A/N: This is a sequel to Side Effects, so if you are wondering who Jonathan is or why Jace has wings, I suggest you read that story first. Knowledge of Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Supernatural, Percy Jackson, Shrek, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is also recommended.
Someone knocking at her door woke Clary up at god-awful o'clock in the morning. She groaned and pulled her blankets over her head, but the knocking continued, louder than before.
So, Clary forced herself into a position that was vaguely vertical and shuffled towards the door in a manner that resembled the zombies from yesterday. She swung the door open, blinked at the figure standing in the hallway, then shut the door again. A moment later, her brain caught up with the rest of her body, and she hurriedly opened the door again.
Yep. Jace was standing outside of her apartment, wings and all.
"Hey Clary. Can I stay here for awhile?" he asked, attempting to look pitiful. It didn't work. It was too early, and the pathetic expression didn't fit on his face.
"It is," she paused to look at a clock. "Five o'clock in the morning. Why the hell did you wake me up so early. I have school today."
"I thought you needed to see my dashing good looks before you were forced to spend a day locked up in school." he said, obviously trying for charm once he realized that pity wouldn't work.
Clary glared at him. "I saw you a few hours ago. Tell me the truth."
"I did," he protested. At her unimpressed expression, he relented. "Jonathan was getting on my nerves."
Clary sighed. "Fine. You can," she stopped, stumped. What could Jace do while she slept for an hour? Sit there and watch her sleep? No, too creepy. Make breakfast? No, there was a reason Isabelle cooked, even if she was horrible. Watch TV? Actually, that wasn't that bad of an idea. She had already introduced the younger members of the Clave to the wonders of email, so now she could begin introducing them to pop culture. "You can watch Doctor Who. I'll be up in another hour."
The DVD was already in the player because she had been watching it last night before she went to bed. She just rewound it and hit play. She made sure that Jace was settled in and engaged in the show before she headed back into her room, collapsing on her bed.
-‹◊›-
Clary was surprised to see that Jace was still watching Doctor Who when she got home. From the looks of it, he was already getting close to the end of season two. She put some popcorn in the microwave and settled in next to Jace on the couch.
"So, you like it." Clary observed.
"No, I just couldn't figure out how to work the DVD player," At her wounded expression, he laughed. "I'm just kidding. Rose actually reminds me of you."
"Thank the Angel you're nothing like the Doctor." she teased.
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm not an arrogant genius?"
"No, I'm saying you're not a time-traveling alien." she responded.
Jace made a face. "You'd think that a nine hundred year old alien would learn some hand-to-hand after getting into so many scrapes."
"He's the Doctor. He doesn't need it," Clary said with a shrug. "However, I am not, so we should probably train."
-‹◊›-
After an hour and a half of training and another two hours of homework, Jace and Clary were back on the couch, watching the season two finale. Clary was hugging Jace tightly; she knew what was coming for Rose and the Doctor.
She felt Jace hug her back as Rose fell toward the Void. He relaxed again once Pete caught her.
Neither of them spoke once the episode was finished. Clary turned off the DVD player and cuddled up closer to Jace. His comparison of her to Rose hung in the silence between them.
"I'm not going to fall into another dimension," Clary said, pulling a wry smile out of Jace. "It's just a TV show."
-‹◊›-
Clary gave him a series of books the next day, specifically, the Harry Potter series. By the time Clary was home from school, he was already on the fifth book.
He finished that one and started the sixth book while she did her homework. Once she had solved the last problem for her last class, Clary was antsy and itching to do something.
"Let's train." she suggested to Jace. He ignored her in favor of Harry Potter.
"What if Sebastian tries to kidnap me again? I won't be able to defend myself."
Jace absently waved off her concerns as he turned a page. Clary would have to take drastic action if she wanted to get any work in tonight.
"If you don't train with me, I won't let you read the last book."
That got Jace's attention. "You wouldn't."
Clary tauntingly raised her eyebrows. "Watch me."
Jace carefully set his book aside and stood, settling into a defensive stance. "Attack me then."
Clary stared at him for a second, trying to determine whether or not he was serious. His face was blank though, so she lashed out at him, aiming for his throat. He caught her hand easily, using her momentum to pull her body forward.
Clary jabbed him in the stomach as she twisted free. Jace swept her feet out from under her, and she rolled away, using her momentum to regain her feet. Jace was already there, however, and Clary was pinned. She sighed into the carpet.
Provoking Jace might not have been the smartest thing to do.
-‹◊›-
Clary collapsed onto the couch, her hair still wet from her shower. Jace was nearing the end of the sixth book, and she wanted to see his reaction.
Finally, Jace set the book down. "He's not dead."
Clary smiled.
"The old mentor wizard never dies, not permanently."
Clary kept grinning.
"Oh, just give me the last book." he said, rolling his eyes. Clary pulled the book out from behind her and solemnly handed it to him. He snatched it from her hands and eagerly opened it to the first page.
Clary stood, deciding that she wanted to sketch Jace as he was now, absorbed in a book, wings folded loosely against his back.
They sat together in quiet companionship, the only sounds the skritch of pencil on paper and the occasional flip of a page.
-‹◊›-
Clary set up another TV show for Jace the next morning. It wasn't a sci-fi show this time. She had chosen Supernatural, which was about two brothers who hunted monsters and demons. She had thought it appropriate.
By the time she finished her homework, Jace was on the second to last episode of season two. Clary hadn't seen it yet, so she settled in next to him.
They sat there, frozen, after the younger brother, Sam, died. They storyline had hit closer to home than she had expected. She had originally thought it was funny; the brothers hunted demons and so did she. But the revelation that one of the characters had been fed demon blood as a baby made her upset. No one should have to go through his or her brother being turned evil. Clary could empathize with Dean. She was aware that her outrage over a fictional character was ridiculous, but she didn't care.
"How can people watch this?" Jace asked, echoing her thoughts.
"You liked it too." Clary pointed out.
"I know, but," Jace sighed, leaning back into the couch to look at the ceiling. Clary scooted closer and began carding her fingers through his feathers. He relaxed, turning his head to look at her. "Oh, you know what I mean."
"Yeah," Clary said softly. "I know."
They leaned into each other simultaneously, her arms winding around his waist and his arms and wings wrapping around her shoulders. He rested his chin on top of her head.
"It'll be alright." he murmured.
Clary didn't respond, merely closed her eyes and held him tighter.
-‹◊›-
Clary supplied him with the Percy Jackson series the next day.
"What're they about?" he asked around a mouthful of toast.
"The Greek gods and their half mortal children." Clary said as she packed her backpack.
"Did you know that the real Greek gods were actually-"
"Jace," Clary interrupted. "Stop. I really don't want to know."
"All the stories are true," Jace said. "You may need to know this."
"Goodbye Jace," Clary said as she walked out the door. "I love you."
-‹◊›-
The living room was splattered with paint. Jace was also covered with it, his hair streaked with a multitude of colors.
"Did a rainbow demon attack while I was gone?" Clary asked.
Jace nervously ran a hand through his hair, further streaking the paint. "I finished the books, and so I decided to try splatter painting."
Clary held back a laugh. "Did you get any on the paper?"
"I'll have you know that my painting is beautiful."
Clary didn't bother to suppress her eye roll. "Just let me put on some grubby clothes and I'll help you clean up."
After hours of scrubbing, helped along by some brand new cleaning runes, Clary and Jace collapsed on the couch. She sank into the cushion, content to just stay there for the next week or so. Her back was killing her. Jace, however, seemed to have other ideas.
"We should spar."
"We just spent four hours cleaning up paint. I'm not moving." Also, she didn't know if she could keep herself from murdering him if they did spar.
Jace huffed. "Fine."
He got up off the couch. Clary considered asking what he was doing, but decided against it. She closed her eyes, idly contemplating dinner. Maybe she should order pizza.
She heard Jace using the microwave, so he had obviously decided that he was in charge of dinner.
Clary opened her eyes about two minutes later to see Jace walk back into the living room carrying two bowls of popcorn.
"Movie night?" Clary asked.
"Yep. But you," Jace handed her a bowl. "Will not get to choose the movie. I have had enough of an introduction to pop culture to do that. What's this one about?" he asked, holding up a DVD.
"That's about an ogre who tries to get his swamp back by rescuing a princess from a dragon with the help of an annoying talking donkey. I think that the writers may have been on drugs."
Jace snorted. "Sounds like it." He fumbled with the DVD player momentarily, then joined Clary on the couch as the movie started, wrapping her in a wing. She snuggled in closer, paying only cursory attention to Shrek as she had seen it multiple times. She was more interested in Jace's reaction.
He seemed to enjoy the movie, laughing at all the appropriate times. When the movie was over, Clary was almost asleep, so she almost missed it when Jace began to speak.
"You know, there's a type of demon similar to ogres."
"Does that mean ogres are real?" Clary mumbled sleepily.
"They're a type of Unseelie faerie. Good drinking buddies, but they have terrible poker faces." Jace said.
"That's nice." Clary remarked as she slipped off to sleep.
-‹◊›-
Clary gave Jace one of her favorite books to read Friday morning: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
He was gone when she got home from school; she found a note that said Mischief managed. So long and thanks for all the fish. He took the other four books in the series with him.
Next time he stayed over, she was introducing him to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
A/N: Only one more story left in this 'verse. Until next time, The Freak.