Hey guys, I know it has been a while yet again - i can only apologise. I hope this chapter gives you all a good enough fix (it's not one of my best written chapters). Please let me know if you think the story is slipping or any thoughts (good and bad) are appreciated! On with the reading..

"Hey! What's taking so long? Jace?" Jonathan shouted up to them, he was starting to get anxious.

Jace pulled at his hair. "Ok, it's time to go now. Both of you." He stomped over to them and pulled them apart.

"Woah, Herondale. Calm down." Simon's lazy drawl sparked Jace's anger.

"Shut it rat-face. It's your fault she is in this state. If it weren't for you she would be in school, sober and out of trouble. So that's enough of your bright ideas, Lewis." Jace was seething and he had had enough. He picked Clary up bridal style ignoring her protests and laughter, and made his way to the entrance of the tree.

The tree was a good few feet above the ground, so if you fell you would seriously injure yourself. Jace glanced over the drop, ensuring Jonathan was ready to catch Clary. He nodded, securing his arms and motioned for Sebastian to help him.

"I'm going to drop you now, ok Clary? But don't worry, Jon and Sebastian are going to catch you." Jace spoke in a gently voice as not to scare her. Her eyes were searching Jace's face-for what, he didn't know. It kind of frightened Jace that Clary wasn't scared about being dropped, and potentially getting injured-although he knew Jon would catch her. But the sheer blank face on the redhead made him shiver, he wondered why the possibility of getting hurt didn't even faze her, she almost looked..at peace. "I won't let you fall, Clary."

She smiled in return and pressed her palm to his cheek. "It's not falling if I jump." And with that she threw herself out of his arms and towards the ground. Jace's breathing hitched and followed her body towards the ground. He let out a sigh when he saw Jonathan cradling her in his arms. He turned to face his next problem who was currently passed out and dribbling. Simon.

After ten minutes of dragging, moaning and banging Simon's body three times-the first two were an accident- Jace had finally been able to lower Simon's body enough for Jon and Seb to catch him safely. They were on the way back to the Morgenstern's house, choosing to forget about the rest of school that they would be missing. They figured that because they had had their counselling sessions already -apart from Simon and Clary- they would not face much punishment, if any.

Jace had somehow ended up in the back of Jon's car next to a passed out Clary, who now had her shirt back on, curtesy of Jon. Sebastian was following behind them in his own car with a drunken Simon, and the Lightwoods were following him in Alec's car.

When they all arrived at the house there was an awkward silence amongst the group. The second Sebastian ushered Simon inside the house he had promptly sprinted to the toilet to throw up, and that's where he stayed for twenty minutes before Isabelle helped him back to the herd of teenagers that were dispersed around the living room. Jonathan and Sebastian had tried to wake Clary up, which resulted in them both being hit and groaned at. But they eventually persuaded her to open her eyes and so she was currently leaning on Jonathan who was more or less supporting her whole body weight. There was another tension filed silence before Jonathan decided to start the third degree on the drunken pair.

"What were you guys thinking? Do you have any idea how much trouble you are going to be in?! Of course you do, you've witnessed it, you both know! God, what was running through your mind?!" Jonathan yelled at them, causing Clary to jump with surprise at the broken silence.

"I just got carried away, Jon. It seemed right at the time. What was I supposed to do? Leave Simon so they could find him completely off it? You know what would happen to him if they found him like that! I couldn't let that happen, I shouldn't have left him in the first place! This is all my fault..oh god what have I done? I'm so sorry, Si." A lone tear cascaded down her face and more unshed tears welled in her eyes as she tried to reach out blindly towards Simon.

"Wh-wa-what? Clary this isn't your fault! It was mine, you had nothing to do with it. I just couldn't stop myself, I needed it. I'm sorry you got dragged into my mess again." He went to hold her reached out hand but it was slapped roughly away.

"Don't touch her, you've done enough. You need to stop dragging her down with you, Lewis. She doesn't need you causing anymore shit for her, ok? Now look what you've done, god knows what the school is going to do to her because she missed that stupid session." Jon yelled furiously and pulled at his hair with the arm that wasn't wrapped protectively around his sister.

"Really, Clary, what were you thinking? You know what's going to happen right? And they aren't going to be as.. understanding.. as last time." Seb spoke with a calmer tone than Jonathan and looked at her with eyes full of concern. No one wanted to remember the consequences of her last missed appointment. He shuddered just thinking of it.

"It wasn't Simon's fault, it was my decision. Stop treating me like a little girl. I'm seventeen! The same age as you all! Stop looking at me like I'm a child you all need to take care of!" She tried to wobble away from her brother but tripped when a wave of dizziness obscured her. Luckily Jace was there to catch her and they hovered frozen in each other's eyes. She gasped at the sudden heat of contact and quickly pushed away mumbling a small thanks before focussing back on the group.

Jonathan and Sebastian had identical expressions -crossed arms and pursed lips. Clary fought the urged to giggle, they looked like brothers, but she knew it would only upset them further. Simon was leaning on Isabelle who was rubbing his arm soothingly and attempting to help him control his sniffling and apologising. Jace was looking at her with worry and a flash of hurt from when she pushed him away but soon regained his composition and put on a blank face, concealing his emotions. Clary then looked at the last member of the group, Alec. He wasn't looking at her with concern or pity or even anger. And when he noticed her looking at him, he offered her a small smile. She made her way over to him and sat awaiting more of her interrogation. He held her hand and squeezed it in support.

Clary took a deep breath. "So, what happens now?" She had sobered up a little, she was used to the amount of alcohol her and Simon used to drink and Jonathan's serious tone made her mind just a little less foggy.

"There's not much we can do now. We can't cover for you because we were all in the same room at the same time. I'll have to lie. I'll say you and Simon had an accident and I had to take you home, we'll have to get a little make up to fake some bruises or something and-"

"Jon stop. I can't let you do that. I'll deal with whatever happens, ok? It's only fair." Clary smiled weakly at her twin, grateful that he would go to serious measures to help her out. I don't deserve him, she thought.

Sebastian jumped in then, on his feet. "Clary, no one deserves what they did to you! And you of all people don't deserve that! You know they are going to be twice as hard on you this time, right? We don't know what's going to happen." Sebastian's dark eyes showed the fear he had for her actions. He's right. They didn't know what was going to happen-especially the Lightwoods because they didn't even know what happened last time.

"Uh-is someone going to explain what the hell is going on? So what she missed a few counselling sessions? It's not going to hurt her, maybe a detention or two. Right?" Isabelle's question was not met with reassurance. So she asked again, this time through gritted teeth. "Right?" Isabelle tried to lock gaze with the group but they all looked away, silent.

"I'm with Izzy. What happened 'last time'? Clary?" Alec's kind eyes pleaded with the redhead next to him, knowing she was the most likely person that would give him answers. And he was right.

"Uh-well, you see-um..Jon?" Clary looked towards her brother for help. She didn't think she could speak about it without saying something wrong. The more she looked back at the events the more blame she placed upon herself. The more she thought about, the more she believed she really did deserve what happened to her.

"Look, it's not something any of us like to revisit, ok? It was at the start of senior year, right after summer. And last summer was pretty..intense for everyone. Clary decided she didn't want to go to counselling and nobody seemed to disagree. I mean, no one had ever missed counselling before so why would we know the consequences. Now though, I really wish I did know the consequences. I could have prevent it all. But we didn't, so Clary missed it and she got called into the office the next week. The counselling office that is."

Sebastian continued the story, "We all just thought that they were going to make her have her counselling session late but we didn't see her for the rest of the day. We tried calling her phone but it had been turned off. We didn't think anything serious of it though, she was in school so she was safe, yeah? When Jon got home, the twin's parents had received a letter that Clary would not return until the following day as she had been put on an over-night therapy course."

"My parents thought nothing bad of it. The school made it sound so professional and that Clary was so sick that she needed this course. Therapy course my arse, she came back worse than when she left! She needed nothing of that ridiculous course, anything that happened wasn't to help her. It was to scare her, frighten her into following all of their precious rules. It makes me sick! What they done to you, Clare. They can't get away with it. Once we have left this hell hole, I'll find him." Jonathan had returned to speaking the story but his fists were clenched in fury and his eyes were blazing.

"She came to me first." Simon's timid voice spoke up, directing everyone's attention to him. "She didn't want to go home, she was too ashamed. Of what I didn't know. She's the strongest person I know. When I picked her up from the school the night later, she was a mess, no offence Clary. The blood..oh god the blood, it was everywhere. I thought..you had..you were so pale, Clary. I can't believe I've made you have to face that again. I'm so sorry." Simon sobbed into Isabelle's support, and Clary watched with a horrified expression. She didn't want anyone feeling guilty for her.

"Simon, it's not your fault so stop blaming yourself. I knew what would happen if I helped you and it's ok. I don't mind. Yes, that night was one of the worst of my life. He was just so cruel. And that's why I made sure no one missed a counsel session, ever. It may look like I'm supporting it in school but I'm trying to help. I don't want him..touching anyone ever again." Jonathan couldn't stand it anymore and stomped out of the room and they all heard a distinct slamming of his bedroom door.

Clary looked towards her feet feeling ashamed. She stood up gingerly and mumbled, "I better go see if he's ok." She shuffled towards the stairs slowly, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans.

"Clary, wait." She paused at Isabelle's voice and looked towards her questionably. "Who was it?" Clary's eyes grew darker, she was hoping they wouldn't ask this but she wasn't about to lie.

"Hodge Starkweather."

"The counsellor?" Isabelle's voice had increased in pitch with surprise-and she wouldn't admit it but in fear too. Clary could only nod sadly.

"What did he do, Clary?" Jace's angry tone made Clary look puzzlingly at him. He hadn't said two words since the treehouse. Not in the car-although she wouldn't have heard if he had- and not when they had all gathered in the living room. So why did he speak up now? Clary brushed it off as pure curiosity, unwilling to believe it was because of any..feelings.

Her head was brought back to his question. What had Hodge Starkweather done to her? What hadn't he done would be easier to answer. She couldn't tell them all the true extent of what happened, she didn't want them to think she was even more pathetic than they probably already thought she was. She wouldn't tell them that he screamed insults at her until she cried. She wouldn't tell them that he handed her a knife to cut herself and when she wasn't doing it deep enough he snatched it off her and done it himself. She wouldn't tell them that he broke her in ways she didn't even know was possible. So she settled for a vague warning that they hopefully would comply by.

"Let's just say, not all of these scars are my own." And then she turned to comfort her brother, leaving Jace and the Lightwoods in a blazing silence.