Internal Demons: A Clace AU Fanfiction

I looked up at the tank by my bed. I couldn't abandon it, or I would've done that a long time ago. Sadly though, the cancer in my lungs prevents me. Oh, right, I have cancer. It messes up my lungs and keeps them from being proper lungs. Though, chemo-therapy didn't work, so they switched me to some big fancily named meds. That was five years ago. Lately, my hair has grown out, so it's back to it's red, curly non-glory. I guess it would help if I brushed it, but I only did that when volunteers came to the hospital when I did. Today is one of those days. My mom got me up at six like usual, helped me gets my tank into the car (it had tubes go to my nose and hooks behind my ears), and drove me to my days appointment. Luckily, today there was a wait for patients, so I got to walk around. Walking normally made me dizzy, since I can't get as much oxygen as I need; but today, I could last for a while. This turned out to be good when the black haired boy with blue eyes ran into me. He was diffidently a volunteer, with those clothes. He was pretty tall, but everyone is tall to my 5'3. Also, I should point out that I'm sixteen years old. Anyways, the black haired boy was running down the hall; I tried to step out of the way, but it was no use. He tried slowing down, but we both went down hard. Unfortunately, my plugs went out of my nose and left me gasping for breath as he helped me to my feet.

"Are you ok?" He looked worried.

I tried to answer, but I fumbled with my plugs and couldn't get them in.

"Honestly Alec, we're volunteering, not killing off patients," I heard a snarky boy's voice say, as someone took my plugs and put them in. I looked up and saw a boy who looked maybe a year older than me. He had nice tan skin, golden-blond hair, and startling gold eyes. Genetics always find new ways to astound me.

"Well, if he wants me dead, he won't have to wait long," I replied. My doctors said I have a 'good amount of time left', which could mean anywhere from five weeks to five years.

The black hair boy, Alec, widened his blue eyes. "Really?"

The golden boy looked at him sternly, "Alec."

Alec looked at me sheepishly, "Sorry, I tend to speak before I think."

"That's ok," I said, "It is true. I don't really know how long I have left. Lung cancer and all," I said pointing at my chest.

Golden Boy spoke up, "I'm Jace, Jace Herondale."

"Alec Lightwood," the other boy, Alec, said.

I smiled and loosened my grip on my tank's pole. "Clarissa Fairchild-Morgenstern, but you can call me Clary."

The boys exchanged a look before Alec said, "Morgenstern?"

"That's my name."

Jace spoke up, "As in Sebastian Morgenstern?"

I nodded. "But Sebastian is his made up name. His real name is Johnathan Christopher."

"No offence," Alec said, "But your brother is a jerk."

"Yeah, I know," I sighed.

"Well," Jace said, "I now know why."

I gave him a look. "Oh really? Enlighten me."

This caused Alec Lightwood to snicker.

"Well," Jace began, "He has a really cute sister, who he can't date, because she's his sister, who also has a terminal illness."

I laughed, which seemed to surprise him. "Good assumption, but no. And I don't really know him very well, since he lives with our father, Valentine Morgenstern."

"You kept his name," Alec observed.

I nodded as my second best friend Magnus Bane came up. He had a weird illness I forget the name of, so he has these really unnerving eyes with slatted pupils like a cats, with a matching green-yellow color. He also wears more glitter in a day than most teenage girls do in a lifetime. He has a vague accent from where he was born, but he wouldn't say where it was.

"Hey Clary," he said, before glancing at Jace and narrowing his eyes at Alec, who blushed. "Who are your new friends?"

"Jace Heron-," Jace started as a girl with long black hair and eyes bounced up in heals that looked like medieval torture devices.

"Jace!" She called, "Who are your friends?" She batted her eyelashes, probably at Magnus, who just happened to be very, very gay. He called himself a free-wheeling bisexual though. He also happened to be looking at Alec Lightwood.

"As I was saying," Jace said, "I'm Jace Herondale; this is my foster brother Alec Lightwood; and this is Izzy, his sister."

"Nice to meet you," I said to Izzy, who I guess was Isabelle. "I'm Clary."
"Hi."

"So," I asked, "Why do you guys volunteer?"

"Oh," Alec said slowly, "Our brother is here. Car accident a few months ago."

"Oh. I see," I murmured.

Izzy shrugged, but Jace looked me in the eye. "They think he'll be fine. You know, when he wakes up. Been in a coma for weeks."

"Oh." I wasn't really sure what to say, but I was saved as my best (and healthy) friend Simon ran up.

"Clary! There you are! Doctor Who is starting in five minutes!" He seemed to notice the boys, and then his eyes widened at Izzy. "H-hi. I'm Simon, Clary's friend."

Izzy grinned, like a cat before it clawed you. "Isabelle."

So Izzy was just for family and friends. Gee, I wonder what that made Simon. I blinked and suddenly Jace, Alec, and Isabelle were all covered in marks. Weird. They felt familiar, those markings. "What are those?" I asked, pointing.

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked.

Jace grinned, and I will admit, it scared me. "Oh, the mundane can't see them. But you… you're something else. Have you ever had dealings with demons? Walked with the Night's Children? Talked with Lilith's children?"

Simon blinked. "Where did they go?"

Izzy giggled, "He can't see through glamours, you can. Come with us, and we'll explain."

Jace held out his hand.

I took it.