Jace found it unusual that there was no one in the training room. Alec was out with Magnus most of the time, so he didn't expect to see Alec training. But Isabelle, she always barged in to use the training room when he was training Clary and doing other things, like making out hot and heavy. She always entered at the worst time possible. And Clary, he would have expected to practise her throwing at this time, like she usually did. He continued walking down the corridors of the Institute. The Institute had become rather quiet, since it was only the three of them most of the time, and just him and Isabelle when Clary went home. As he neared the kitchen, he heard some noises, Isabelle sounding frustrated and Clary laughing, the soft laughter that he loved.

He walked into the kitchen and find Isabelle standing near the oven. "By the Angel, are you actually baking something?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes as she looked up. "Yes, I am."

"Is this your idea? Asking Clary to help." Jace moved over to Clary who was at the stove, stirring something in the pan. Wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head, he said, "Something sure smells good."

"I wonder if you're referring to the food or something else," Isabelle muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. It was Clary's idea. She needed my help to make a pie." Isabelle continued mashing something in the bowl.

"Yes, I did," Clary answered without looking up. "We're making shepherd's pie. For Christmas. Isabelle's mashing the potatoes, and I'm cooking the filling."

"Oh. You don't expect me to help, do you?"

"Of course not. You'll make things worse. Isabelle, how are the potatoes coming along?"

"Well, they are mashed. That's for sure." Her tone was flat, as if Clary was asking the obvious.

"Let me taste it, before we assemble the pie." Clary walked over to Isabelle, with Jace following behind her. She dipped her finger into the bowl and scooped up a little bit of the mashed potatoes. "Not too bad, just needs a bit more pepper and we're good to go." Jace watched them with an amused expression on his face. He found it difficult to believe that both Clary and Isabelle were actually cooking.

Isabelle turned to look at him. "If you're just going to stand here and watch us, I suggest you should just get out of the kitchen. You're blocking the way."

Clary grinned in response and took the bowl from Isabelle, nudging Jace deliberately with her elbow in the process. She laid a layer of filling on a baking tray first and then added the layer of potatoes on top. Following which, she set the tray in the oven and set it to bake. "And now we wait."

"I dare say, I'm actually quite impressed." Jace leaned against the counter. "I didn't expect anything decent from the two of you. Especially you, Isabelle."

Isabelle merely gave him a glare. Meanwhile, Clary was focused on the contents of the bowl, looking rather contemplative. With a slight tilt of her lips, she looked up and flicked a blob of the leftover mashed potatoes at Jace. "I've always wanted to do that. You know, start a food fight." It hit him on the cheek and he swore under his breath. Isabelle laughed out loud and threw more potato at Jace. And soon, it turned into a full-on food fight. They were grabbing any food nearby- flour, eggs, salt and throwing at each other. There were smears of flour on Clary's face, egg yolk on Jace's hair, ketchup on Isabelle's dress. Looking at each other, they burst out laughing, and the same time, still continued throwing food.

It was Isabelle who finally called a stop to the food fight, claiming that her dress was going to be ruined at the rate they were throwing food.

Jace walked over to Clary, who was still holding the potato bowl. "There's something on your fingers." He took her fingers and put them in his mouth, taking his time to lick off the potato on them. Clary blushed furiously, color staining her cheeks. Heat flooded through her with the sensation of Jace's tongue against her skin. He smirked, knowing the effect it was having on her, the expression in his eyes teasing and darkening as he continued.

"Oh come on, just get a room, you two." Isabelle sighed, exasperated.