Sweet Little Serena (Original)

Chapter 43

(A/N: This is the last chapter of season 1. Now we get to the fun stuff. Hope you guys have a happy Easter. Enjoy the chapter. XxD)

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After being unable to locate Jace, Alec and Serena heeded Izzy's call for backup and joined them in the search for the Book of the White, Camille not being the most cooperative hostage as she'd requested a Writ of Transmutation, a contract stating that Simon asked her to turn him so she wouldn't be persecuted by the Clave for killing a mundane. After that, she then led them to one of her many apartments, saying that the book was there, she just didn't know where. And thus began a very long search.

Meanwhile, Jace had been hunting Valentine only for his father to reveal that he was going after Clary and his family. But Jace picked the wrong person to call.

He called Clary over 26 times only for her to ignore his warning when she finally answered. The Book of White was within her grasp and she didn't care that Valentine was coming, so she pretended that Jace never called.

And when she did find it, Valentine was already there.

Serena was bleeding as a Circle member held a seraph blade to her throat, Valentine and his followers too easily defeating Simon and Izzy before Jace burst into the room.

"Finally, ready to kill your own father?" Valentine smirked.

"You abandoned me. Abandoned us!" he yelled, adjusting his grip on his blade as he gestured to his twin.

"I was protecting you. And while there may be no saving Serena with her relationship with Downworlders, you, you are finally ready. You've become the warrior I've trained you to be."

"You trained me well," Jace admitted.

"And yet I still have so much to teach you. I brought you here for a reason. Look, fight me and watch your friends die."

It was then that Alec and Magnus were dragged in, blades at their throats and Magnus looking severely weakened.

"Serena!" Alec yelled as he spotted the blood running down her face as she began fighting the person who held her the second he walked through the door. But he was too strong and fighting him was a fruitless endeavour.

Valentine glared at Alec as he pointed his sword at him.

"I'll deal with you later."

And he turned back to Jace.

"I made you strong, but they made you weak!" he spat.

"Let us go. You can have the book. We won't be able to stop you without it," Clary said, the Book of the White gripped in her hands as she stood without a blade to her neck.

"Ah, Clarissa. So like your mother. Willing to do anything for those that you love. I'm touched but...the book was never part of my plan. I want you to wake up your mother. I know that you four will join me eventually. It's fated."

Then he turned to Jace and asked, "You ready?"

And Jace lowered his blade as he looked to his family, to his big sister with a blade to her neck.

"If I go with you...promise me you won't hurt them."

Valentine's smile was cold. "You have my word."

"No, JJ, don't do it!" Serena screamed as she thrashed against the burly man that held her and he quietened her with a jab to the ribs.

"Serena!" Alec yelled, voice full of worry and panic, and Serena looked to her twin with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, big sister, but now it's my turn to protect you."

And Serena's heart broke and burst and burned.

"Jace, Valentine is wrong! You're not like him!" Clary yelled.

"You don't know that, Clary. You don't know that," Jace said as he moved to Valentine's side and faced the redhead.

Clary just looked at him in shock and disbelief and outrage.

"Let them go," Valentine ordered and Serena instantly collapsed as Alec tried to go for Jace first, but his parabatai only held out his blade towards them and towards Clary, Izzy and Simon.

"Get back! Get back! Alec, I mean it!" he said, and Alec then rushed to his wife as he helped her up and the rest of Valentine's followers made their way through the portal.

Jace turned to his twin and he mouthed the words, "Set the falcon free."

Serena was catatonic in Izzy's arms, Alec having ran to save Clary who was screaming for Jace as she attempted to run after him, Jace's eyes never leaving hers as he vanished with Valentine.

"What are you doing?!" she screamed at Alec after Jace was gone.

"Saving your life. If you enter a portal not knowing where you're going, you'll be stuck in limbo forever," he explained.

And Clary cried into Alec as he held her, the portal and the boy she loved, long gone.