Disclosure: I own nothing of MI. And though I think they are wonderfully written, there is more I want from these two characters. So, these are my daydreams manifested in word & print.

A Different ending to how Clary saved Jace in City of Lost Souls.

Jace woke shouting Clary's name. He sat bolt upright in bed. Breathing heavy he looked around - he was alone in his bed. It was dark; must still be night. Still? He instantly remember his last conscious moment. Sebastian had control of him. he could remember all the things Sebastian made him do, but he'd been unable to control himself. Sebastian had all the control, but he could remember everything. Sebastian making him kill Magdalena. Sebastian telling to do the most horrible things...and he did them.

Sebastian telling Jace to drop Clary into the abyss. He caught his breath when the image popped into his mind; so vivid: Jace holding her wrist while the rest of her dangled in the air. Clary in her red dress billowing in the wind around her ankles. Her face, scared. Scared of him. Jace shook his head trying to dispel the image, but it was there behind his eyes. The fear in her eyes; that he put there. She was pleading with him, her voice trembling; "Jace, you said you'd never let me go. You promised. I know Jace is in there. My soul knows your soul. Don't".

Jace buries his head in his hands as he continues to play out the memory . He knows the 'other him' loves Clary, but he's going to drop her anyway. Because the 'other Jace' does what Sebastian tells him. He can feel it and he sees the recognition in Clary's eyes. He can see her make her conclusion only one of them is walking away and she's going to make sure it's the real Jace. Oh God, how can he have forced her hand like that. Clary grabs his wrist w/ the hand he was holding her. He sees her in slow motion in his memory, but knows it was lightning fast. Clary reaches behind her and grabs Glorious from her belt sweeping back in a huge arc she plunges the sword into his chest.

Jace reaches from his chest and feels the scar left there. He looks down and the Mark is gone. Not even a trace. Gone. He breathes deep and knows he is himself. He falls back into his memory. He has to know.

Clary tries to hold his wrist as he rears back in pain; the blade jutting obscenely from the center of his chest. She cries out as he lets go and falls to the ground at the edge of the precipice. She clings to his wrist as he arm dangles above the void. He feels himself beginning to roll in, too and raises his eyes to Clary. The fear in her eyes, not for herself, but for him. How can her only concern still be for his soul when she is in extreme mortal danger. But she smiles. Jace realizes she must have seen his eyes return; "Jace". It's almost a whisper on her lips. He felt all her love in that one syllable.

Jace take a deep breath. If his memory could end here they would have a happy ending, but it goes on. He can remember how close he was to blacking out and was fighting to stay awake. Glorious was burning the mark away and through him as well. Into his veins and into all his limbs. The pain was excruciating and he watched it spread to Cary. Her eyes closed as the light enveloping him traveled down his arm into her. Her breath was labored as she absorbed the white fire. Her skin glowed with it as though she was it's goal all along. As it the holy fire had been seeking her out; searching for home. He stared in awe as even her hair looked even more on fire.

Jace felt himself blacking out; he was loosing his grip on the ground and rolling over the cliff; "Clary?" She was no longer responding as the fire burned inside her. Her head was tilted back with her eyes closed. "Clary. Love. I can't lift you up."

"I know. I knew how this would end." She had not opened her eyes. "I had to make sure you were ok." She opens her eyes. They were sparkling green; "And you are. My soul knows yours.". She put her free hand to her heart. "you kept your promise. You never let me go. Now I have to keep mine. I love you." Jace felt himself slipping further over the edge & suddenly realized where they were. Clary's hand gripping his wrist was the only life line she had. He felt the fear creep over him like a sick black cloud as he tried to make his body respond to his commands; but it was still suffering from the would inflicted so lovingly to save his soul. The fear must have been in his eyes as Clary's face softened and a tear escaped her eye; "I love you so much; Jace. I'll see you soon." and she let go.

Too late he reached for her and got only air. Jace screamed her name as he watched her fall. She kept her eyes on him as she descended. Jace felt himself black out.

Jace came back from his memory with a jerk. No. No. No. It's all his mind could think. He jumped out of bed and scrambled for clothes. Found jeans. Rushing out of the room without shoes. He didn't even bother finding a shirt. He ran through the institute screaming her name; "CLARY!". He went through every room. His heart felt still; like it wasn't going to beat again until he found her. He felt his whole body shaking; like a winter shiver that never ends as he continued to come up empty. No one. There was absolutely no one. No one to ask. No one to shake; "Where is she!?". He continued to run at a breakneck pace. He had to find her. There had to be more to his memory. He paused for a precious moment to close his eye and try to see more then her eyes fading into the abyss. Her glittering green eyes in the blackest void. Sparkling bright green. Eyes that could smile at him without anyone else knowing. He breathed a sob. FIND HER. His mind screamed at him.

His mind kept replying the last moment when he almost was pulled in and she let go knowing she would die and he would not. "Clary! Clary!". He let her fall, he thought. How could he have done that. Self loathing filled him as he paused at a marble pillar to cringe at his own actions or lack of actions. How could she still have loved him when he was nothing but a jerk. He whimpered on the verge of tears. They stung the back of his eyes as he bent his head next to the pillar.

Then he heard it. Beeps and talking come from the infirmary. He ran over to the entry; his heart beat leaping w/ hope. There in the 3rd bed down was a mess of people scrambling around a person. He couldn't see anything other than people; they seemed frantic and hopeless at the same time. The heart machine had changed from a beep to a contestant tone indicating no heart beat. There were syringes and equipment everywhere. Steles were being used and someone was getting more bandages for the blood. And there was blood. SO much it was pooled on the floor under the bed and was slowly snaking it's way to the drain in the floor.

Then at the foot of the bed someone moved and he saw her ankle. Her ankle with the rune on it. The rune noone else knew. Only one person could create runes. His heart stopped cold in his chest. "CLARY!" Jace didn't remember how he got to her bed, but he was suddenly there pushing away people to see her. His Clary. She's here. Her eyes were closed and she was covered in so many wounds she was almost unrecognizable. There was not one part of her skin not injured. And there was so much blood; the wounds so deep the blood as almost black. To say her skin was white wouldn't be accurate. It was as if all color was removed.

Someone grabbed Jace by the shoulders as he sobbed; "Clary. Clary..." there was no response. The one holding him pushed him more urgently out of the way; "we have to keep trying". He stood at the end of the bed; tears running un-checked as he watched the others keep working. Paddles were brought out to try to start her heart. He watched her body convulse off the bed as they continued to up the charge. Jace slowly fell to his knees as he watched the tiny girl lie there dying. The girl he would have gladly given his life to save. She was the other part of his soul. How would he go on. He couldn't even think of it. There was no going on. If this was the end of her it was the end of him, too.

"Please. Please. I know there is a god. I know you can do this. bring her back. I need her. please. please. please". Jace never prayed before. He didn't even know how, really. But he offered up everything if god would give him this one thing.

The team begin to dissipate. Machine was turned off and the room was silent; save for the whispered disjointed prayer Jace gave up to the god he's never wanted to believe. He came around the bed to rest his head next to her ankle. "please. please. Clary. please." He hadn't even realized his prayer had changed from asking for mercy from god, to praying to Clary. She became his deity. He would worship her. "You are so brave and so selfless. Please stay. Stay and show me how to be a better man. When I with you I want to be better. For You. and only you. Please. My soul knows your soul. Please." His words die on a whimpered plea. His shoulders hunched and shaking as his body quivers with the silent sobs.

Then he felt movement. He thought someone had come over and didn't open his eyes. then her heard the whimper. just the slightest movement of air really; no real sound. But then another; stronger. His head snapped up; eyes wide with hope. He jumped up and leaned over her face. so close he could feel her breath ever so faintly expel. "Clary?" her hand twitched. She inhales the tiniest of breathes. "Clary. Open your eyes. Please. Clary". he saw her eyelid fighting to open. She breathed again and exhales a whimper; stronger now. Jace felt himself smile as his heart hurt from hearing her sounds of pain.

The others came back; but were much more subdued as they watched in awe. No one tried to move Jace now. "Clary. open your eyes for me. Show me your pretty green eyes. Come on. please". Her eyes moved under her lids; rapid; and her lashes quivered as she struggled to open them. Then as is if she finally remember how to do it her eyes opened ever so slowly and she looked directly as Jace; "Jace?" it was a question. Not as though she did not recognize him; but which him. His heart broke w/ the memories of how the other him treated Clary. "It's me. You did it". He smiled.

Her face broke into a radiant grin. "You kept your promise."

He bent so their noses just touched and whispered. "My soul knows your soul." Clary reached up to his cheek then she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Jace continued to hold her hand while she slept. No one bothered him.

Clary woke up screaming Jace's name.