Never Again (The Mortal Instruments)

Team Sebastian

"Why does everyone keep asking that? I'm fine!" she says, and storms off, heading towards her room.

"Was it something I said?" I say to myself.

"What was that about?" Simon steps up behind me.

"I don't know. Maybe she fought some demons and she's tired." I suggest.

"Maybe." Simon walks past me and heads into his room.

After a few minutes of staring down the hall, I decide to go to Clary's room. I knock twice before she comes to the door. When she opens it, I notice just how very tired she looks. She has dark circles under her eyes and she slouches over just a bit as she stands and looks me up and down.

"Hey, Jace. Come in." she leaves the door open a bit so I can follow her.

When she heads back into her room, she sits down at the desk. I close the door and sit on the bed.

"So, why'd you come here?" she asks.

"Just to... see how you're doing." I look at her. She looks back at me.

"I'm doing fine." she says. Her red hair shimmers in the dimly lit room.

"Well, um..." I say awkwardly.

"Jace, is there another reason you came in here?" she asks, a tint of hope peeking through her eyes.

I wasn't sure why it was that I came here. I had been telling myself it was because something was up with Clary, but part of me just wanted to be around her. She turns away and puts something in a drawer, then comes to sit next to me.

"Look, Clary, I know that I haven't been there for you lately, and... and I want to change that-" she leans in and kisses me hard on the lips.

I immediately wrap my arms around her, and she puts her hands through my hair. She tasted like cherries, and I suppose that was from the lip gloss she had gotten from Isabelle for Christmas.

"Jace." Clary whispered between kisses.

"Yeah." I whisper back.

"I love you." she says against my lips before pressing hers to mine. I run my hands through her hair and stifle a sigh.

So this was it then. She said it. Now all that was left was for me to say it. I pull back slightly so that I can look into her eyes.

"I love you, too."

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POV Clary

The next day, after Jace and I had established that we were back together, I went out to complete my next mission.

I parked my new car my parents had gotten me in a parking lot that was near the park. I paid the toll and headed in. I found the water fountain in a few minutes after getting directions from a mundane girl. I looked around. Because of my recent changes into an angel, I no longer had to strain to see past the glamours. The phone booth appeared immediately. I stepped inside and picked up the phone like the instructions said.

"Hello?" someone answered from the other end. I did my best to impersonate Marlene.

"Lollipops." I say.

"Come on down, Mar." I pressed the 1 like the instructions say.

It is not my place to worry about what is happening down there, but there is a way you could change into Marlene's form for a few minutes. Raziel's voice says into my mind.

"How?" I whisper.

Do you remember what she looks like?

"Yes."

Then just focus on that. It should work, he says.

Marlene's dark eyes and hair pop into my mind. The gear she was wearing comes into my head. I blink, and suddenly, my red hair is replaced by the dark hair of Marlene. My gear mimics hers, although it looks semi-different. The only thing that didn't change was that Jace's bracelet was still on my wrist.

I look at the picture of the person I'm finding. The name reads, Christine.

"Mar?" a voice says when the door opens.

I notice that it's not the girl I'm looking for.

"I need to speak with Christine." my voice even changed, "Immediately."

"Right. This way, miss." the girl leads me to a room. I knock twice and the same girl from the picture opens it. I notice that she is a warlock. In the picture you wouldn't have noticed it, but she had a pair of clear wings.

"Christine." I say.

"Mar. What do you need?" she asks.

"I need you to come with me. Right now." I say.

"What is this about?" she asks.

"I'll explain later. We need to go."

"Will we need backup?" the girl asks as I drag her through the hall to the place where I came through. We both head up back to the surface.

When I'm sure nobody will see us, I turn back to my original form.

"What the- Marlene?" I punch the warlock's face and put the anti-magic chains on her wrists.

I carefully carry the warlock to Sebastian. He rewards me by saying I will get a short break from him. Three whole days! I think, sarcastically.

I returned home, which I was somewhat dreading to go to.

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Edited