Disclaimer: Only the fic is mine.

AN: Based on a prompt I saw on shadowhunters ficathon. Unbeated.

****
Clary just couldn't believe she had her mother back from Valentine that she was safe and had woken up from the sleep potion.

Clary had pinched herself quite a number of times, had constantly touched her mother's shoulders to make sure she was real.

A lot of things had occurred in the last few hours.

But Clary and Luke hadn't told her about Jace yet; Luke wanted to wait a couple of days until she had gotten used to the institute and things felt calmer for her.

Clary had agreed to that, she was still emotionally drained that the man she had fallen in love with was actually her long lost brother.

Not to mention he was now with Valentine.

Her mom was now sleeping in one of the guest rooms.

Luke came in, "I'll stay with her for a while."

****
Clary heard her stomach growl and she nodded in agreement. She went down to the kitchen and saw Alec sitting at the table.

He looked up, "The cooks make great fried chicken and potato salad, want some?"

Clary nodded and sat down across from him. They had come far in the weeks since they'd first met.

From his barely tolerating her presence, to a tentative friendship, to him saving her life without hesitation when she tried to go through a portal after Jace.

"We've come so far." She told him and shared what she'd been thinking.

He gave a little grin, "Even if a part of me had wanted to shove you into a portal to be lost I still wouldn't have gone through with it."

Clary let out a laugh and was surprised by how good it truly felt.

"How's your mom?" He asked.

"She's sleeping right now so far no effects from the sleeping potion or the spell that wake her up."

"That's good."

"How's Magnus?" She asked. "He looked so exhausted after the spell was complete."

"He's resting in one of the guest rooms last I saw of him."

Clary was shocked by how neutral Alec sounded when he spoke of Magnus; everything seemed to have gone wrong after Camille had been set free.

Had something happened between Camille and Magnus when Clary had left the room with Simon?

"I'm here to listen if you want to talk Alec."

"I'm fine." Alec replied, "Just wish that vampire had been staked when someone had had a chance."

"I hope you're talking about Camille." Clary replied.

"I am, don't worry." Alec's face took an unsettled look. "Apparently she and Magnus have quite the past."

So that was it.

Clary felt her blood boil; Camille seemed to thrive on ruining lives and relationships.

"I hope you're not regretting your kiss, it was so beautiful to watch and the courage it must've taken on your part."

"It actually happened so fast I didn't have time to think things through." He admitted honestly.

"Don't make any rash decisions, Alec. I regret not answering the phone when Simon kept calling me. If I had he wouldn't have gone back to hotel Dumort and to Camille."

"She still probably would've found a way to him no matter what you might've done."

Clary sighed, "My guilt is massive, and Simon is now a vampire and facing an uncertain future because he loves my mother so much."

They sat silently until she felt ready to talk again. "When this started I only had one fantasy, learn everything about this world, find my mother and wake her up, and the return to my life as a human artist, with my best friend by my side."

Alec let out a little smile, "Life never goes according to the plan you set out, been there believe me."

Clary leaned forward, determination surging in her. "Now I intend to find Jace and do a much better job of being a friend to Simon. He needs and deserves that."

"I'm with you in finding Jace and we'll find ways to get Simon his blood supply."

"I should've staked Camille after I punched her."

Alec looked stunned but impressed, "When was that?"

She told him about when Simon had been reborn and Camille had come to claim him.

Alec looked down at his plate, "Can't believe I didn't think of that."

"What happened?" Clary asked gently.

She expected Alec to say it was none of her business but he surprised her by telling her everything.

"Alec, Magnus has chosen you to be with, to open his heart too, don't let Camille win."

"Right now I want to inflict pain on her in some way." He told her.

Clary thought for a few moments and the grinned. "I have an idea."

***
A few minutes later they stood in the training room taking out their aggression and emotions of the last few hours out on the punching bag.

But the punching bag was different tonight because a picture of Camille's face had been put on it.

Alec and Clary took turns punching and kicking, both grinning at each other from time to time.

Finally they were exhausted and they stood there trying to catch their breath, sweating heavily.

Suddenly Alec's eyes lit up, Clary liked how it made him look happier and less hard.

"Just came up with another idea."

Clary watched as he got his bow and arrows, after getting his quiver set up he spent a few minutes showing her how to use it.

She picked up the lesson quickly and they spent an hour shooting arrows at Camille's picture.

"I must admit this is one of the best times I've had in ages." Alec said.

"Same here, so what do we do with what's left of the photo? Clary asked.

"Take it to Simon and Magnus, Simon can spit on it or stomp it, and then Magnus can conjure some magic and burn it."

"Great idea." Clary replied, "Thank you for tonight."

Alec nodded, "Same to you, I'm going to grab a shower then see Magnus, I need to wake him up and tell him I'm willing to see where our road will go, however long we get together."

"That's the spirit." He was gone in a flash so she wasn't sure he'd heard her.

Clary then went to her room to shower and after getting some clean clothes on, went back to keep her mother company.

AN2: Based on this prompt. Alec + Clary - Bonding over mutual dislike of Camille. All the bonus points if somehow Camille's face ends up on one of the targets for them to train on.