Author's Note: OC story. OC/Clary, Clary/Jace, maybe more pairings.

Reviews would be appreciated.

Hope readers enjoy!

Carte Blanche

Arc 1

Clary was standing outside her living room balcony and staring out at New York when she sees her stalker again. She leans on the railing, eyeing him down, but he doesn't move. Just looks up at her with a heavy silence.

"Clary, dinner's ready," Jace calls from inside. She backs away from the balcony, the cement floor blocking the stalker from her sight. This is his fifth time making an appearance. "Clary?"

"Jace, come out her," Clary says, and Jace comes up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"What is it? Come eat," he says, but she shakes her head, walking forward and taking Jace with her.

"That guy down him, I've been seeing him around. He's been watching me," she says, pointing down at the man. She makes it clear that she sees him, hoping he might get scared off. But the man doesn't move, he just keeps staring. Jace looks over the railing.

"Do you know him," Jace asks.

"No."

"I see," Jace says, sighing deeply. After a few tense seconds, he lifts a hand and waves. "I'll go talk to him."

"You do that," Clary says, and Jace turns to go inside. Clary stands on the balcony, her gaze not wavering. But the man didn't move, he stood like a statue, staring up at her. Feeling a shiver go down her back, Clary crosses her arms and watches, seeing Jace outside after a few minutes. She stares at his blond head, watching him cross the street to the man.

They talk for a few minutes. After a while, the mysterious man turns and walks away. Jace heads back into the building, and Clary goes inside to meet him.

"What did he say," Clary asks her boyfriend. Jace shrugs, taking off his jacket and laying it down on the couch.

"He says his home talks a lot about you, that he wants to meet you. I told him to stop stalking you like a creep, he said sorry. It seems you have an admirer," Jace says with a laugh, but his eyes narrow, his voice comes out tense. Clary nods, going to the dining room and taking a seat.

"Alright. Anything else," Clary asks, and Jace takes a seat slowly, grabbing his fork.

"I don't know. It was strange. He gave me a different vibe... not exactly bad. Just off. Felt like I knew him from somewhere," Jace says, lifting up his fork and taking a bite. Clary stares down at the spaghetti, twirling noodles around her fork.

"Think I should be worried?" Clary asks, looking up.

"I'll keep you safe," Jace answers. Clary nods, lifting her fork and taking a bite. The food was delicious.

Clary stands in front of her mirror, wearing shorts and a bra. She stands sideways, her hands running over her belly carefully. It had been two months, but there was no bump, no sign of the gift she desperately wanted. She turns to face the mirror fully, looking up at her freckled face, the delicate features that were now sharper, not as round as they used to be. Training more often really was doing something to her figure. She pulls on a T-shirt and walks out of the room.

"I'm going for a jog, Jace," Clary calls, grabbing her keys and moving to the front door.

"Love you," Jace says from his spot on the couch, where he was sharpening his favourite sword. Clary exits the building, jogging slowly to the direction of central park.

The light of sunset was shinning through the trees, casting an orange and gold glow on the side walk and grass. Clary breathes heavily, speeding up her pace as her eyes fly around, looking at the darkening bushes and the few people out in this area.

I see trees of green, red roses too. Those lyrics were flying around in her head, the tune singing softly to her. She smiles and makes a turn, looking up a the evening sky. I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself... Clary sighs deeply, a laugh escaping her. Why she was suddenly so happy was strange, she couldn't figure out why she felt so good-

"Help!"

It was a little girl's voice. Clary freezes, looking around the area. "Help!" The call was quiet, the voice scared. Clary reaches down and pulls out her knife; she had run into too many ambushes to run quickly to a voice immediately. She walks left, toward the sound, glancing through greenery and listening to the sound.

"Help!" It was so close. Clary moves through some bushes, finding a young girl, her tear filled eyes looking at Clary. "Help me!"

"What happened," Clary asks, lowering the knife. The girl points, her face filled with fear.

"A dog hurt my mom over there," the girl says, and Clary walks in that direction, keeping on eye on the girl. Peering over some bushes, she sees it; a bug-like creature the size of a cat, standing over an unconscious woman. Springing into action, Clary throws her knife and hits her mark, watching the creature shriek and fall onto its side.

She runs to retrieve her knife in case any more demons are around. The thing dissipates into a pile of ash, and even that collapses in on itself, going back to its home dimension. Clary looks around carefully, looking back at the little girl.

"Stay close," Clary commands before checking up on the unconscious woman. There were red bite marks on her body, blood slowly seeping out, and black stuff could be seen crawling through the veins. Feeling her heart fall, Clary swallows and taps the woman, but she doesn't move. Of course she doesn't move.

Clary looks back at the little girl, wondering what to do with her, when she hears hissing behind her.

Jumping into action, Clary wields the knife and spins around, lifting her leg to kick away another small demon. A shax demon, it gets back up and charges at her again. Clary ducks to the side, kicking it, then turns to grab the little girl, picking her up in one swoop and running back out through the bushes.

Clary springs, then sets the girl down. "Run," Clary commands, and the girl runs. Clary turns to find two more shax demons, charging after her. Clary crouches, feeling time slow down as she traces their movements, and times her dodge perfectly so she can slice one demon along its side. She brings the knife down on the second demon, its acidic blood splashing onto her arm.

Clary clenches her teeth and stands up, looking down at fading ash before scanning the area. And as expected, more demons make an appearance.

"Christ," Clary whispers, turning and taking off at a run. How was she going to fight them all? There was at least five. She moves in the direction of the girl, then changes her mind, turning right to lead the monsters away. She jumps through some bushes, crosses another side walk, before coming into an empty clearing. Breathing hard, she turns around.

The first demon comes and she cuts it down. Then two more, and she brings them down as well. Another, and she kicks it away so she can take on another that arrives.

"Fuck," Clary yells when one demon she thought she had taken care of pinches her leg, digging hard into the flesh. Furious, Clary brings the knife down through it, just as another jumps at her and takes her down.

Feeling burning, she looks down, seeing pinchers dug deep into her tummy. Gasping, Clary smacks the demon with the back of her hand, but it doesn't budge. She slashes it across its eyes with her knife, and it lets go, screeching. Feeling acid make its way up her throat, Clary resists the urge to vomit as she stands, her stomach bleeding.

"Fuck," Clary says again, a nervous laugh escaping her. She turns around and runs, making it fifty feet before stopping by a tree, bile coming up her throat. She winds up on her knees, her arms desperately trying to keep her up. She looks to the side, seeing more small demons coming for her. She closes her eyes.

Jace, Jace, Jace, that's all she can think about as she throws up again, not believing that this was it. This was more than likely how she would end. Defiantly, she tries to put herself up onto feet, her blood beginning to boil from the venom infecting her. Jace, Jace, Jace-

She takes a final looks at the demons, and a white light burns her eyes. She gasps, covering them, her eyes stinging and her skin warming. She curls up on the ground, holding her injured eyes. Heat radiates over her body. Was it the venom doing this? Was she seeing the light of death? Clary coughs, waiting for it to be over, and eventually it does end.

The grass was still under her, warm instead of cool. Her skin was still warm too, eyes still burning. Coughing, Clary can feel more vomit make its way out of her mouth as she rolls onto her back, hands over her eyes.

A soft hand touches her forehead soothingly. Jace. Clary opens her eyes, finding only blackness. A moan escapes her mouth as she rubs her eyes, blinking quickly. Was she blind now? The hand presses down on her forehead.

A shiver goes through her body. Then a shock, like she was hit by lightning. She gasps as her head clear, her nausea fades away, but the hand doesn't move. The hand heats up, almost to the point of burning, and Clary bats it away, rolling onto her side.

Almost immediately, she feels exhilarated. Like she could run a marathon. She jumps to her feet, blood racing, not feeling any pain from her wounds. Her eyes dart around the park, seeing no demons.

But there is a man.

He's kneeling over where she was just laying, gazing up at her with a happy smile. Feeling pumped up, Clary looks around for Jace, thinking he'd be there, but he isn't. Just the man is.

"What happened," Clary asks the obvious question first. He slowly stands, towering above her small body. She had always been short, but this man made her feel like a child. She looks him up and down, staring at the black clothes, the dark hair, recognizing him from somewhere.

"You were hurt, so I healed you," he answers her. She stares at him, taking a while to process his words.

"Hurt... are you a warlock?" she asks, looking him up and down again. Suddenly, she knows where she saw him; this was her stalker, the man that she had seen over the last couple days. He smiles kindly, shaking his head.

"I'm not a warlock."

"You're a stalker."

"No... well, yes, I am." He nods, looking around the field. "Why take on so many demons by yourself?"

"There was a little girl... oh shit, the little girl," Clary says, looking around as though she was still around. Clary walks in a circle, her hands trembling with energy, her mind running. This was too much to process all at once. But, as a shadowhunter, protecting mundanes came first. She had to find the little girl. She looks down, seeing no more blood running, trusting her wounds to be miraculously healed.

"I need to find someone," Clary says to the man, taking off at a run to where she was before. Going in the direction of where the girl went, finding the young girl with two policeman. Clary hangs back, watching as the girl tearfully talks to the men, tugging their hands toward where the unconscious woman was.

"There's no hope in the woman's life. I found her. She's gone," a voice says. Clary turns around to find the same mysterious man behind her. Clary swallows, nods. She already knew that. "The young girl will be in safe hands with those men. We can go."

"Go? Where? What are you doing here," Clary asks him. The man turns away, walking.

"You need to go home, Clary. Rest."

"Rest? But I'm fine," Clary says, looking down at her healed wounds. The man nods, waving her over, and she follows him. "Who are you? Why are you following me? And what are you?"

"I'm Anael. I'm following you because... I find you interesting," he says, glancing at her. She notices his face is slightly wet, tears are slowly running down his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because that woman. She is gone now. But she's in a good place," he says, looking forward, his jaw hardening. Clary watches him as they walk.

"You know, stalking isn't appreciated. Are you sure that little girl will be okay?" Clary looks over her shoulder, but the girl and the police are gone from sight. Anael nods.

"She will be fine. Heartbroken, but safe."

"Stalking isn't appreciated."

"You already said that," Anael replies.

"You didn't seem to hear me."

"But I did," Anael looks at her, smiling softly. "I want to ask a favour."

"Ask away," Clary says, looking down at her hands.

"May I please stay with you?"

"What?" Clary looks at him. "Why?"

"To keep an eye on you. I shouldn't have used so much energy on you, I know you can feel it," he says, and Clary looks down at her hands again. She takes a moment to breathe deeply, and sure enough, she feels something in her blood. Something that was making her feel powerful. And it was making her warm too.

"I barely know you," Clary says, looking back at Anael. He nods.

"You will get to know me. I wish to stay with you a while."

"My stalker wants to stay with me," Clary says, laughing. This whole situation was strange indeed.

"Please, Clarissa. I have nowhere else to go," Anael says, the softest plea in his voice. She narrows her eyes.

"Jace... he talked to you earlier. You have family, don't you? He said you have a home. Stay with them," she says curtly.

"I can't go home right now. They are unsettled with me."

"I wonder why."

"Let me stay with you and I'll tell you why I'm here," Anael says. Clary bites her tongue, thinking the proposition through. A man, who was stalking her, saved her, healed her, now wants to stay with her.

"What are you, Anael? Shadowhunter? You have to be a warlock, you have no stele to heal me," Clary says.

"I'm an angel."

"No."

"Yes. Let me stay with you and Jonathan, and I'll tell you more," Anael says, looking back at her. Clary stares back, thinking the proposition through. He certainly didn't look like an angel. The only angel she knew was one hundred feet tall and golden. Then again, there was Ithuriel, who was as small as a human and could almost pass for one too, if he had no wings. Anael was such an unearthly name. He could be telling the truth.

"... Fine. But, you have to answer my questions. And Jace's too," Clary insists.

"It is a deal."