Jace paced, his feet making no sound as they ghosted across the polished floor. He ran his hands through his hair, his long fingers jerking against tangles to continue their path although he hardly acknowledged the slight pain. He bit his lip gently, a habit he had picked from his parabatai. He would have sighed or groaned – a noise to express his irritation – but that might have awoken the captive of the room and he knew that would not bode well for all involved.

He turned again, and risked a glance towards his catch. Red hair sprawled in thin curls and strands across a white pillow and a small face, freckled, delicate and pronounced, looked back at him. Or rather, was turned towards him, eyes still gently closed while she slept. He was in no hurry for the eyes to open; he was in no hurry to see the harsh fire of accusation and betrayal dancing behind the piercing green he adored. He knew what she would feel, waking in a room she was familiar with, watched by a boy she should have felt comfortable with, knowing that he had attacked her.

Or was attacked the correct word? He had made her fall unconscious, that was true enough. But it hadn't been malicious. He would never amuse even a malicious thought of the small girl, not when he was in his right mind, anyway. No, he had merely stopped the girl from a mistake. A grave mistake, he knew.

That thought didn't stop the feeling of unease from spreading throughout his body.

He turned again, and concentrated on the other side of the room. The door was tightly closed and locked. He had made sure no one would be able to enter through a simple rune. He couldn't risk the idea that someone might have seen him carrying the small frame and wanted to follow him in to see what had happened. He couldn't risk her leaving either, at least, not until he had explained why he had attacked her.

Not an attack, a nagging voice reminded him and he acknowledged it only vaguely. He knew how she would see it. Magnus's hurried message had been very clear on what Clary had heard and Jace didn't need the warlock to tell him what she must have thought. Jace knew Clary. Knew her better than anyone. He knew her favorite color and the names of those anime characters she favored. He knew her insecurities and her fears. And he knew, even understood, her hatred for the ones of mixed blood, the ones like her brother.

Jace loved Clary, truly and deeply, with his heart and soul. But he also loved his family and he would allow no one to hurt them, intentionally or not. And if that meant knocking his girlfriend out and locking her in a room with him, he would take the beating that would undoubtedly follow afterwards with grace.

He turned again, sparing only the slightest glance towards the bed. A flicker of red, just the slightest movement, and he tore his eyes from the path they had followed to stare closely at the figure. She was still lying down, her hair still sprawled on the pillow but her eyes were open and that piercing green Jace had been dreading met his own eyes. He stared for a moment in surprise as he searched their depths. He had grown accustomed to reading every emotion that flickered through Clary's eyes and had thought he had known what to expect. A flicker of anger, a swirl of betrayal. He had expected a whirlwind of emotions behind her eyes. He didn't expect to see a calm strength behind him, nor the glimmer of understanding that flashed. For a moment, for a brief, wondrous, he thought he might not have to explain anything to her. Thought that she understood already how the twins were different from Sebastian and that she would keep the secret.

He stepped towards her, stopping just short of reach. He wasn't too keen to be within slapping range, if Clary decided being angry with him was a suddenly better response. She didn't smile, like she normally would have, and that had him on immediate edge. Of course, very few women would smile after being forced into unconsciousness and then waking up in a strange room.

"Clary," he began hesitantly, holding his arms up in a conciliatory way. "You need to understand that I didn't want to hurt you. I would never hurt you. But I couldn't let you do what you came here for, you know that." He wanted to continue but was stopped by Clary raising a slender finger.

"I understand what you were trying to do Jace. You just wanted to protect something you thought was family." She sat up slowly, her body obviously still taxed from recovery and Jace watched her with a hesitant, critical eye. He was wary from her choice of words. Something wasn't what he would have used to describe an infant, after all.

"Clary, you need to understand –" he tried, hoping to caught her off. He had a strange desire to stop her from speaking, some instinctual fear that he didn't want to hear what she had to say. She smiled, finally, but it was a saddened smile, like one would give a close friend on hearing about the death of a family member.

"I understand Jace." She said quietly, her voice ghosting around the room as she slid softly from the bed. "It has control over you because you believe it is family. It's the same thing that stopped my mom from killing Sebastian when she first saw him. But its vile. Unnatural. You must know that, Jace." Clary was still speaking calmly, but her eyes betrayed her. She could see that her words were having no effect on him and her eyes were beginning to shine with a sheen of panic. Jace hated that, but he also hated what she was saying.

Images flashed in his mind of two small bodies, wrapped in blankets, cuddled against his form, giggling as he danced toys in front of them. They weren't monsters. They would never be monsters. Anyone could see that, if they took the moment to look for it. If they only glanced, even momentarily on the faces of the babies, they would see the innocence. It hit him then, what he had to do to convince Clary. No amount of talking could work because he wouldn't be able to explain in words what could be understood only through sight.

"Clary," he spoke again, softly, calmly. He closed the distance between them and gently grabbed her wrists, pulling her even closer. She fought momentarily but he only tightened his grip momentarily and she stopped. "Look at me," he told her and she raised her head to glance at him. His heart gave an impatient thud but that was normal for him and he brushed the urge to kiss her away quickly. "Do you trust me?" It was simple. Merely four words. But they carried a much greater burden. They carried the very future of the children that he dearly loved.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she nodded. That was enough for him. He momentarily squeezed her hands reassuringly and then dropped them and stepped away. Deftly he slid his stele into his left hand and gestured towards her to the side of the room where the bare wall was most easily reachable. "Then come with me and I'll show you the truth." With the slightest hesitation and a wary look on her face, she grasped his hand. Jace felt a sudden feeling of relief rush through him. He knew if Clary just saw them, she would understand. She would see the truth.

Concentrating on the unfamiliar lines of the portal rune, Jace didn't notice the movement from outside his doorway or the quick, nearly silent footsteps that echoed slightly in the hallway beyond it.

I'M SO SORRY! It's been really hectic, so I haven't updated in forever! I work four nights a week now and I'm taking five classes and it's all super hectic, and I'm really, really sorry! I just want you all (whoever hasn't given up on this story, anyway) that I'm still working on it and that I'm really, really, really sorry! Thanks for reading and I'll try to update again sooner than this time! I hope you liked the chapter and again, thank you for reading!