Chapter Text
The two weeks following Clary’s departure from the Institute (and her return to her now entirely Mundane life) are difficult for Jace. He has plenty to do to stay busy - the Institute sends out extra patrols to keep an eye out for the escaped Circle members, he has more than a few debriefings of his own after being the first one on the scene at that abandoned building he found Clary in, and outside of that there’s still business as usual with weapons to be cleaned and new recruits to train.
Still, it isn’t lost on him how close they were to getting her back. And even when he reassured her that he didn’t care what powers she does and doesn’t have, to hear her say she wanted time away from him and his world, that it’d hurt too much to be around and not be a part of… it’s enough to have him seriously considering leaving it all behind to join her. He knows how extreme that sounds but the thought is there, and the longer this goes on the more he finds himself seriously wondering if it might be worth it. He never got over her in the past year, and he’s certain he won’t in the next, or possibly ever. Someone like Clary… that isn’t someone you just leave behind in your life, not if you have any chance at keeping her.
He allows that thought to simmer for now and instead tries to remember that Magnus warded her dorm and left her with some pretty heavy protection charms, so she’s much better off than she was the last time she went back to school. In fact, she hasn’t reported anything out of the ordinary to Simon since she returned. So she’s safe and seems happy to be there, and that has to be enough for now.
If Jace volunteers himself for missions closer to Clary’s school in a mixture of hoping to catch a glimpse of her and wanting to be the one closest to her keeping her safe, no one calls him out on it or questions his motivations. No one stops him. The same with his newly formed habit of grabbing his coffee from the same place Clary normally stops or happening to call Simon to schedule their next training session when he knows Simon is with her just to hear her laugh in the background at whatever ridiculous show they’re watching or story she’s telling him.
It takes all of his self-control to wait until the worst of the extra reports and assignments and long-term planning Magnus and Alec are dealing with in Alicante is over to not-so-subtly approach Magnus about what he said before, about there being a possibility of reversing the ritual they did to remove Clary’s powers.
“I was wondering when I’d hear from you,” Magnus says the moment Jace steps into the loft.
“That obvious?” Jace asks.
“Just expected, is all,” Magnus admits. “And to answer your question: I’ve already started looking, tinkering a bit with what we did to try and find a reversal, but ancient magic that powerful… it’s dangerous. Too dangerous to rush.” Magnus chooses his wording carefully and with an obvious purpose that Jace appreciates as much as he hates, knowing it’s just a nice way of telling him his best-case scenario is going to be a very long wait.
“I figured,” Jace sighs. “But I appreciate you trying. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was just something you said in the moment to make Clary feel better or if it might be a real possibility,” he admits.
“If I’m being honest as well? At that particular moment it was mostly to make her feel better,” Magnus admits. “But I want you to know I’m doing everything in my power to watch over her the best I can without interfering.”
As much as Jace understands why Clary insisted on distancing herself from the Shadow World he can’t help worrying over the fact that the Shadow World might not keep its distance from her. He already knew Magnus was doing that, but it’s nice to hear anyway.
“Thanks. I know I shouldn’t come here asking more of you when you’re already doing so much-” Jace starts, but trails off when Magnus holds up a hand to stop him.
“Nonsense. Anything I can do to help, I want you to let me know. I might not be able to, like with this particular request, but if I can I want the chance.” Magnus pauses, really giving Jace a thorough look-over. “And that doesn’t just go for elaborate rituals either. Have you been sleeping, Jace?”
Jace opens his mouth to brush off the concern but Magnus cuts in before he can utter a single syllable.
“-and don’t you dare lie to me.”
Jace closes his mouth again, considers, and then says, “Not really.”
“Wait right here,” Magnus says, turning before Jace could argue even if he wanted to and returning a few minutes later with a small glass jar. “Here. Just a few drops in some tea before bed, and no need to worry, it isn’t so strong you won’t wake up should something happen and you’re called in to work.”
Jace huffs out a laugh. “You had to work that balance out for Alec, didn’t you?”
“It took ages to get the mixture strong enough to help him fall asleep but not so strong that he didn’t sleep straight through his phone going off and need me to shake him awake,” Magnus admits. “And before you start to worry about him, the sleeping draught isn’t a recent need. I know he’s been busy lately but Alexander is fine, all things considered.”
“Good,” Jace smiles at that. He knows how much Alec takes on himself, even when he doesn’t have to, even when the problems at hand aren’t his fault. Just to know he’s at least sleeping fine at night is more of a comfort than Jace cares to admit.
“Thanks. For this, and everything else. I should let you get back to work, but we’ll talk soon, alright?”
“We’ll have you all over for dinner sometime this week,” Magnus agrees. “It’s been far too long, and I think we could all use a night off.”
Magnus portals Jace back to the Institute where Jace realizes just how late it’s gotten.
He glances at the time and bites down on his lip.
Clary has a few pieces in an art show tonight and he almost convinced himself he wasn’t going to activate a glamour and go see it… but who is he kidding? He has enough time to catch the tail end of it, and it couldn’t hurt. He’s off the rest of the night anyway so no one will even miss him.
Jace activates his glamour, shrugs on his leather jacket, and heads out in the direction of the exhibit hoping no one notices him slipping out. If they do they don’t try and stop him.
He keeps to the back of the room even with the glamour, observing Clary’s latest selection of works. They’re clearer scenes this time, a series of sketches with recognizable faces and features, a clear shift in her work since her memories began to return. He thinks he catches her gaze once or twice but writes it off as his mind trying to will what his heart wants more than anything into happening. Maybe coming here was a bad idea after all… not for Clary, but for him. The hurt is too fresh this time.
He turns to leave, only making it as far as a few steps into the street outside before a familiar voice stops him in his tracks.
“You come all this way and you aren’t even going to stay to compliment a girl?”
Jace turns around very slowly. “You shouldn’t… I have a glamour on.”
Clary holds up the back of her hand which boasts a recognizable figure - the voyance rune.
“How?” Jace asks, still not daring to move closer to her, convinced this has to be a dream or a trick… maybe a shifter who knew he wouldn’t be able to resist making an appearance? Jace tenses but his hands remain at his sides for now.
“Taharial,” Clary says in a tone of disbelief. “He paid me a visit today. Apparently he had a chat with the angels and they came to the consensus that after everything that happened I deserved to have my abilities back.” She still sounds shocked, and Jace doesn’t blame her. “And my memories. For good this time.” Clary’s voice wavers with barely contained emotion, tears in her eyes, and a wide smile on her face.
“All of them?” Jace’s tone is still full of disbelief but he knows she wouldn’t joke about this, not to him.
“All of them. From the day I bumped into you at Pandemonium to the moment I walked out of Magnus and Alec’s wedding, and everything in-between.” Clary laughs then, bright and happy, her own tone not entirely void of disbelief. “I was going to come straight to you guys but I didn’t want to bail on the show... and honestly? I was a little worried it wasn’t real. You know, I get them, and an hour later they’re gone again because of some complication I’ll never understand. So I was going to give it a day, make sure it stuck this time before getting everyone’s hopes up.” Clary stops talking then, a small, knowing smile crossing her lips. “Plus, something told me you’d ignore orders and I’d be seeing you tonight anyway. I’ve never been happier that you never listen,” Clary admits, closing the space between them to throw her arms around him.
Jace doesn’t bother to hide the tears that flow freely onto her hair as he presses his face down against the top of her head during the embrace.
“Does this mean you’re coming back?” He asks, the words slightly muffled against the side of her head, refusing to pull back to ask the question. Partially because he never wants to let her go again, and partially because he’s afraid the answer may still be no, and he isn’t sure what he’d do with that.
“I think I want to try and do both. Train - properly this time - with you guys, while finishing the last of my art classes. I made a life here, and I know it was only for a year, but I don’t want to just abandon that, either,” Clary says as she pulls back, features pinched in concern. “Do you think that’s possible?”
“I think we can make it possible,” Jace promises, keeping his hands on her arms, keeping her close, his gaze never leaving her own.
Suddenly the hesitation from her previous question is gone and Clary’s eyes sparkle with joy. “Are you just going to stand here and stare at me, Jace Herondale, or are you going to kiss me?”
“I didn’t want to assume-” Jace starts, but he’s cut off when Clary leans in and brings their lips together.
It feels like the past year never happened, that they’re just continuing to sway in one another’s arms like the dance they left off at Alec’s wedding which somehow feels like lifetimes ago just as much as it feels like yesterday.
Not that any of it matters because the here and now of it is that this is really happening. She’s really back - in his arms, in his life, in his world - and he allows himself to feel true, pure happiness he hasn’t experienced properly since the day she left.
They finally break apart when they’re smiling against each other’s lips too much to even kiss properly.
“Let me say goodbye inside and I can walk back with you? I can’t wait to see the look on everyone’s faces…” Clary gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before half-jogging back towards the door, and Jace takes several long strides to follow behind.
Just as he does his phone rings. He nearly doesn’t pick up, but it’s Simon, and he doesn’t want to risk this being the one time it’s something serious just because he’s 99.9% sure he knows what the call is about.
“This better be good,” Jace answers.
“You tell me,” Simon says. “Don’t think I’m not keeping tabs on you, Mr. I-Swear-I’ll-Keep-My-Distance, not after the last time. You can’t disappear on art show night and not expect me to call you out.”
“You won’t have to call me out,” Jace says. “I’ll be back at the Institute in a few… you’ll want to be there for this.”
“For what?” Simon asks.
“I’m ready!” Comes Clary’s voice from beside him as she comes back out of the building with her coat and bag.
“Is that Clary’s voice?” Simon asks.
“We’ll explain at the Institute,” Jace repeats.
“Why is Clary talking to you? Why is-- wait, we? Why is Clary coming to the Institute? Jace, what’s-”
But Jace hangs up the phone and slides it back into his pocket, ignoring when it rings again.
“Did I spoil the surprise?” Clary asks, laughing.
“Not if we get there first,” Jace says, pulling out his stele to activate his speed rune before handing it to Clary so she can draw one on herself. He still barely believes this is real even as the rune takes shape on her skin easily.
“Ready to start that training again?” Jace asks, arching an eyebrow in challenge.
“Only if you promise not to be a sore loser,” Clary says, taking off before he can answer.
Jace gives her a 10-second head start before following Clary home.