"Guess who's back!

Back again!

Shady's back!

Tell a friend!

Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back!"

-Eminem

Hey, guys! I'm back!

Thank you all who are regulars to my stories and thank you for coming with me on both The Journey of Life and The Art of Kissing adventures. I love you guys! And to anyone who is a new reader welcome!

So strap on your shoes, kids, and fasten your seat belts because we're ready for take off.

...Pretend that sentence was cooler than it sounded.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for plot but all of my characters beautiful features and some of there mannerisms are purely from the Queen herself, Cassie Clare.

Clary watched them all walk by in groups, herds even, all wearing mixed colors and styles. The California sun was hot and humid making clothes less of a necessity and Clary more uncomfortable about the barely dressed girls while she was wearing her normal jeans with shirt combo.

Everything seemed different now; she didn't feel the same.

She certainly looked the same; the same spiraling orange curls, the same freckles, she was still underweight and her legs were still pale. Her green eyes hadn't changed and neither had the campsite in front of her.

Camp Indulgence had been around as long as Clary could remember; she and Jonathon had always attended when her father, Valentine, and mother, Jocelyn, went to visit their family every year. They would always stay for two weeks; one week with her Aunt Clara and Uncle Steven and the last week at Camp Indulgence. But they hadn't attended for years not since her mother's death.

Clary's eyes took a quick glance at her brother; his deep brown eyes seemed lifeless as he watched the people drifting together out the Sedan's window. The same eyes that her mother used to say constantly were churning with possibilities. He seemed to be in his own world now; one that was quiet and lonely judging by the thin line his mouth made. Clary had always been the one with her head stuck in the clouds, now she had to make sure Jonathan didn't drift away.

Her brother had always been the protective one; he was also the one that got them into situations they weren't supposed to be in. He was a troublemaker but she would have followed him anywhere. He had always been the one to take care of her.

Now, she had to take care of him.

"Well, looks like we're here." Valentine said with a smile as he ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair. His eyes, like his son's, were a deep chocolate brown and were darkened with purple circles. Clary worried about her father just as she did her brother. He had lost a lot of weight since his wife's passing and he was more unkempt. Her father had never worn anything other than a two piece suit for as long as Clary could remember. But for the past three years she was lucky to get him to even change out of his sweatpants.

She had barely gotten him into a clean t-shirt and pair of freshly washed jeans before they had to catch their flight. His hair flopped forward onto his forehead something that was new too; Valentine had always had his hair slicked back. There was nothing that separated Valentine from his son now; they looked exactly alike right down to the lifeless looks in their eyes.

"Yeah." Clary said through pursed lips as she looked again out the window but made no move to leave. To be honest, she didn't really want to go. She would have much rather gone with her dad back to visit her Aunt Clara and Uncle Steven's again. She liked to hear the stories they told of her mother, it made it easy to think good thoughts of her mother.

It made it easier to hate her less.

But her father had thought it would be a great idea, that it would make them all feel better. But she knew why he really wanted her and her brother to go. Because than he could pretend that everything was back to normal, like it was before all that had happened; he could pretend for that half an hour drive to Aunt Clara's that Jocelyn was already waiting for him. He could pretend that everything was okay and Jonathan could do the same.

But Clary couldn't. She knew where her mother was; ten feet down in the ground and she wasn't coming back any time soon. Rage was all she felt for her mother; to leave them this way, but she couldn't do anything about it.

But most of all, she knew her father wanted a break from her. Not because she was a lot to handle; they barely saw each other. They truly only talked in passing. If she was going to her bedroom to do homework and he was heading to the kitchen to reheat the meal she'd prepared. But she knew she hurt him.

Because, while Jonathan looked like a carbon copy of their father, Clary looked like the exact version of their mother take or leave a few inches in height.

He flinched sometimes when she entered a room or when she smiled, he thought she didn't notice but she did. Her whole family had told her they looked exactly alike and while she did believe that they had strong similarities, enough to hurt, she couldn't say they looked exactly the same. Her mother had always been radiant; she always seemed to capture full attention when entering a room.

They weren't anything alike. She wanted to be nothing like her mother.

Her father turned in his seat to look at Jonathan, who still hadn't looked away from the window. His elbow placed precariously on the edge of the car's door and his hand holding the weight of his head up completely. "Johnny boy, why don't you go grab the luggage out of the trunk?"

Jon blinked a moment and stared out the window in surprise as if he was just seeing the scene before him; of skimpily clad girls and rugged boys all nicely tanned, which Jon would be Clary on the other hand would not, high fiving and leaping onto each other's backs. Once upon a time, this had been paradise for Jonathan. And Clary had followed him all over the camp ground.

Jonathon had a knack for storytelling; they constantly went on adventures with as many of the camp kids as they could and Jonathan made a day at the beach turn into an expedition for treasure. And soon Jonathon's imagination rubbed off on her too because soon she was fighting pirates and saving villagers.

He'd always been the one to tell the story; Clary had always been the one to paint it. She used to draw and stretch every minute of the day, constantly coated with pencil shavings and ink. But just like Jonathon had stopped telling stories, Clary had stopped drawing; stopped doing anything that reminded them of her.

She missed Jonathon's stories, more than she thought he knew.

"Um," Her brother said in a hoarse voice; he hadn't said much on the drive there or the plane ride either. The purple circles under his eyes were getting worse and worrying her more. "Yeah, sure." Her brother had never been compliant before; but they rarely argued about anything lately. They were really never in the same place to do so and she didn't think they had enough energy to do it either.

Her father turned to her immediately at the sound of Jonathon's door closing. "Look after him, Clary; you know he hasn't been the same since. . ." She sighed and watched her father take a breath; his voice failing him before he blinked and looked out the front windshield.

"Don't I always, dad?" Clary said with a smile. "I mean where would you both even be without me?" She joked and watched her father relax and let out a soft chuckle something he only did sparingly.

"I truly don't know." He said with a forced smile; one that brought Clary's own grin right off her face. "I love you, my little green-eyed monster." Her father put a hand to her head and brushed a curl behind her cheek. She smiled and pushed her face into his opened palm; smelling the cologne their mother had given him so many Christmas's ago. "Be my good girl, okay?"

"Of course, Daddy." Clary answered back with a smile; she hoped he couldn't see how forced it was, she hoped he'd never see how tired she felt. How much she wished she didn't have to be a good girl.

"That's my girl." Her father placed a kiss on her forehead before opening the car door and exiting, no doubt to say goodbye to his son and help with the bags.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders; it was time to be strong for her brother, it was time to carry her family forward because if she didn't they would forever be in the place they were now. She had to be brave because someone had to show them it would be okay.

And that was her.

It would always be her.

"Well, hello there fellow campers."

Clary turned quickly completely taken by surprise. Her back smacked into her brother's chest hard and her luggage fell from her hand completely hitting the dirty ground with a thump. A dust cloud rose up and entered Clary's nose causing her to cough and her brother to chuckle.

An overly enthusiastic woman stood before them with a wide smile that had to have hurt. Clary unconsciously rubbed her cheeks as she watched the opposite lady's teeth gleam under the hot sun.

"Uh, hi." Clary said with a small smile of her own as her hand was taken quickly and her whole body began to move with the force of the random woman's handshake. Her arm swiftly moving up and down so fast she couldn't keep up.

"I'm Mrs. Sonora, one of the Camp Counselors, but you can call me Sonny!" Clary had to pull her small limb forcibly back and pull it to her chest before letting out a soft laugh as Jonathon let out a large smile of his own and leaned over his sister's head extending his own hand.

"I'm Jonathan and this is my little sister Clary." He introduced them with a forced smile; she could tell, it barely reached his eyes and the brown irises didn't gleam with mischief like they used too.

"Only by a year!" Clary said in outrage like she used too when he introduced them to new people in that way; sounding just like the younger sister she was supposed to. She gave him a smile that he grinned at looking much more like himself than he'd been in the last few years.

Sonny let out a loud laugh; her mouth wide open and her body hunched forward. If Clary was being serious she'd think that Sonny was fake laughing but by what she met of the woman so far her cackle matched her personality perfectly. "Look at you two closer than two peas in a pod."

"Well, seeing as we came from the same pod that whole sentence is truer than you know." Jonathon smiled and Clary jabbed her elbow into his side knowing fully-well he was making fun of the poor, totally obviously woman as she laughed again. Jonathan shrugged with a laugh of his own as Clary shook her head.

"Oh, you two just tickle me pink!" Sonny said with that too wide smile. "You two will be the perfect addition to our Indulgence family!"

"Um," Clary said with a scratching of the back of her neck. "We've actually been here before."

"You have! Well, good golly, this is even better." Sonny said with her hands on her hips in an almost comical matter, her black hair was pulled away from her neck no doubt to keep from sweating under the blistering heat, piece's of black chunks fell around her face, Clary had to admit she was an attractive woman; she couldn't have been any older than 27 and her Southern accent made her sweet but also super annoying. "Why don't you just tell me your last name and I'll find you on my Fun Chart!"

"F—Fun Chart?" Clary said with a turn of her head, her red hair spilling over her shoulder. The high ponytail wasn't very good at keeping her long curly strands from touching the back of her neck and hanging down to the middle of her back. She hadn't gotten a haircut since she had last seen her mother. She'd always been the one to trim her hair.

"Well, of course! So, what are your last name?" Sonny said with a big grin biting her tongue as if to try and reign in her excitement.

"Morgenstern." She answered back as nicely as she could as Jonathan squeezed her shoulder. "Clary and Jonathan Morgenstern." She repeated their names from earlier just so Miss. Sunny With A Chance Of Happiness didn't decide to give them nicknames they didn't need. She would just about crawl into a hole if anyone started calling her Gingie or another awful nickname that had something to do with the red mop of curls on her head.

"It looks like you're in the cabin that separates the two campgrounds." Sonny answered with an enthusiastic laugh. "Is it okay that you two are sharing a room? I know how siblings feel about that sometimes. They get pretty upset and it's our job to turn those frowns upside down." She made an act of frowning dramatically and then making a show of brightening up her entire face with her overly large smile that was beginning to get on Clary's last nerve.

"Nah, I love this little squirt besides who's gonna be there when she gets nightmares." Jonathan said slinging an arm around Clary who rolled her eyes with a smirk. What he said was true she did have nightmares but hers were always silent, Jonathan was the loud one.

"Gosh, you guys are just the sweetest! Stephanie will take you to your cabin and remember to keep it," Sonny smiled widely and Clary felt herself inwardly cringe at what awful thing their camp leader was gonna say next. "Sonny-side-up!" She gestured to a pretty, tan, brunette beside her with a wave of her hand looking more like she was in a magic act then she was just introducing them to one of the student helpers.

Clary almost groaned out loud before Jonathan took her hand quickly and barely gave her enough time to lift up her bag before she was on the move again. Jonathan made idle conversation with Stephanie, who seemed far more eager to be speaking to him than he did her. Clary couldn't help but look at the camp ground. They would be helping to run the camp this year, something she had never done before but they were too old to filter in with the rest of the students. Not that she wasn't excited for a change of pace but it just seemed like everything was changing too much for her taste.

What she wouldn't do to go back a few years before the whole mess she referred to as her life happened.

"I don't remember Little Miss Sunshine being here before." Clary said in a huff after Stephanie left with a smacking of her gum and a wink at her brother, who paid the girl no older than Clary no mind.

"She must be a happy new member to the Indulgence family." Jonathan said with a large smile imitating Sonny's earlier grin.

Clary smacked his arm with a laugh. "A little too happy if you ask me." Clary shook her head and let her body fall onto the twin bed, Jonathon sitting right beside her. "I mean her cheeks have to hurt from smiling like that."

Jonathan shrugged his body taking up most of the room and causing their shoulders to overlap as they lay side-by-side. "Maybe she just," He turned his head and locked eyes with Clary; she almost cried in relief when a spark settled within his chocolate orbs, something she hadn't seen for a long time. "Grins and bears it."

Clary let her head push back into the soft mattress, her mouth unable to keep her laughter at bay as it seemed to spill out. "Couldn't help yourself could you?"

Jonathon let out a laugh of his own. "Nope."

"All our Indulgence campers head to the Mess Hall. I repeat all our Indulgence campers please head to the Mess Hall."

Clary sighed sitting up and straightening her green t-shirt, running a quick hand down her jeans she stood all together and stretched from the long drive. "We better head out. We wouldn't want to have Miss. Smiles looking for us."

Jonathon let out another laugh before running out the door behind Clary.

The Mess Hall was just as she remembered it; paint spattered the walls and picnic tables were piled around haphazardly as if with no real care in their placement, kids sitting on top of and around them chatting and flirting with strangers and friends. She'd always loved this room, well this one and the art room. Jonathan was always constantly finding her there whenever he wanted to go on some odd adventure. It seemed so odd being in a place that was so similar and familiar and feeling so out of place. It was a sad feeling and it was eating at her stomach as she frowned and headed toward an empty table tugging Jonathan along with her.

Standing on one of the chipped picnic tables was Luke Graymark, by far Clary's favorite console ever, though she was slightly biased; seeing as Luke had been her mother's best friend for years. Just like the rest of her family, his face seemed worn and his eyes tired but there was something different in the way he held himself. Like he had looked into the eyes of death and lived; it was as if the worst was over and he was healing.

He had hope.

Clary bit her lip and turned her head away from Luke's face as he laughed at something Sonny said. How would their appearance affect him? Would he do as her father did when she entered a room and give that barely noticeable flinch? Would he stare at her with sad eyes and forced smile as her brother did? Would he pity her like her Aunt Carla and Uncle Steven seemed to?

"Hello, fellow Indulgence campers, how ya'll doin' today?" Sonny said in a loud voice, echoing off the room's walls. Everyone gave a small yell. "I'm sorry but I can't hear you." To this boys banged their fists on the tables and girls stomped their feet as they yelled, giving her the welcome she had initially wanted.

"That's much better! I'm sure some of you know me but for those of you who don't my name is Sonny. And I'm sure you all know Luke." The kids gave a cry as Luke laughed and bowed down slightly as if the crowd was too much. "And we'll be your Head Counselors at Camp Indulgence!"

A body plopped down next to Clary's hitting her slightly on the arm as she turned with her eyebrows drawn down.

"Long time no see, Red." The voice that spoke was like honey and slipped over her senses like pure sugar. She knew that voice; it have been her rival for as many years as she could remember at camp and Jon's best friend. She was staring into the eyes of Jace Lightwood.

And my, had he grown.

Love you guys and review!

-Whisper