Simon's legs dangled off the roof as he peered over the expanse of the New York City skyline. The sun beat against his bear skin, and he sighed contentedly when all he felt was a soft, warming tingle on the nape of his neck, rather than the burning inferno expected from most vampires.

But he wasn't like most vampires.

He looked down on the street below him, swinging his legs back and forth on the Institutes brick walls. Of course, he couldn't actually go inside the institute, being one of the eternally damned, but no one had said anything about him being on the institute. The roof was fair game.

He smiled when he heard footsteps echoing lightly behind him, treading as softly as possibly to try and catch him off guard.

"You should know better by now. I'm super-vamp after all."

She sighed miserably and plodded along until she leaned against the roof's railing.

"So how've you been?" he asked, keeping his eyes glued to the horizon, while suppressing a toothy grin.

"Better, now you're here." He heard the smile in her voice, but chose to ignore it. He had way too much on his mind right now.

"Thanks for coming up with this."

"No problem. After all, it's my house, too."

Simon finally peeled his gaze away and glanced at Isabelle through the corner of his eyes. The wind had caught her hair and made it float like a halo around her. She stared longingly into the distance, her mind drawn to someplace far away. Her face was serious and her eyes were flooded with sadness, but fuelled by determination. Suddenly, her eyes flickered sideways and she caught him staring. Simon couldn't blush, but he definitely grew a few shades paler, ad Isabelle grinned wickedly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he mumbled, trying to sort out his head. After all, he had called her for a reason.

"They'll cost a lot more than a penny." she sighed, and pushed herself away from the wall. Simon turned around and stood on the ledge. Although Isabelle had suggested this compromise, he still couldn't enter the Institute, and the rooftop garden would count.

"You rang?" Izzie fiddled with the tail of her whip, which was wrapped around her belt in a coil. Her dress was white and simple, sinched in at the waist and flowing out until the knees, where it came to an abrupt stop. The contrast between her pale skin and her flowing dark hair made her startling, since she was already beautiful inside and out, Simon thought, but he quickly scolded himself. He had decided to leave his love problems at home, and until he worked out what to do with his new-found "popularity", he put all romantic intentions on the back burner. He had already turned down a date with Maia to the Multiplex for an Early Hollywood Horror marathon, which she promised would be ridiculed beyond belief. As much as it pained him, he declined. He also had to change his cell phone number when several girls at school had began stalking him, and one turned out to be an excellent hacker, and somehow wired his video camera to turn on spontaneously. It came as a bit of a shock to his system when at school on Monday morning, several girls were hanging topless pictures of him on their "acceptable boys" wall. As Clary had warned him "Hotness can be a hassle."

Not that she was around to help him any more.

"It's important."

"So what do you need, Si-Fi?"

"Si-Fi?"

"I thought I'd try it out."

"And?"

"It just doesn't fit. Let me think about it. So why did you call me?"

"Look out into the skyline with me. Just for one second."

"Wow, way to proposition me."

"Iz….

"Oh, all right!"

Isabelle bounded over and leaped agilely onto the ledge. Even though there was no chance of her falling, since she was too skilled for that, Simon still grabbed her arm to steady her. She looked down at his pale hand grasping her arm and cocked an eyebrow in amusement. He quickly relinquished his grip and pointed out to the sky.

"Do you see that?"

"See what?"

"That!" Simon pointed at the looming black cloud hanging over the Empire State building. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed emanated from its charcoal coloured confines. It growled like a hungry Lion looming around its prey, ready to attack, and every day it just got closer and closer.

And he seemed to be the only one who could see it.

Isabelle squinted, and her dark eyes narrowed in frustration. "What am I meant to be looking at here, Simon?"

And that just confirmed it.