{Complete}What If She Was Never Gone?

She Will Arive

Blood. It was everywhere. Dripping from the cracks in the ceiling, streaking down the walls, pooling on the ground and there were bodies everywhere. Bodies of people she loved.

Clary was shaking at the sight. It was horrifying.

Sebastian walked across the floor towards Clary, leaving bloody footprints on the untouched parts. Clary backed up against the blood streaked wall to try to get away from him.

He stopped right in front of her and gave a menacing grin. "Hello, Clarissa."

Clary woke up screaming. She stopped once she realized she was at the Institute, safe. She switched on her lamp to make sure she was home. once it was on, she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It was just a dream, she reassured herself.

She was sleeping alone tonight. She knew if she slept alone, she was guaranteed nightmares. At least when Jace was there, there was the possibility of having a peaceful night.

She dreaded the idea of going back to sleep, she knew it'd lead to more nightmares. Clary looked at the clock. It was six in the morning.

Clary got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She showered, got dressed and headed to the kitchen. She picked an apple out of the fruit bowl and took a monstrous bite.

She tried not to think of the dream, but little fragments kept coming back to her. The blood, the bodies... She could identify all of them. They were her friends, family... Jace was among them, too.

She realized she'd devoured her whole apple and had bitten into the core. She threw it out and jumped when she saw Maryse standing in the doorway. "You scared me," she said shakily.

Maryse frowned. "Are you alright? You're never up this early."

Clary looked away. "I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep, that's all."

Maryse walked closer to her slowly. "... Are you okay?"

"Of course," Clary looked back up at her. She had a look of concern on her face.

"Sometimes..." she hesitated. "Loren... Ever since you've arrived, there has been more than one person screaming in the night."

Clary swallowed- not only because Maryse was on to her, but because Clary knew the other person was Jace. She looked away again.

"Loren... If you ever want to talk about it..."

"It's okay," said Clary. "I wouldn't want to burden you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Clary saw Maryse frown.

"It's complicated," she mumbled.

"... Loren, if someone in your life is hurting you, I just want you to know that you can stay here as long as you want. Okay?"

"It isn't that," Clary said quickly. "Grace and Hale are really great, actually. It's just..."

"... Just what?"

Clary looked at her. "... Sometimes I dream about Jonathan Morgenstern coming for me from beyond the grave," it wasn't a lie, and it felt good to tell someone instead of just drawing the horrific scenes.

"Ah," Maryse nodded. "Because you killed him, right?"

Clary looked away. "Yes," now she was lying.

"Loren, you don't have to worry," said Maryse. "Jonathan is dead. He can't hurt anyone ever again. You're safe."

Maryse's words were a comfort to Clary. She'd been telling herself the same things for the last two and a half years, but it sounded legit coming from someone else.