal with them. She closed her eyes, just wanted to exist for the moment.

"Yep," Jace's voice continued with a laugh. "She is most certainly intoxicated."

"That is so unlike her," Simon said.

"I know," Jace replied. Clary couldn't identify the emotion in his voice. Her fuzzy brain was having trouble deciphering the tone.

"Is she even awake?" Simon continued.

"Not sure," Jace replied.

"Oh please, of course she's awake!" It was Izzy's voice this time. "That's the oldest trick in the book. Look like your sleeping so you can listen into the conversation without people thinking you're there."

"Do you do that?" Simon asked. This time Clary could easily identity the playful nature of her best friend's tone. The best friend she had dated. She was also at her best friend's wedding, the best friend she hadn't dated. Really Clary needed new words for these boys. Unless of course, it was okay to have two best friends and distinguish them by who you have and haven't kissed?

"Maybe," Izzy replied. The tone of her voice was making it very obvious that she was grinning. Clary could picture her looking up at Simon with that cute loving expression she always used just with him. Sizzy was just so cute she wanted to pinch their cheeks. Clary was really happy for them. Especially now that she knew Simon had finally let go of his silly 'wait for no reason' notion of his. Clary was sure they were both happier for it, though sometimes she wondered if it was her fault Simon had felt the need to do that. Looking back on it, dating her best friend for fear of losing him from her life if she didn't, hadn't been the best plan ever. She should have probably said no, and hoped he got over the attachment. But then again, it had all worked out, so maybe his feelings would have separated them for a time, no matter how she had responded to them.

She was pretty sure everyone was still talking, but she wasn't really listening to them anymore. Clary could hear other people at the wedding if she focused her spinning mind. Jordan's voice was among the guests, along with Paige's. Clary would miss her friends when she went away. She knew Maia was here as well, though Clary couldn't hear her voice at the moment. Maia was more Simon's friend than hers, and she had to admit she would probably miss Maia less than everyone else. Even if she'd miss Magnus, Simon, Jordan, and Paige and look forward to seeing them when she returned, it was Jace who she'd miss most of all. Simon had Izzy. Magnus had Alec and Jordan and Paige had each other. It was Jace she was worried about. It was Jace that made her almost want to give it all up and stay here. Her Jace all alone and yet bound to her, chained. It all came back to chains. Chain him up then throw away the keys… not nice.

"What's that?" Jace asked. Clary blinked at him. Had she said something out loud?

"What'd I say?" Clary mumbled, lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him.

"Something about chains," Jace answered.

"Oops," Clary said. "Conversation for later. Shhh." She put a finger over his lips and added. "We at wedding."

"You're so cute when you're drunk," Jace smiled at her.

"Loves you," Clary told him, looking into those golden eyes.

"And I love you," Jace said back easily. "Now drink some water." Clary grumbled, but did as she was told.

As the reception went on and she ate more cake, Clary started to sober up enough to be embarrassed. Resting her head on her arms, Clary tried to hide from the world while remaining in her seat.

"Everyone loved your speech," Jace whispered in her ear. Clary knew he was just saying that, but decided to let herself be comforted anyway. She turned to face the newlyweds and was reassured by the joy on their faces. Neither of them were concerned about her silly speech since they were far too wrapped up in each other to care.

"It's gross isn't it," Izzy scoffed, gesturing to Malec. "How adorable they are."

"A little, yeah," Jace said. "But you can't fool me Isabelle."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Izzy said turning to look away.

"You love how adorable they are," Jace told her. "Me and you are too much alike. I can read you like a book girl."

Izzy stuck her tongue out at him, which had everyone laughing.

"Stop reading my girlfriend," Simon chuckled.

"Oh yeah," Jace remarked, smirking. "Well, no dating mine.. Oh wait, you did that!"

"You're going to hold that over my head forever aren't you?" Simon sighed. No one but Jace was laughing.

"You bet I am," Jace said grinning. "It's the best inside joke ever!"

"Urg!" Simon whined. "Why am I friends with you?"

"No idea man!" Jace roared with laughter.

"I blame Clary," Simon stated. Jace just had time to agree before the music changed, signally the guests to get up and dance. The grooms went first, sharing their first dance as Mr and Mr Married.

Clary only got to sit and watch the happy couple attempt to dance for a few minutes before Jace reached out to take her hand, and together they went out onto the dance floor. The song was slow, and Clary rested her head on Jace's shoulder. It was the perfect moment, just standing there swaying in her boyfriend's arms.

"So are you going to tell me what 'chains' was all about before?" Jace whispered after a while.

"Don't listen to what drunk Clary says," she replied. "That bitch knows nothing."

"See, now I know it's important," Jace spoke softly. They were hardly dancing anymore, but rather standing gazing at each other surrounded by dancing couples. Paige and Jordan were somewhere to their left along with Simon and Izzy. The newlyweds were in the center of it all, dancing like Maryse had bought them lessons, which Clary was almost certain she had.

"Ten months is a long time," Clary whispered.

"304.17 days," Jace replied. "Or if you want to get specific 7200 hours."

"Did you memorize those?" Clary asked shocked.

"No, I'm just that good at math," Jace chuckled. "Of course I memorized them. I'm going to make a countdown calendar."

"See, this is what I'm talking about!" Clary exclaimed though quickly. "You keep saying that we're going to be fine, but we can't really know how hard it's going to be. It's a really long time, Jace!"

"Are you breaking up with me Clary?" Jace's voice was soft, but sober Clary could hear the pain behind it.

"No," she said firmly trying to relieve the pain from his voice. "I just can't help feeling like I'm chaining you to me and then leaving… It's like if you met someone else, how could I even blame you? It's unreasonable for me to ask this of you. How can I expect you to be alone, and yet taken for so long?"

"Clary are you wondering if I can go ten months without sex?" Jace replied grinning, the smile lighting up his face.

"Well, I wasn't going to put it like that," Clary mumbled.

"Sweetie that's what masterbastions for," Jace said in such a matter of fact way, Clary was completely caught off guard. She laughed in that way you do when if she'd been drinking something it would have come right back up.

"I'm not worried that I'll meet someone else," Jace spoke suddenly serious again. "I'm worried you will."

"Hey," Clary scoffed. "Who was the player before this relationship?"

"Which is exactly why I'm the one who should be worried," Jace continued.

"You aren't making any sense," Clary sighed.

"Even in the worse case scenario, anything I could possibly do or have while you're gone, would be meaningless, empty, like everything else in my life before I met you," Jace explained. "While you'll probably meet some amazing french guy who can offer you far more than I can."

"No one can do that," Clary whispered.

"You're sweet," Jace smiled. "But oh so wrong."

Clary was shocked by the honest way in which he said those words. There wasn't even a hint of a question in his voice. Jace totally believed what he was saying. But how could Jace think this? She hadn't quite formed a reply when the entire wedding party was called to take more photos with the sunset as the background. Clary smiled for the camera, but her heart wasn't in it. Was she so terrible at showing affection, that the love of her life thought he needed her more than she needed him?

When the photographer finally said they were free to leave, she overheard Magnus and Alec whispering about ditching the rest of their reception. Clary was distracted from her own problems for a moment as she watched the two mischievous husbands sneak off to their limbo. From there they were headed to the airport and a four month honeymoon.

Clary hung back as the rest of the wedding party returned to the reception. She sat outside as the sun finished setting. Jace had stayed as well. He was standing behind her, both of them facing the quickly vanishing sun.

"I'm offering you ten months of freedom," Clary picked up their conversation where they'd left off. She'd been thinking of nothing else during the photos.

"And what would happen after those ten months?" Jace replied, wrapping his arms around her, from behind.

"We'd meet up and figure out where we're at," Clary said. "If we're both single and still interested in the people we are then…"

"Yeah, that isn't going to work for me," Jace whispered in her ear. Clary could feel the warmth of his body behind her. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, leaning back into him, letting his words sink in. It felt so good to be close to him. She would miss this more than anything.

"See, if I'm free here, that means you'll be free there," Jace replied. "And the only way I see that ending is me miserable, and you engaged to a rich French guy with one of those fancy accents."

Turning in his arms to look her lover in the eyes, Clary tried to set him straight. "I love you," she said with as much decisiveness as she could. "And thousands of miles isn't going to change that."

"3,726," Jace corrected. "But who's counting?"

"Listen to me," Clary snapped, really frustrated now. "Why do you insist on thinking so little of yourself?"

"A topic I'm not too fond of but for you..." he smiled, but there was a sadness there, in his smile. "My father left me when I was so young I don't even remember what he looked like. My best friend for most of my life well… we both know how that went." He paused, reaching out to take her hands in his. "Before you, that was me, my whole life. The kid who was left, whose mom tried her best. Who's friend got him into trouble every other week. Then there was you. Clary, my life started with you. It's because of you that I have everything I have today. If I lose you, I'd be losing more than if you lose me. It's just a fact. I know it's stupid to put all your eggs in one basket, but that's what I've done."

Clary didn't know how to reply to him. Yes, her father had died before she was born, but Clary had never lacked for fatherly affection because of Luke. She had two best friends, and was well on her way to her career ambitions. For a moment, Clary tried to put herself in Jace's shoes. What if all she had was him? What if her family and friends were different, more distant and less there? How would it feel to lose him then? To lose the ground under your feet rather than just the support at your side.

"So you will forgive me for doing everything in my power to hold onto you," Jace continued, his hands cupping her face. "Which includes not letting you break up with me for my own good." He smiled then, and this time it reached his eyes. "What can I say? I'm selfish that way."

For a moment they gazed at each other, either of them said a word as the sun completely vanished behind the horizon.

So... despite my lack of updates... I have actually been writing ALOT these last few days. I got my ability to type back on Saturday night… but then spent over three days writing nothing but Shawn and Katy fluff instead of this story.
*Hides from readers while they throw things at me*
If you don't know who Shawn Hunter and Katy Hart are then clearly you haven't seen 'Boy Meets World' or it's sequel 'Girl Meets World.' Yes, I am a dork and no, I am not sorry. ^_^ Anywho that story is at like 17,000 words (and I'm not close to finished yet) but I haven't gotten the next chapter of R&S more than barely started... yeah... So pretty please excuse this pathetic sneak peek as that is basically all that I currently have written...

Sneak Peek Chapter 122:

Jordan woke up unassisted by his alarm clock. This was one of the many things he loved about the summer break, no classes to attend. There was a strip of sunlight shining in through the curtains. The snow was all melted now and it was getting warmer by the day. May was almost over now and June was fast approaching.

Jordan heard a soft sigh to his left and looked over to see his girlfriend still asleep. He was so used to her early classes, waking beside her in the morning still felt rare to him even if it wasn't. Paige looked so beautiful when she slept, her dirty blonde hair pressed against the pillow and her face soft and feel of the days troubles. Then again he'd never seen Paige really angry before and was starting to wonder if she was capable of even being mad.