A/N: Hi all! So I've got some news... this is the last chapter. I am working on an epilogue, so not technically, because I'm gonna use that to wrap up the story as a whole. But this is pretty much where it ends. You may noticed I changed the description a bit, thanks to user "Herondale-potter-jackson" for suggesting it! I've always had trouble with descriptions LOL, so if anyone has a suggestion of what I could change it to, please let me know !

Disclaimer: CC owns shadowhunters!

"So you're leaving tomorrow?" Jace asks Robert and Maryse.

"We were kind of hoping you kids would come with us," Robert says, question in his voice.

"No offense," I say. "I'm glad you're not dead-" I have to cut myself off, and take a shaky breath. "I'm glad you're not dead," I repeat. "But everyone else is."

"Clary-"

"We don't have our parents anymore," Jace interrupts. "I think Alec and Iz don't realize they still do."

"We never really told you guys everything that happened when we were on our own," I tell them. "Our entire life happened around what you guys did. We didn't really have friends, at the Academy. The rumours that spread about us were awful. We could never go out into the city without being stared at."

"We used to get shoved," Jace says. "By other adults. They would play it like accidents, but it was always the same ones."

"Isabelle and I were never friends either. And because Jace and I moved up so fast, there was never really a chance to become friends with anyone else."

"One time, we all applied to move to an Institute, back when we finished at the Academy. That's what you're supposed to do, right? Go out into the world and learn about other shadowhunter cultures and how to actually kill demons and protect humans. But we were denied… twice."

I clear my throat. "Actually, five times. Jonathan and I applied five times."

"So basically we were kept under lock and key in this city. We haven't even been able to fulfill our duties as shadowhunters because the Clave thought we'd burn the world down or something."

"So don't be offended that we don't want to come and live with you." I dump my now cold tea. "You can sleep in Jonathan's room. Mind the mess, I haven't gone through it yet."

Jace and I make our way upstairs, and find Alec and Iz in Alec's room. Talking under their breaths. I close the door behind me.

"What if we did go with them?" Isabelle says. Obviously they heard the conversation from downstairs. "I mean, isn't it what we want? To go out and actually be shadowhunters?"

"Under their supervision though? They run that Institute now. And we still need permission from the Council," Alec says.

"Would the Council really deny us though? And would our parents really try to be parents after what Jace and Clary just told them?"

I think about what it might be like to actually live in an Institute and be a shadowhunter. We've killed demons before, when they occasionally wreak havoc on the forest, but we've only ever protected ourselves, not humans. We've been restricted from being the shadowhunters we're supposed to be. To live in an Institute and have responsibilities is exactly the kind of different Isabelle and I talked about at the Gard, but I think it's exactly the kind of different we've always wanted.

"Maybe it would be good to go," I say.

"You were just refusing two minutes ago," Alec says, defensive.

"I know but-" but it would be a new place, a place to try and get over my parent's deaths, Jonathan killing himself, the torment of the Academy, the whispers of the population of Alicante. "Maybe it would be good for us."

I didn't say any of my reasons out loud, but I can see the wheels turning in Alec's head, as if I did. "Maybe we could get over it," Alec says eventually, understanding in his voice.

"Would the Council approve in time?" Jace asks Alec.

Alec shrugs. "Who am I to say they won't."

We send a fire message to Consul Penhallow, hoping the Council is still at the Gard to be able to make the decision.

The next morning Maryse and Robert leave our house with strained good-byes. Consul Penhallow either hasn't bothered herself by replying to our fire message, or obviously needs more time to do so. So we all stalk to the training centre afterwards to blow off some steam.

Isabelle picks up a whip and stands meters away from a dummy, Alec and Jace start sparring on mats. I strap myself into the stunt rope that glides across the ceiling and start climbing up the wall. The wall they've built into this room of the training centre is full of ledges and poles and platforms in various spaces and sizes to cling onto. When the wall ends at the ceiling, a series of riggs hang from the ceiling to get across and a few have ropes hanging beside them to climb up and down. The rigs aren't easy, even now. They're based off an actual wall you may encounter while demon hunting.

I can feel Alec's eyes burning a hole in my back; quietly watching because I don't have a spotter and didn't bother asking for one.

Suddenly there's a muffled conversation taking place far away from our training room's door, and slowly getting closer.

"No- no that's a private training room, you really shouldn't burst-"

"It's really not a big deal, kid-"

"I just-"

"Oh come on now."

The doors burst open and I turn to see who's come through.

"Simon?" Iz stops, looking at the newly-turned shadowhunter.

"Magnus Bane?" Alec looks incredibly confused.

Magnus Bane turns to Simon. "See, they know me!"

I jump off the wall, lunging for a nearby rope to grab and soften the high fall. "What are you doing here?"

Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, chuckles. "I'm here to take you to the New York Institute. You've twenty-minutes to meet me at the Gard, or you'll need find your own means there."

"You'll wait that long?" Jace asks him.

"No. I wouldn't. I've other matters to attend to while I'm in your City of Glass and I don't wish it to take longer than twenty minutes." Magnus turns on his heel and strides out the door.

Simon grimaces. "Sorry- I wasn't sure if you guys-"

Iz smiles at him. "Don't worry about it."

We rush home, sprinting through the city's streets to get back to the house and pack everything we need to pack before we leave. I sack through my room, throwing clothes into a bag, picking out my favourite weapons.

There's a knock at the door from footsteps I didn't hear coming in my rush to get everything and I turn to find Jace at my door, a giant bag slung over his shoulder and two giant books in his hands. He gestures to me with the books, "thought you might want to take these."

I recognize them both. One is the book we found in the basement of our parents in the Circle. The other is another photo album, but one we kept at the Morgenstern Manor, one I haven't seen in a long time. It holds the photos of Jonathan and I as kids; probably with sprinkles of Jace, Iz, and Alec.

I walk up to him in the doorway, taking the book on the top. "Where did you find this?" I open the book up to the first page to find a very tiny Jonathan between my parents. "By the Angel, I haven't seen these photos in so long." I look back up at Jace, my vision blurred with moisture.

He smiles sadly. "It was beside this one." He holds up the other album.

I laugh a little. "They must've gotten a warlock or witch to charm it or something. Thank you."

Jace closes the space between us and his lips slide between mine. He kisses me once, then pulls away and pecks my temple. "We have to go."

I take a deep breath and nod.

It's not until we reach the top of the staircase and I look to my right that I realize I've forgotten something. The door to Jonathan's room remains shut, and I know Penhallow has made sure all his belongings were kept where he left them. I put my hand on the door and go to open it-

"Clary," Alec's voice from behind me. "I know we should, but we don't have time."

I turn to face him. "We can't just leave it all to collect dust!"

"Do you really want to do that all now? Because I really don't."

I want to be mad - mad that Alec can't find it in himself to go through Jonathan's things. Find something to take and keep it with him as a reminder while we live in a different country. But I can't be mad. I don't have strength in me to rummage through all his belongings just to find something to cling on to.

I hug the photo album to my chest.

Iz throws her arm around my shoulder and pulls me back to the stairs, Jace and Alec ahead of us. "It'll all still be here when we come back - whenever we want to come back."

I sigh. "Alright then."

We race to the Gard and still manage to be a few minutes late.

Magnus rolls his eyes as we burst through the Gard doors. "Late," he mutters. "I don't want to know what kind of tardiness you'll all pull while keeping the streets of New York City free of demons."

"You waited," Jace says pointedly.

Magnus ignores him.

We turn when footsteps come through the door behind us and Consul Penhallow and Inquisitor Carstairs walk in to join us. Magnus starts summoning a portal.

"One strike," Carstairs says. "Is all it will take for you all to be called back to Idris. I trust you'll respect that." He smiles, apologies in his eyes. "The Clave will not be happy with any sort of… ruckus you four might cause."

Penhallow nods. "You're being sent to work, to protect humankind from the vile creatures that escape their realms to feed. You are to fulfil your duties as shadowhunters; nothing more or less." She meets our eyes individually, making sure we understand. "The New York City Institute is in rough shape. Our goal is to bring it back, have it full of shadowhunters in the next year or two. The city has become somewhat of a target lately."

"Tell me about it! I've got even mundanes coming to me, looking for ways to get rid of all the weird shit going on!" Magnus exclaims.

"Well," Penhallow says, a little off-guard by Magnus's eccentric comments. "That's what the four of you will take care of." She smiles, as does Carstairs. "Good luck. Please contact us if you're in need of anything."

I feel the weight of the Morgenstern blade on my hip, remembering when Penhallow gave it to me. My chest feels heavy with gratitude. The others start through the portal, and I wait until they're gone through to turn back to the Consul and Inquisitor. "Thank you," I tell them. My hand rests on the Morgenstern blade. "For doing all you could."

Penhallow and Carstairs both smile - as much as they can in their power positions.

"It's my job, Clarissa. I trust you'll put the blade to better use in New York," Penhallow takes on the tone reminiscent of my mother's when she'd tell me to pick up my clothes off the floor of my room.

My heart swells again. "No - truly, I owe you a lot."

"All you owe me is your duty as a shadowhunter."

I nod, understanding. "Thank you."

I turn on my heel back to the portal and close the gap. Magnus follows right behind me.

We portal into room full of church pews and stained-glass windows. Jace, Alec, and Iz are already there, taking in the grand room with high ceilings. Behind me, the portal closes and reveals heavy double doors as a entrance to the church. Everything is coated in a layer of dust. On the other end of the aisle is a spiraled staircase and elevator to take us up to the next floor instead of an altar and stage for a minister or priest - a fake church, then. I can see a faint glimmer around the stairs and elevator, indicating a glamour that I can already see through.

Magnus strides towards the double doors and pushes one open, letting in the sounds of the city: the rumble of cars and people chatting on cell phones. "I suggest," Magnus tells us. "You all get cell phones to communicate with each other; much more casual than a fire message. Also, you may want to perfect the glamour rune." He takes a step out of the door frame to make his way down the stone stairs leading to the streets below. The door shuts loudly behind him.

Iz scoffs. "Friendly as a warlock can get, I guess."

We all clutch our belongings to our sides and start towards the stairs. Robert and Maryse are nowhere to be seen and I suspect they have no idea we're coming.

Jace grabs my hand and squeezes.

I look up at him and he smiles down at me. "You ready?"

I smirk back up at him. "As I'll ever be."

A/N: Since this is "technically" the last chapter, I'm marking the story as complete, but if you want to keep following, I'll have that epilogue up sometime very soon! I want to thank everyone who's been reading, and taken time out of their day to leave a review, the kindness of readers on this (somewhat dying site LOL) has always humbled me greatly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!