After the fireworks ended there was music and dancing. Alec saw that Clary was standing at the edge of the new trees swaying her hips to the music. He knew that this was the perfect opportunity to make amends but he still hadn't made a move to go over to her, afraid of how she might react.

"Go talk to her," Magnus said, bringing Alec out of his reprieve. "You have to do it sooner rather than later, and you can't do it with Jace there. You and I both know that you aren't going to have a better time than now."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks," Alec leaned in and pecked his loving boyfriend on the cheek, then left to go fix his wrong.

Clary had been watching Jace talk to one of the many faeries that were scattered throughout the dance floor. The faerie had no skin on her arms, so you could see the muscle flexing every time she moved. To everybody else Jace's annoyance would be imperceptible, but Clary could see it in the way he held his shoulders.

She supposed that maybe she should be a little jealous that this beautiful—aside from the arms—woman was flirting with her Jace, but it was all she could do to hold back her laughter. Jace was obviously uninterested, but this girl just wouldn't stop talking.

It was this thought that was running through her mind when Jace looked over to where she was swaying to the music, his gaze locking with hers. She smirked at him because he was stuck talking to some bimbo while she was free to roam around.

Jace mouthed something that looked a lot like 'help me' to her, but before she could make her way over to him something—or more accurately someone—stopped her.

"Clary? Um...will you dance...umm...you know...with me?"

'Great. Way to go. Now she's going to think that you are beyond stupid. The angel knows that you are an idiotic jackass for the way you've been treating her.' Alec thought to himself as he was waiting for Clary to recover from her shock at the request he had just made.

"Um... Sure. I'd like that," although she said the words with conviction, Alec knew that she was weary of their constant arguments and that she was preparing herself for another one.

He took her hand in his and led her to where everyone was dancing. When they stopped walking he put his other hand on her waist and she gently place her small, dainty hand on his shoulder. They danced in silence for a moment, then she apparently couldn't take it any longer because she looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Whatever it is that you're mad at me for," when she said the words it hit him—just how much he had made her hate him.

"I'm not mad at you," he could visibly see the relief she felt plain in her face. "And I'm the one who should be apologizing. And I am, sorry, that is. I shouldn't have acted that way, it was childish and unforgivable. I completely understand why you hate me, but I promise that I will do everything I can to make up for my unacceteble behavior."

"I don't hate you," she said it so softly that he didn't think that she had actually said the words, and that it was just a figment of his imagination. That was until she said it again, though louder this time. "I don't hate you, I thought that you hated me."

He couldn't believe it! Why on earth did she NOT hate him!? "I did. And I am sorry about that, I didn't have any other reason other than being jealous."

"Can I ask you something?" Alec nodded so that she would continue. "Why we're you so jealous, I mean it's not like I was the first girl Jace has ever liked."

"But you are the only girl Jace has ever liked–loved," he corrected himself. "He took interest in girls—but only on a sexual basis. Nothing more than that–ever. But after you left that room in Pandemonium he couldn't stop talking about you. It was always Clary this, and Clary that. He was fixated, he forced Hodge to let him go find you and bring you back to the institute. We all decided he should because it would satisfy his curiosity and make hopefully him forget about you. But when he came back you were unconscious in his arms. He told us that you had killed a demon using only your bare hands. He sat by your bedside for a long time then had to go get cleaned up. And after knowing him for less than a week you had broke through all of the walls that he had built up around his heart. Isabelle and I have been with him for seven years and had barely gotten through one wall while you came and broke them all in one little punch."

Alec opened his eyes—he hadn't realized that they had been closed—and saw that Clary was looking at him in disbelief. Her eyes were bigger than he had ever seen them and her mouth was hanging ajar, it was obvious to him that she hadn't expected him to say as much as he had.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" someone asked from beside them, causing both to jump and turn towards the voice.

"Jace," Clary said taking a step towards him. Alec let go of her hand and watched as Jace wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You never came to relieve me of that bimbo. I got worried then I spotted you with his knucklehead and thought that I should come rescue you." He said, his voice filled with amusement.

"Hey I'm not a knucklehead, your such an ass!" Alec complained.

Clary couldn't contain her amusement over Alec's out burst and started to laugh. Jace looked over at her, caught her gaze and began to laugh himself, Alec looked as if he would like to hit someone. "Jace," Clary said, "can I have a moment with Alec? Please."

" Oh sure, I'll just be over there." He pointed towards the edge of the trees where Magnus was standing.

After he had left Alec turned to Clary again. "I am sorry for the way I have treated you. I hope that we can be friends now, though."

Clary was amazed, he sounded almost, hopeful? "I would like that," she said. They walked together to where their boyfriends awaited.

~The End~