JACE

I stared right into a pair of confused, mismatched eyes. The once blue and hazel color was now a dark grey. His face was covered with dry blood and bruises. "Jace?" I asked again quietly.

As if he had just realized who I was, he tried to get up and run away. He looked undernourished so he was much slower than he thought.

I immediately ran over to him before he could even stand up. I put a light pressure in his shoulder making him go straight back down to the floor once again. "Go away." He said to me. "Jace-" I pleaded before he cut me off. "You're not real! Stop playing with my mind!" He yelled. He started to struggle against my grip, but I held onto him tighter.

"Jace, it is me. I swear." I said. I was trying to get through to him, but I couldn't quite get him to believe me. He shook his head at me. "There would be no reason why Alec would want to come for me. I dont deserve it."

His words made my heart hurt. It pained me to see him so lost. So broken. I had to...no... needed him to believe me. Suddenly an idea came to my mind.

"Rose!" I said to him desperately. "Wh-what?" He stuttered in disbelief. "Did you meet Rose?" I questioned him. He stared blankly into my eyes.

"You saw Rose?" He asked me in a quiet voice. I nodded my head, to emotional to speak. I pushed him slightly towards me, but he pulled away almost immediately. "Jace?" I asked him, slightly hurt by his sudden reaction.

He shook his head at me. "I dont deserve to come back Alec. I don't deserve you and I dont deserve a life anymore. All Ive doen is destroy it." A tear escaped his eye. "I'm sorry I failed you."

I threw my arms around him. "Jace, you didnt fail me. You do deserve to come back to us. To me. Don't ever think that you don't deserve us." I told him. I let my own tear escape.

We sat there embraced in each other's arms, until I felt him tense suddenly. I backed away form him so I could see his expression. He looked scared. "He's here." He whispered.

I followed Jace's gaze to the door, but no one was there. "Who's here Jace?" I asked gently. He had been through a lot, so I didnt push to hard for fear of breaking him completely.

"Go Alec. He cant find you here. I wont let him hurt you." He told me. "Who Jace?" I asked him again. "Go Alec!" He yelled.

All of the sudden his head snapped backwards and he began bleeding again. I gasped at the movement. I looked around again and no one else was there.

I could hear and see him getting beaten up. Instinctively I jumped in front of Jace and covered his body with my own. I could feel the punches on my back and sides. I could feel the bruises forming. "Alec DONT!" Jace yelled at me.

"I wont let them hurt you." I told him. I brought him as close to my chest as I could. The feeling of him safe in my arms gave me the strength to continue. The punches grew stronger, but I held on. "Ive got you." I whispered to him. "I wont leave you." He nodded into my chest.

"I'm sorry Alec." He whispered into my ear. I shushed him gently. "I got you." I replied. My breath got stuck in my throat with another punch.

"What do I do Alec?" He asked me in a scared voice. I knew he hated seeing me in pain. I knew he blamed himself. "Tell me you deserve to go home. Tell me you deserve to come back to me." I said to him. "Alec-"

"Tell me." I cut him off. "I dont Alec."

"Tell me!" I yelled at him. Tears streamed down my face. "I dont want to live without you Jace." I yelled. The stranger's punching turned into kicking and the feeling of a knife slicing through my back. I groaned in pain. I looked up back into Jace's eyes.

"I would rather die here with you in this hell than go back to everyone without you." I told him. "Tell me you deserve it."

He let out a shaky breath. "I-I deserve it." He whispered quietly. I almost didnt hear him. "You have to believe it Jace. Tell me you do."

"I deserve it." He said with more tears in his eyes. I sank deeper into his arms. I had lost so much blood I could barely keep my eyes open.

All at once the attacker stopped attacking us. I was so lost in Jace though I barely noticed. I opened my eyes once more to witness a glowing light coming from all around us. Jace was gripping onto me tightly.

I could still feel him with me even when my feet lost the touch of the ground. Everything around us became dark.

It wasn't until I heard my name being called I opened my eyes up. I was laying down in the infirmary on an uncomfortable bed. I felt Jace right next to me and I looked straight at him completely ignoring Izzy. He wasn't moving at all. My heart sank. I didnt bring him back.

I curled in as close as I could to him. I wrapped my arms around him and cried into his chest. I could hear Izzy crying in the background, but I paid no attention to her. I longed for my brother to return to me. I longed for him to make his jokes and make fun of me. I longed for him to come to my room in the middle of the night seeking comfort form a nightmare like when we were kids.

I never showed emotion in front to others, but in this moment I poured my entire heart out. "I'm so sorry I failed you Jace." I whispered to him. I shed a few more tears into him.

"You didnt fail me Alec." A voice whispered. I gasped and looked up to see Jace smiling at me wearily. My heart gave out on me and I fell right back into his arms. He grasped me and pulled me closer to him. I could feel his own tears seeping through my shirt.

"I thought you were gone." I said quietly into him. "I'm right here." He replied while tightening his grip on me.

He tensed slightly and I looked up at him waiting for an explanation. "Please don't leave me tonight. I-I still need you." He said to me with sadness in his eyes. My heart broke at his words. "I'll never leave you Jace." He let out a breath of relief and i laid my head back onto his chest.

Izzy would have to wait her turn to see Jace. For now, we laid together seeking comfort from the long days. Instinctively I touched my rune and almost immediately he touched his as well. Our breathing slowly matched and our hearts were beating as one. I had my brother back and that was the only thing that mattered now.