Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/The Mortal Instruments

Sequel to: Jace Wayland's Unstealthy Stalking

My version of City of Ashes.

Chloe's mind was near melted. She shivered at the sensations running up and down her body as Jace's lips nibbled down her neck. His hands anchored at her hips and kept her against him. Her hands clutched tightly at the lapels of his unbuttoned shirt as she tilted her neck to grant him better access. In response he lifted her by her hips and slammed her down on the bathroom sink's counter before moving between her thighs and pulling her intimately against him so she could feel just how affected he was.

The girl let go of her grip on his shirt and instead let her hands trail down his bare skin, her nails digging in softly enough to leave light scratches down his chest.

Jace let out a sound that was half groan, half snarl as he began to attack her shirt in earnest.

The sound of someone opening the front door caused the teens to freeze.

"Chloe! I need some help bringing in the groceries! Give me a hand!"

Jace growled into Chloe's mouth as his lips captured hers again.

She smiled into the kiss and pushed him away enough so she could speak. "Coming!" The blonde turned to the golden-haired boy, her voice low as she kept her hands on his chest to keep him separated from her. "It's a good thing I always keep that window open so you can sneak out without her knowing you were here, huh?" She saw the dark displeasure in his golden orbs and smirked. "Or are you going to actually stay and face her this time?"

"I swear she does this on purpose every single time you and I-." Jace kissed her deeply before he stood and made his way to her bedroom window. "I've got patrol with Alec. Won't see you for the rest of the night."

Disappointment yet not surprise filled her as she nodded. "Be careful."

Jace turned back and returned to her, kissing her deeply, pulling away enough to press his forehead against hers, his voice low and seductive. "Don't worry, you're the only one allowed to leave scratches on this body."

She blushed crimson.

Chuckling, Jace kissed her once more before he hurried back to the window and slipped out of it.

Chloe licked her lips, tasting him, and sighed as she laid back hard against the bed, disappointed as hell that they'd been interrupted once again. Seriously, they had the worst luck!

Shaking her head, Chloe pushed up from the bed and exited her bedroom, returning the large grin she received from her guardian. "Hey."

"Hey!" Jocelyn Fray grinned brightly as she put things in the fridge. "I was thinking we could have mexican this weekend. What do you think?"

"I never say no to mexican."

Ever since the Valentine incident Chloe had yet to have a decent conversation with Gabriel Sullivan. He'd given Jocelyn legal guardianship over her, and then asked Jocelyn to ask Chloe for some time and space. That hurt like hell, she adored him, but she understood. Chloe now lived with Jocelyn in her two bedroom apartment in Metropolis, and while Jocelyn wasn't exactly family, she treated Chloe as if she was.

It made her feel bad about Jace though, considering that this was his mother. She wished things could work out between the two of them, but Jace was too resentful and Jocelyn too stubborn. Chloe was doing her best to bridge the distance between them though, and hoped that her efforts would one day bare fruit. If Jocelyn could accept her despite what was in her blood, she knew that the woman could accept and come to love her son - no matter what Jace thought about it.

"Had a good day?" Jocelyn asked as Chloe helped her put things away.

"Yeah, the commute back and forth from Smallville is a killer, but I want to continue studying there with my friends. Plus the Torch was basically rotting away under Lana's care and I had to bribe so many of the faculty to come back to it so I can't just abandon them and it again." Chloe made a face. "I think they might seriously hurt me if I did."

Jocelyn's amusement was visible on her face as she listened. "And Clark is helping."

"Yeah, it's half his fault since he wouldn't tell me how badly things were going." Chloe opened the upper cupboard. "Lana's being all apologetic but I really don't care." She hesitated. "She tells me about dad sometimes, since she sees him all the time."

Jocelyn sighed and placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "He'll come around eventually."

The girl looked up at her, worried. "I don't think he will."

"I didn't think you'd actually make it." Lois leaned against the wall. "I've been waiting on you forever."

"I was with Chloe, time flew." Jace didn't sound apologetic in the least bit.

"So I'm guessing the only reason you came was because Jocelyn arrived?" Lois raised an eyebrow.

"What is it to you?" Jace grumbled.

Lois sighed. "We need to tell Chloe. We can't keep meeting up behind her back like this." She placed her hands on her hips. "I've never kept secrets from her before and while I know she'll be pissed at us she deserves to know the truth."

"I'm not going to tell her, not yet, and neither are you." Jace Morgenstern glared at her. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"If that's your approach to relationships I am seriously becoming worried." Lois raised an eyebrow before she sighed. "The longer we keep it a secret from her the more hurt and angry she'll be."

"She won't find out." Jace looked away, a muscle jumping in his cheek. "Jocelyn keeps her so busy and locked down she won't have a spare moment to do so."

"You need to stop that." Lois glared at him. "It's your resentment towards your mother that got us in this mess!"

"I didn't beg or blackmail you into anything. You chose this all on your own."

Lois wanted to choke him. "The real reason you don't want to tell Chloe the truth is because you know she's going to turn to Clark, isn't it?"

Jace clenched his fists. "She wouldn't do that. She loves me."

"But we've both betrayed her trust, and that's going to be a horrible blow to her! And knowing Smallville, he'll be there to comfort her and pick up the pieces."

Jace slammed his fist backwards into the wall. "We're not telling her!"

"Fine!" Lois snarled at him. "But when she finds out and never forgives us I'm going to beat the crap out of you!" And with that the brunette stormed off.

"She won't find out," Jace whispered to himself. "She won't." And with that he followed after the girl.

"You're doing that move wrong."

Chloe let out a sigh as she turned to face Isabelle. "Why are you here again?"

"Because Jocelyn is." Isabelle wasn't bothering her idol and role model though, Chloe had the 'pleasure' of her company and attention.

"Go bug Jocelyn then." Chloe turned her back on Isabelle and tried to concentrate on the movements once more.

"Stop." Isabelle moved forwards. "If you keep practicing it wrong you'll learn it wrong." She took the seraph blade from Chloe and went through the movements slowly, showing the blonde how to do it properly, before handing it back to her. "Now you try it."

Chloe made a face as she yanked the weapon back and went through the motions once more.

When she was done, Isabelle was grinning. "See? That one was somewhat acceptable."

Despite that Chloe found herself grinning. "Is that so?"

Isabelle nodded. "You're not horrible, but I think your gift is more in the academic than in the battlefield, like Hodge."

Chloe flinched at Hodge's name.

"Lois on the other hand is the utter opposite since she is amazing when it comes to mastering our weapons and fighting styles, but is horrifyingly bad at the academic side of things. She'll make an excellent Shadowhunter warrior. She has the instincts we need." Isabelle was frowning though. "Even if she is a little bit too cocky for my tastes."

Chloe smiled at that. "Not used to other girls playing in your sandbox, huh?"

Isabelle didn't respond.

Chloe's smile slipped from her face. "Why are you really here?"

"Am I being a bother?"

It worried the blonde to see the dark haired girl so… "Did something happen?"

Isabelle shook her head.

Chloe didn't know the other girl well but could tell that that was a lie.

Isabelle turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Chloe called out to her.

"A party." Isabelle responded.

"Is Magnus throwing another one?" Chloe snickered at the thought of Lois' eccentric housemate.

Isabelle turned to face her. "This party is at the Faerie Court."

Chloe faltered at that news. "You're going to a fey party?"

"I'm currently dating a member of the Queen's Court so I get invitations to their parties." Isabelle suddenly cleared her throat. "Would you like to come?"

"I couldn't mess up your date like that." Chloe shook her head despite being seriously tempted.

"It wouldn't be like that, plus, it would give me someone to talk to."

Chloe was surprised to hear the slight hope in the other girl's voice. Did she actually want Chloe to come? Could this be the real reason Isabelle had come over? The dark haired beauty was always criticizing everything Chloe did, and the blonde had been almost sure that that other girl didn't actually like her, but Jace had told Chloe that Isabelle had never had a female friend and didn't know how to relate to girls her age.

The last living Wayland eyed Jace's adoptive sister and smiled. "I'd love to go."

Isabelle suddenly grinned. "Come on, I'll lend you something to wear, you can't go there in anything you own."

Jocelyn frowned as she leaned forwards. "Are you sure about this?"

Luke nodded. "Ever since they became involved with the Shadow World I've been keeping an ear open."

The woman took in a deep breath.

The door opened and Isabelle and Chloe appeared, both girls heading towards the door as the blonde called over her shoulder: "I'm going out with Isabelle!"

Jocelyn blinked, surprised. "Where?"

"Just to a party." Chloe turned to face her.

Jocelyn frowned. "Who is throwing this party? Magnus?"

"Yeah." Isabelle nodded.

Jocelyn sighed, a hand to her temple. "Well, he'll keep an eye on you." Her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Just don't drink anything! You might end up a rat."

Chloe eyes widened. "Sure thing."

"And don't stay out too late." Jocelyn was fretting already and she hated it. "It's not safe. Especially with Valentine still on the loose."

Chloe nodded dutifully. "Yes ma'am."

Jocelyn worried her bottom lip as she gazed at her parabatai's young daughter. "And don't talk to anyone you don't know -especially if they're vampires."

"I'll second that one," Luke spoke up.

"I'll be aware of Stranger Danger." Chloe looked far too amused and not as wary as she should be, which only served to make Jocelyn more worried.

"We're being serious, Chloe." Jocelyn stood, hands on her hips. "It's dangerous, and Magnus' parties are known to be rowdy. I'm not too sure you should even be going." She cleared her throat and folded her arms over her chest. "It is a school night as well, and you have to get up earlier than most because of the commute to Smallville."

That damned amusement just kept growing on Chloe's face. "I won't talk to anyone I don't know at Magnus' and I'll be home at a reasonable hour."

Jocelyn sighed, wanting very much to tell the girl that she couldn't go, and yet knowing that actions like that led to teens sneaking out of the house (how many times had she done that as a kid?) and she preferred for Chloe to tell her where and when she was going out.

Chloe grinned and came over to hug Jocelyn, surprising the redhead. "I'll be fine." She pulled away and clasped her hands behind her arms. "And Isabelle will keep an eye on me."

Jocelyn looked at the other girl, who nodded. She sighed, defeated. "Just be careful and don't stay out too long."

"Yes mom." Chloe rolled her eyes, smile larger.

Something tightened in Jocelyn's chest at the word, even though she knew that Chloe was merely teasing her. That feeling remained coiled within her long after the girls had left.

"Faeries are the offspring of demons and angels, with the beauty of angels and the viciousness of demons." Isabelle was getting Chloe up to date with all things fey as they made their way to the party. "A faerie can make you dance until you die with your legs ground down into stumps, trick you into a midnight swim and drag you screaming underwater until your lungs burst, fill your eyes with faerie dust until you gouge them out at the roots-."

"I'm seeing why you would date one," Chloe mumbled sarcastically as she tugged at the hem of what she was wearing. "And why do people always give me their damned shirts to wear? I'm starting to develop a complex."

"It's because you're a midget." Isabelle gave her a vicious little smile before continuing. "Back to what's important: faeries live for hundreds of years and are as cunning as snakes. Despite that they can't lie, but they've learnt to get around that by engaging in creative truth-telling."

"Creative truth-telling." Chloe blinked at that one.

"Yeah." Isabelle nodded. "They'll find out whatever it is you want most in the world and give it to you-with a sting in the tail of the gift that will make you regret you ever wanted it in the first place." She tapped her lip. "They're also not really into helping people, so when they do, it's usually more about harm disguised as help."

"Again, I feel the need to point out that this fey guy you're dating sounds like a total catch." Chloe hesitated when they reached Turtle Pond. "I don't see a door." She turned to Isabelle. "You said there was a door."

"Just hold onto your underwear, it's about to open."

The sun had set completely and the moon was up, casting its reflection onto the pond. The moon wasn't quite full yet and was shadowed at one edge. Night wind rattled the tree branches of the park surrounding Turtle Pond, knocking said branches against each other making a sound like hollow bones.

"So I'm guessing it's not an actual door," Chloe declared randomly as she hugged herself, cold in the breeze. "And let me take this moment to complain about the fact that you have on a long flowing dress while I'm wearing your shirt, which only comes to my upper thighs." She narrowed her greens on the girl. "I think you're playing some sort of horrible prank on me and because of that the Fair Folk will think I'm monumentally slutty."

Isabelle barked out laughter as she turned to her. "Just follow me." She moved down to the edge of the water, her boots leaving deep impressions on the mud.

Chloe made a face and took off her shoes because they would definitely get stuck. She wadded in after Isabelle, giving a hiss since the water was freezing.

"Oh, and before I forget," Isabelle called over her shoulder, "for the love of the Angel, don't eat or drink anything while we're there." She sent Chloe a wide grin. "Come on, we only have until the moon moves."

"Until the-where would it go?" Chloe was confused as she reached Isabelle at the center of the pool, the water around their rib cages.

Isabelle held her hand out to Chloe. "Stop."

The blonde did as told and watched as in front of her the reflection of the moon glimmered on the surface of the water. A part of her knew that the moon was supposed to move away from you when you approached, but it wasn't doing that, instead hovering on the surface as if it was anchored in place. "And I thought life in Smallville was weird."

"I'm going to go first and then you follow. Do exactly as I do." Isabelle then stepped backward into the reflection of the moon and vanished.

"This seems more like stepping through a mirror than a door to me." Chloe worried her bottom lip before she let out a sigh. "Jocelyn would not approve." With that she turned and walked backwards into the moon's reflection. It felt as if she'd stepped off of a ladder and forgotten a step, the girl crying out as she fell backwards into darkness as the moon swallowed her up, and then she hit packed earth and stumbled before righting herself and looking around. She was soaked and cold, drops of water making their way down her face and neck as she hugged herself tightly and shivered slightly. "Jocelyn would definitely not approve."

She looked around and realized they were in a hollowed-out dirt corridor which was illuminated by faintly glowing moss. A tangle of dangling vines formed a curtain at one end of the corridor and long, hairy tendrils hung like dead snakes from the ceiling. It took her a while to realize they were actually tree roots. They were underground. How creepily awesome was that?

Isabelle wrung out her long hair. "Now we wait and Meliorn will come for us."

"So, he has a name." Chloe wrung out her, uh, shirt, as best as she could while wearing it.

"Of course he has a name."

"How is he going to know that we're here?" Chloe looked up curiously. "Does our entering trigger a doorbell or something?"

"I guess you could say that." Isabelle made a face. "The Court knows all that happens in their lands."

Chloe eyed the other girl. "How many times have you come here?"

"Why?" Isabelle sent her a look.

"Curiosity." Chloe tilted her head. "I didn't know that Shadowhunters were allowed to date Downworlders."

"It's frowned upon, but allowed." Isabelle admitted. "We aren't allowed to marry them though, unless we break all ties with the Shadowhunter world, even our family who are still a part of that world, and go to live as a mundane."

Chloe raised an eyebrow at that.

Suddenly the curtain of vines was drawn aside and a faerie stepped through it. He was coldly beautiful and yet possessed some sort of wild unearthliness. He was tall, and his hair so black it had a blue sheen to it. His face was sharp, lovely, and his eyes were green like the vines. There was the shape of a leaf on one of his cheekbones and Chloe couldn't tell if it was a tattoo or a fey birthmark. He wore an armor of silvery brown like the bark of trees in winter and when he moved the armor flashed a multitude of colors: peat black, moss green, ash gray and sky blue.

Chloe hugged herself tightly. "I seriously feel underdressed now."

Isabelle ignored Chloe's mumblings and jumped into the faerie's arms with a happy cry. "Meliorn!"

He looked down at her gravely and then detached her and set her aside gently, his gaze on Chloe. "Chloe Wayland."

The blonde flinched at that, not having ever been called that and not sure how to react. "Meliorn no-last-name-that-I-know-of."

He wasn't amused. "The Queen of the Seelie Court will see you."

Chloe blinked. "Is she not supposed to?"

He narrowed his eyes in slight confusion, which was the first emotion he'd shown since he'd arrived. "You came here believing you had an audience with the Queen?"

"Uh, no…" Chloe turned to Isabelle in question before she returned her glance to Meliorn. "I thought you'd meant that she would know I was here, since the fey know all that happens in their land."

"She will know," he confirmed. "And she will grant you an audience."

Now Chloe was genuinely confused and worried she was going to seriously offend a whole Court. "Uhm, I think you've got things confused. I came here to enjoy the party… Not because I was seeking an audience with the Queen."

Meliorn stared at her stonily. "The Queen will grant you an audience." And with that he turned and began to lead the way.

Isabelle hurried after him.

Chloe stared at their backs. "Uh, okay then?" She shook her head and put on her shoes before following after them.

Up ahead Isabelle's laughter bounced off of the walls as she smiled up at Meliorn, who only had that emotionless expression on his face.

Chloe made up her face. Just what exactly did Isabelle see in the dude? "So, where did you guys meet?"

"At this pixie nightclub downtown called Hot Wings." Isabelle sent her a smile over her shoulder. "You wouldn't know it by just looking at him, but Meliorn is a great dancer."

There were a lot of things Chloe couldn't tell by just looking at him.

Suddenly the corridor opened out into a wide room whose floor was packed dirt and whose walls were lined with high stone pillars twined all over with vines and bright flowers bursting with color. Thin cloths hung between the pillars and were dyed the same blue as the sky. Despite not one torch being in sight the room was filled with light, and strangely sweet music played.

The room was filled with people, a circle of faeries dancing to the music, their feet barely seeming to skim the floor. The faces of the fey dancing were beautiful and yet behind them lurked something almost feral. A girl dancing beckoned to Chloe, her fingers made of twigs and budded with closed leaves, her eyes black without iris or pupil. Likewise the others dancing in that particular circle had some sort of inhumanity about that that was startling, such as poison green skin or curling horns.

Chloe tilted her head and watched the dancers, intrigued, until she realized she was being left behind and hurried to catch up with Isabelle and Meliorn, skirting around the circle of dancers as she did so. She caught up with the two by a curtain of blue silk, and when they slipped in she paused, wondering if they were going to have some privacy. If so she had no desire to follow them through. The girl turned her back on the curtain and gazed upon the dancers once more, most of whom wore masks that covered half or all of their faces. Despite the fact that some of the fey weren't wearing masks, she kinda wished she was wearing one as well and felt left out.

"We seem to meet in the most interesting places," a vaguely familiar voice said to her right. "Hmmm. I don't see the Voyance rune on you and yet you seem to not only not be swayed by the luring magic, but you're also able to see passed the glamours."

Chloe turned to see a tall male eyeing her, the top of his face hidden by a mask, the male wearing a black hood pulled up over his hair and leaving most of his face in shadow. A tingle, a shock, raced through her body as she stared at him, her eyes narrowed. "You."

The corner of his lips curled. "I didn't think you would recognize me."

"It is you." She stepped closer. "You're the guy I met in Idris."

He gave a little bow, almost mockingly, before he straightened. "I applaud you for not even having to take a second to try and remember where you'd met me."

"I haven't 'met' you," she reminded him. "I don't even know your name."

"Anonymity is a useful practice." He smirked once more. "It leaves the women guessing and intrigued."

She smirked right back at him. "Is that so?" She then stared at him with wide eyes. "Wait, you know where that mansion is." She stepped forwards and placed her hand on his arm. A gasp escaped her lips at the shock that raced down her body at the touch. She tilted her head upwards to stare into his masked face to see it tilted down towards her. She felt breathless and wasn't sure why. "I, uh…"

"Chloe? Where are you?" Isabelle could be heard calling.

Chloe pulled away and turned to look at the curtain in time for Isabelle to stick her head out.

"Why are you still out here?" Isabelle wanted to know.

"I was talking to-." But when Chloe turned the guy was gone. She narrowed her eyes before she turned back to Isabelle sheepishly. "Was I supposed to follow you? I wasn't sure. You two could've been going to get hot and heavy."

Isabelle smirked at that one. "No, that won't be-." She cleared her throat. "Come on, the Queen is waiting."

Chloe frowned as she came forwards. "Why?"

Isabelle's answer was a shrug of her shoulders. "She's never granted me an audience." She leaned in close and spoke softly to Chloe so only she could hear. "Be careful and don't offend her."

So no pressure, huh?

Chloe entered the room behind the curtain and stepped into another corridor, this one carved from a glossy brown material like the outside of a nut. Meliorn was walking ahead of them, obviously not about to wait on them. Seriously, what did Isabelle see in this dude? But Chloe didn't ask that. "I remembered what you said about the gory dancing, but I've only now stopped to wonder how we're going to party if we can't join in their dances."

"Humans can join the revelry if a faerie gives you a token - like a leaf or flower - to hold on to and you keep it through the night, I'm going to make Meliorn give you one." Isabelle explained in a soft tone. "Another way a human will be fine is if they go with a faerie for a companion, like I am."

Meliorn stopped ahead of them, having reached a leafy screen set into the wall.

The room on the other side of the screen was plain, with earthen walls hung with pale fabric. Will-o-wisps glowed in plain glass jars. But the woman there was far from plain. Reclined on a low couch surrounded by what must have been her courtiers, the Queen of the Seelie Court was beautiful. She had long scarlet hair that seemed to float around her like autumn leaves in a breeze, and her eyes were clear blue.

"My Queen." Meliorn bowed low, a hand to his chest. "I have brought Chloe Wayland to you."

The Queen sat up straight. "Come closer, Chloe Wayland."

Chloe could feel the weight of those light blues on her, like a touch. She felt wary, somehow knowing instinctively that despite all of her loveliness the Queen wasn't fragile like her beauty and slender body might lead one to believe. No. She was as bright and hard to look at as a burning star and with an inner intensity to match.

Isabelle gave Chloe a little nudge, breaking her from her near trance-like observation of the Queen.

Chloe stumbled forwards before she moved on her own, sending a backwards glance when she heard Isabelle asking Meliorn what he was doing, seeing the faerie take the girl away. "What-?"

"Do not let others distract you from me," the Queen ordered.

Chloe swung her gaze to the Queen, eyes wide. "I'm sorry."

The Queen's lips twitched as she stared at Chloe. "Come closer."

Chloe gulped and did as told.

TBC