Alternate greenhouse scene

Simon rolled his eyes and exhaled, sitting down on the hard bed in the institute.

"Honestly, I really like her. Great personality, great work ethic- from what I can tell anyway –and plus, she's really hot." He was perched on the edge, his gangly legs bent in all directions. Clary knew Isabelle would never go for Simon, and she could feel sorry for him if it weren't for the fact that she knew him, and knew that really he only liked her because of her irritatingly perfect beauty.

"Well, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for her to come to you. Something tells me she's one for waiting for her victims to plead with her." She was flicking through her notebook, leaning against the plain dresser, on which she had few possessions. She stopped when she got to the sketch of Jace, outlined and refined. She stared at it for a while, immersing herself in his gorgeousness before there was a knock on the door. The book flew out of her hand as she jumped up, irritated and startled.

"Oh, please. When do I ever beg for a girlfriend?" Simon said nonchalantly, leaning his hand back against the blankets.

"Lindsey Carter, Skye Lumley, Rachel-"

"Alright, alright, stop." Simon snapped. Clary listed the names with ease, thinking of quite at least half a dozen more, laughing internally as she pictured Simon sidling up to Isabelle and asking for her number, hands sweating. The image was so easily built up in her mind, she forgot that her legs were dragging her to the door, her arm reaching out, gripping the door-knob and twisting it. On the other side stood a cocky-looking Jace, shoulder against the door frame, one leg crossed over the other, holding his hands behind his back. On him were too-low-hanging jeans and a light blue shirt, top three buttons undone. His hair looked perfectly arranged as usual, and he had a wide smile slowly spreading the width of his face.

"Hi. Um, I…" Clary stumbled for things to say, finding it hard to focus when that many buttons remained unbuttoned, leaving his chest exposed, runes slicked over the hard muscles, engraved into his skin.

"Hey. Doing much?" Voice as smooth as cream, so unfair.

"No, not really. I mean, I've got Simon here." She cursed herself silently.

"I think what she means is, go away. We don't want you here. We're going out in a bit anyway, to celebrate her ever-forgotten birthday." Clary blushed, and cursed Simon as well.

"Well, thank you for that important piece of information, of which I already knew, and is part of the reason I am here. However, I have to be the one to break the news that your plan, little one, is flawed. And now I shall list why, just to further stretch out the inevitable humiliation. Number 1, Clary is not allowed out of the institute for any reason whatsoever, for her own protection, especially not to go to some party/dinner. It is the Shadowhunter law to protect her now, which is my job, I believe, not yours. Reason number 2, you are required to rest, as much I do not care and don't wish to attend to you, one reason I am here is to make sure you have some 'down time', and no one is to disturb you." He glanced at Clary. "And number 3, most important in why your plan will not work, is because I have a little plan of my own, and seeing as I live here, I should wish to take Clary somewhere, of my own accord." Clary lowered her head, and looked over at Simon. He was mortified but try to keep up his dignity, which was rapidly shrinking. "I'm not a 'little one' jackass, and I am Clary's best friend, so I should think" he said, putting his hands up in mock of Jace, "that she can decide who she stays with. I don't need rest, and you are not relevant to her birthday celebrations. So, Clary. Who'll it be?" He said confidently, knowing she would pick him over Jace.

Jace raised his eyebrows at her, as did Simon, and suddenly she felt like the walls were caving in on her. It probably took Jace a lot to come and ask Clary to go with him somewhere, it seemed, to Clary, like that almost certainly didn't happen a lot to him, having to ask someone to go out, not be the askee. However Simon was right, they had been best friends since she could remember. Maybe a compromise.

"How long do you need Jace?" This provoked two bad reactions. Jace looking thoroughly irritated that he had to keep a schedule on how long to have her for, and Simon looking destroyed at the fact that Clary just chose Jace over him.

"I wasn't aware of the fact that I had to run things on a tight ship in my own home." Jace said sharply.

"No, it's fine. No need for it. Go Clary." Simon turned away, hiding the hurt.

"No, Simon. I-"

"Don't try to explain, Clary. I get it. I'm sure I can Isabelle somewhere. Just… go."

"No, Jace. I'm sorry. I can't leave Simon, he's hurt and scared and-"

"I am not scared!" Simon shouted, scaring Clary a little. He had never shouted at her before. "But what I am, is annoyed. Annoyed that I've been overruled by that." He pointed his finger accusingly at Jace, who put his hands up. "Woah, insult of the year."

Clary whipped her head around. "That is not helping. Simon, please. Let me stay. I want to look after you."

He stood up, stared Clary in the eyes. "I do not need looking after." He shifted his gaze to Jace, ushered them out, and slammed the door without another word.

"Well, that was a little rash." Clary punched Jace on the arm, to which he looked mildly irritated and not a little bit sore, which just angered Clary further.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't tried to be Mr. Cool, I'm gonna steal your best friend without another thought, and actually asked politely, Simon would have let me go."

"What so you're saying you need permission from him?"

"You know damn well that is not what I'm saying." She started to stalk off in her jeans and loose top, without looking back, before Jace called. She heard hurried footsteps, and was a little, ashamedly, glad to know that Jace really did want to spend time with her.

"Wait! Wait. Stop, Ok. I was, I guess some could say, a little bit on the socially unacceptable side."

"That was not an apology." She crossed her arms, and lent on one leg.

"I am." He said reluctantly.

"What?"

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"For upsetting the chipmunk."

"Chipmunk?"

"Simon. Wait, is that his name? Or is it Seril?" He smiled, and she kicked him in the leg.

"That'd not funny. Where are we going?"

"There's a little place I know of, it's got beautiful plants." His hands remained behind his back the whole time…