AN: Got hit with a wave of nostalgia and decided to pump this out, hopefully you think my writing has improved in two years haha, enjoy!

"Mom! Can I go to Izzy's?"

I stood in the hall, tapping my foot. I waited for a few seconds, then decided to go upstairs and ask in person - sometimes when she got really into her art, mu mom tuned out everything.

Taking the stairs one slow, cautious step at a time, I couldn't help but notice how hard it was to walk with my newly casted foot. How would I ever be able to run like this? What if Aline changes her mind about letting me go?

My mind was racing a mile a minute, so I stopped to catch my breath. Closing my eyes, I gripped the handrail and counted down from ten. When I opened my eyes, my breathing was normal and there was a little less anxious energy coursing through my veins.

Hobbling down the hall, I knocked on the gallery door. "Mom," I said, pushing the door open. "Is it alright if I go over to Izzy's for a bit? She was gonna help me figure out what supplies I need for my classes."

That was something new, too - a few days ago, I transferred into ALHS. Now that I have classes with Izzy, we can get together to "work on school stuff". What we've really been doing is much more serious: trying to figure out how to protect Jace from Aline.

My mom looked up at me, startled. There were flecks of paint everywhere, and her hair was falling out of a messy bun.

"Sure, sweetie," she smiled. "I'll just be...here..." Her voice trailed off as she became engrossed in her painting again.

I grinned, slipping back out the door. Looking back over my shoulder, I called out that I would "be safe and be back before too long!"

Grabbing my bag from the kitchen table, I slipped on my shoes and walked out the door. I sent Iz a text letting her know I was on my way.

The sun was bright and warm on my face as I walked, but I still found myself yawning. I hadn't been able to sleep at all last night; if been too busy trying to come up with a plan to catch Aline.

I grimaced, remembering what I'd come up with last night - remembering how much of a long shot it was.

I sighed, speeding up towards Izzy's house. "Well," I reassured myself, "it's just gonna have to do."

There was silence after I finished telling Izzy my master plan.

"Are you kidding?" She looked at me incredulously. "This has to be a joke, right? You know, even though he's annoying, I'm trying to save Jace, not get him killed."

I groaned. "I know! I know, it's not a great plan. I don't know what else to do - how else to save him. Unless," I said, "you have a better idea?"

Izzy flipped back on her bed, letting out a deep sigh. "We're really going through with this," she whispered, "aren't we?"

I laid down next to her, staring up at the ceiling. Reaching over, I grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Yeah," I said. "We are."

Izzy and I stood in the light of a street lamp, everything around is drowned in inly black darkness.

"Listen Iz," I huffed, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "I know you wanna help me, but I need someone to have the car ready! And you won't be far - it's just that if she sees you, she'll know something's wrong."

Izzy frowned. "Oh, like she won't think it's weird when she doesn't see Jace? And why can't you drive while I grab Aline?"

She'd been trying to convince me to let her do the more dangerous part of our plan, but I wasn't having it. "Isabelle. You know that you're the better driver - I can barely even use the stick shift, let alone maneuver the car during a getaway! So trust me, okay?" I gave her my best pout, big eyes and all. "I'll be fine."

With a sigh, she agreed. "Fine. But if you die, in gonna kill you, Clary Fray!"

Usually we would've laughed at something like that, but everything felt heavier since Aline tried to kill Jace. Instead, I leaned in and haven't her a hug. When we pulled apart, she gave me a mock salute and walked off in the direction of the car.

I watched her go. The blackness around me suddenly felt less like a comforting blanket and more like a suffocating weight, filled with terrifying creatures. Alone, I took a deep breath.

I checked my phone again, even though I knew there wouldn't be anything new. I reread the conversation with Aline for heat had to be the twentieth time.

Iz and I decided to text her from one of those apps that gives you a new phone number saying it was Jace. We explained the new number by saying that his old phone got wrecked in the accident. We'd apologized to Aline, saying that nearly dying made us realize how much we loved her. She ate it up, excited to see Jace. Aline was surprisingly receptive, agreeing to meet "Jace" in the park, a few hours after sunset.

I shuddered, remembering the venom on Aline's face when she'd threatened me in the van.

The next day, she'd walked into school like it was nothing. The only way I knew it had all been real was a cold, warning glint in her eyes when she'd made eye contact with me; a silent warming not to tell anyone what she'd tried to do.

I shivered, checking the time.

9:14 PM

Aline should be here any minute, I thought to myself. I touched the bottle of pepper spray hidden in my coat pocket and reminded myself of the rope balled up in my bag.

The plan was to hide until I saw Aline, then to grab her and take her in to the police. We thought about going to the police directly, but then Izzy remembered that Aline's uncle works on the force and she would know as soon as we said anything. That had meant there was only one option: take care of it ourselves.

I walked into the park, towards the gazebo I'd told Aline to meet Jace in. Ducking into some nearby bushes, I crouched, waiting.

It wasn't long before Aline showed up.

"Ja-ace," she called out in a singsong voice. "I'm here!"

I took a deep breath, waiting for her to turn her back to me and walk to the other side of the gazebo. As soon as she did, I stood up, moving in behind her. It was quiet in the park as I rushed forwards, each step my heart pounded faster and faster until —

"Ah!" I screamed as I tumbled to the ground. My stupid cast had gotten stuck on a rock, and my leg was twisted at an odd angle. I knew it was hopeless, but I tried to drag myself along the ground, away from Aline.

"Is that darling Clary Fray I spy? What a surprise!"

I looked back over my shoulder from where I laid on the ground. Aline was towering over me, a monstrous grin on her face.

"Was this all your doing, then?" she asked, gesturing to the park. She took my silence as an answer, throwing her head back in laughter. Her teeth glinted in the moonlight as she grinned from ear to ear. "I should've known when I got those texts. Jace," she said, spitting his name out like it was poisonous, "has never said the words 'I'm sorry' in his life."

Suddenly, she picked up her foot and slammed it down on my hand. I let out a yelp, the world blurring for a few seconds.

When I could finally look up, Aline was still smiling. "Do you think," she asked, "they'll call me a hero in the papers when I tell them how I ran to you when I heard you screaming in the park? How I called 911 and held your hand as your life bled out of you? How I tried my very best to save you from that stranger who beat you to death?"

Each few words were punctuated with a hard kick - sometimes to my leg, sometimes my ribs, a few to my face. My breathing was heavy, and each inhale felt like a million pounds crushing me. I thought of Izzy, sitting in the car waiting for me. If only I'd let her help me.

Aline crouched down, her face only inches from mine. She was so close I could smell her perfume: sickeningly sweet, so overwhelming it made me dizzy. "I was here to get rid of Jace," she whispered, "but you'll do just fine for now."

She kicked me again, hard, in the ribs. I wheezed, unable to catch my breath.

"I warned you, Clary, not to get in my way. But you wanted to play the hero, didn't you?" she pulled my head up by my hair, forcing me to look at her. "Save the day, maybe even get the guy?"

Something must've shown in my face, and Aline's look morphed into one of disgust. She threw my head back down on the ground, my head making a dull thud as it hit the earth. "I should've known you liked him. But you know what? He never liked you. I would know, Clary," she added. "When we were together, he never talked about you. Never said a single word. I don't even think he knows you exist."

She kicked my hard in the head, my ears ringing from the impact. I coughed, trying catch my breath, and tasted blood.

I could hardly keep my eyes open as Aline crushed my ankle under her shoe. I was about to lose consciousness, the darkness swimming around the edges of my vision.

As Aline delivered another sharp kick to my side, I thought I saw someone coming up behind her. Whoever it was put a finger to their lips, telling me to stay quiet - as if I could speak right now if I wanted to.

My breathing became even more shallow and the murky blackness took over my sight with one last kick from Aline. The last thing I saw was that person, glowing in the light from the moon, watching me slip into the dark.

beeeeeeeep. beeeeeeeep. beeeeeeeep.

I could hear a steady pause somewhere in the distance, but I didn't know what it was. Everything was dark, an endless gloom stretching far into the distance.

I tried to turn around, but I was stuck. The beeping sped up and I furrowed my brows, trying to identify the source of the sound.

I heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere far away, like it was coming through I thick goo. It almost sounded like my mom, but I couldn't see her anywhere. I tried to blink, but my eyes were stuck shut. It was like a thousand pound weight was sitting on my eyelids, pulling my eyes closed no matter how hard I fought.

I was breathing heavily with the effort of trying to open my eyes, the beeping speeding up as I became more and more winded. Suddenly, my eyes flew open and all I could see was bright, blinding white.

"Clary! Oh, God, you're okay!"

I blinked a few more times, slowly realizing where I was. The bright white was the pristine hospital room I was laying in, and the beeping was a life monitor at my side. My mom was hugging me tight - too tight.

I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. I wet my lips, trying again. "Mom," I whispered, "you're hurting me."

She immediately jumped back, her eyes wet with tears. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry," she said, laying her hand on top of mine. "I'm just so relived you're okay - I was so scared, Clary. The hospital called me to tell me that they had you and of course I rushed right over, what else would I do? And you were laying there, my poor baby, covered in blood and barely breathing."

She continued to babble, stroking my hand gently as she spoke. Suddenly, it all came crashing back: the plan to catch Aline, tripping, getting caught, the ringing in my ears, Aline's taunts and — the stranger.

I gulped in lungfuls of air, trying to stay calm. "Mom," interrupted, "what happened? Who found me?"

She paused, wiping her eyes. "It was Jace, honey - Isabelle's adopted brother. He wanted to talk to you, but I didn't want you to be too overwhelmed and I—"

I closed my eyes. "Is he still here?"

She nodded.

"Can you let him in? And leave us to talk for a minute? Alone," I added.

She nodded again, leaning over to give me a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right outside," she whispered, slipping out the door.

I laid there, waiting for Jace. How had he known where I was? Was it even him, the mysterious figure I'd seen behind Aline? And what happened to Aline?

My heart rate began to climb again, so I tried to calm down. It was useless: as soon as if gotten my breathing back to normal, Jace walked in.

Even with a bandaged head, he still looked angelic. His golden hair was messy, like he's fallen asleep and just walked right in. I was suddenly aware of how bad I must look, and my heart rate rose again.

He sat down in the chair by my bed, silently looking at me. There was a sort of horrified glimmer in his eyes, and I braced myself for a taunting comment I'd always known from him.

When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. "Jeez, Strawberry, you look like shit."

I usually would've burned at the nickname, but this time it felt different. Something in his voice had changed.

He ran his hand through his hair, sighing. "I didn't mean to say that. Listen, ging- Clary, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," he said, his voice breaking. "It was my fault Aline snapped, my fault that she threatened you, my fault that you're hurt."

I studied him silently. He didn't look like the same boy who'd taunted me, making fun of my hair and my height. He was somehow more raw, with no fake attitude to cover up what he was feeling. His eyes glowed with concern, and he grimaced when he heard my scratchy voice.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

He ran his hand through his hair again, his eyes scanning the room. Finally, he made eye contact with me and explained.

"One of Aline's friends texted me, said she wanted my new number. I told her I didn't know what she meant, and she told me that Aline got texts from me from a new number - texts I never sent," he said. I went to protest, but he shook his head. "No, it's fine. I get it. Anyways, I realized something was up, so I went to ask Iz about it. Thing was, she wasn't in her room. Her phone was still charging on the desk, so I snagged it. I saw your texts about the park. And," he paused, "about what Aline did to you after you saved me."

My entire body deflated. I'd almost forgotten about that - pushing him out of the way of the van. He must think I'm a freak, that I was following him around or s—

"And I just wanted to say thank you," Jace continues, cutting off my worried thoughts. "Without you, I'd have a lot worse than a concussion right now. Did Iz tell you I remembered your hair?" he asked, shaking his head. I feel the heat rising in my face, making me as red as the hair he remembers. "I bet she did, didn't she? Speaking of Iz, I can't believe the two of you did all this. It was stupid and dangerous to try to catch Aline when it was my fault in the first place."

He frowned, his features marred by unhappiness. I looked down at the pristine white bed sheets, wondering if he wished I hadn't gotten involved.

"I went down to the park and saw Aline beating you. I snuck up behind her - I think you might've seen me - and punched her in the jaw, knocking her out. Then I called the ambulance, and they took you and Aline. I made them let me in the back with you, and when we got here, I waited in one of those terrible hospital chairs to make sure you were okay," he breathed.

I was still looking down, anywhere but at him. Suddenly, I felt a soft touch under my chin, coaxing my head up. Jace had moved closer, and I could see flecks of green in his golden eyes. His fingers ghosted along my face, light as feathers, and moved a strand of hair behind my ear. He was careful to avoid the bandages and the bruising, slowly drawing his hand away when the hair was tucked out of my face.

Then, for the first time in my life, I saw Jace look flustered.

"It's just - I don't know how to say...Clary, you're not like any girl I've ever met," he says, his words coming out in fractured bits. "I know I was never - God, I know a was a jerk to you. But you saved me anyways, you got hurt and you risked your life for me anyways!"

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. His cheeks had a pink tinge, and I hardly noticed him slipping his hand into mine until he locked our fingers together.

He opened his eyes and grinned at me, his signature smile lighting up the room. Then he was talking again, his voice soft and meaningful.

"I just really like you, Clary, and if you can forgive me for calling you names and getting you into this whole mess, then - I don't know. Maybe we can, y'know, hang out soon. I mean, when you get out of the hospital," he stuttered. Then he grinned again, continuing. "I promise, no more crazy accidents. Sound like a deal?"

He looked up at me and I nodded, barely understanding what's happening. Does he really like me? After all that time?

And then suddenly, he leaned in and gave me the softest kiss on the cheek, barely there, but meaning everything to me, and my heart rate spiked so high the doctors rushed in to make sure I was okay - and it was worth it.

And they lived happily ever after

The End

AN: Aaaaaaand that's it for Clary and Jace here! I cant believe anyone still looks at this story, let me know in a review if you like this chapter! You guys are the very best readers anyone could hope for. 3

FSP