Greetings!

To everyone who favorite-d and followed this story, I love you guys!

So the previous chapter was a prologue, of sorts, but now it will be set in the City of Bones.

It's kind of short, so I apologize, but it gives you a little taste of Nikki's relationship with the others.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments or its characters, only my own.

Does it hurt?

A little bit.

Will I recover from the harsh truth?

...Probably not.

Chapter 2

August, 2007, New York

"Jace, get the hell up!" I yelled, and I heard a muffled groan, followed by a thump that made the door shudder.

"Go away, Shadowhunter Barbie! Let me sleep!"

I huffed, exasperated, before I raised my voice to a yell. "I'm not gonna write you a love song, 'cause you asked for it, 'cause you need one, you see-"

"Shut up!"

"Let's go, Legally Blonde, the sun is shining, birds are chirping-"

"Nikki Bellefleur, I swear by the Angel-"

"Oh quit bitching and moaning already," I scolded, swinging the door open. Jace was a lump under the blankets, his golden hair the only identifiable part of him.

"It's a talent."

"Oh, I never doubted it."

"Aren't you tired, huh?" He asked, glaring at me intensely with those gold eyes of his.

"Yeah, but I like to kick your ass when training. You have to prioritize these things, Jace."

"You, Nikki," Jace groaned, standing, "Are the most dangerous creature I have ever met."

"Why thank you," I smirked triumphantly, and he muttered something under his breath as I moved on to the next teenager.

"Isabelle!" I yelled, approaching my parabatai's bedroom.

"Nikki, if that's you, I swear-"

"Isabelle Sophia Lightwood, if you don't wake up, I will hide your curling iron for good," I warned, and there was a silent pause from the other side of the door.

"Give me ten minutes."

I grinned, victorious. Okay, two down, one to go. I approached Alec's bedroom cautiously. He was the most difficult one, surprisingly.

"Alec," I called, "There is a cup of coffee, black, made just for you!"

"Don't even try it, Nikki," He mumbled from inside, "Not even you can wake me up during these ungodly hours of the morning."

I glanced at my watch incredulously. "It's only ten in the morning!"

"If you still say morning, it's too early."

"Oh by the Angel, someone's especially moody this morning." I commented, opening the door hesitantly.

Alec didn't budge.

I walked over to his bed, jumping up next to him and placing my chin on his arm. "Come on, Alec, the sun is shining-"

"Be thee gone, obnoxious creature."

"I love you too, brother."

"Why can't you and Jace train by yourselves," Alec groaned, still not even opening his eyes.

"Because Jace is a sucky fighter."

"I heard that, Bellefleur!" Jace yelled from outside, probably trudging to the kitchen for coffee.

"Only because he's afraid to hurt you," Alec mumbled, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right."

"You are so blind when it comes to him," Alec muttered, so low I wasn't entirely sure I had heard him correctly.

"Oh well, just get up," I ordered, bounding out of the room and slamming the door shut.

Ten minutes later, Isabelle and Alec joined Jace and I in the kitchen (Hodge never joins us for breakfast), where I had quickly started making breakfast, avoiding Isabelle's offers to help.

"Want me to make pancakes?" Isabelle offered, and Jace's eyes widened, horrified.

"No, sweetie, I got it." I said hurriedly, and her eyes narrowed at me, but she didn't say anything.

"Oh, bless you, child," Jace sighed in relief, and Isabelle snatched a wooden spoon out of my hand, smacking him with it.

"Hey! Paws off the equipment," I snapped, and Iz rolled her eyes, handing it back to me.

"Sorry Nikki."

"I can't use this now," I wrinkled my nose in distaste, "It smells like too much cologne, I mean no offense, Jace sweetie."

Jace glared at me. "Well none taken then, Nikki sweetie."

"You two are hilarious," Alec grumbled, "Coffee, if you'd please?"

I sighed at his impatience, grabbing the mug I'd already poured for him and sliding it across the counter, where he caught it with ease.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Isabelle asked eagerly, stirring creamer into her coffee absentmindedly.

"We have eggs, we have bacon, and we have potatoes," I announced, moving my hand just in time to avoid popping bacon grease.

Alec peaked his head over my shoulder. "That doesn't look like eggs."

"That's because I added like tomatoes, onions, cheese, and stuff like that."

"Ooh, the French girl is getting all Mexican now," Jace commented, running a hand through his hair as he smirked at me.

"You know Jace, you sound so damned British in the mornings, and it just keeps getting worse as time goes on."

"You once told me you thought accents in guys were hot."

Damn. I had said that.

And I still believed it.

"I would reply and try to insult you," I said, not looking up, "But you may just be too much of an airhead to notice."

Isabelle choked on her coffee.

Jace was glaring at me. "Well played, Nikki. I have taught you well, after all."

I grinned. "I was this good long before I met you, darling." I reminded him as I divided up the steaming eggs, placing an even amount on four plates, and then doing the same with the bacon and fried potatoes.

"Mm, looks good, Nicks." Alec complimented, grabbing a fork in anticipation.

"Much better than if Isabelle cooked," Jace added, and the Shadowhunter in question raised an eyebrow.

"And you are such a good cook, Wayland?"

"Now, it's not that you're a bad cook, Izzy," Alec interrupted, and Jace and I looked to him as if he were mad, "It's just that Nikki is such an amazing cook. Just as good as Mom, and it makes her difficult to beat."

I smiled at Jace, who rolled his eyes.

"Wow, you managed to avoid my wrath and make Nikki happy all at one time, didn't you Alec?" Isabelle asked sarcastically, and I ignored her, eating my breakfast.

After we finished breakfast, the four of us made our way to the training room, Isabelle moving towards a target with a dagger in hand, Alec close behind, leaving Jace and I alone.

He turned to grin at me. "Ready to do this, Nicks?"

I winked at him. "You bet, handsome."

He grabbed a seraph blade in anticipation, tossing one to me before he walked over to the middle of the room.

I moved to stand a few feet in front of him, and he lunged. He swung out at me, and I ducked, the blade whizzing over my head, and I brought my own blade up, a metallic ringing sound echoing through the air as they collided. I whirled around, swinging the blade towards him again, and he blocked it with ease, sliding his blade away from mine. I lunged at him again, but he was gone, and I felt his arm wrap around my neck.

I used his arm as leverage, flipping up over his shoulder and kicking his legs out from under him, grinning as he hit the mat with a thud.

"And I barely broke a sweat, bitch," I held out a hand to help him up, but he just pulled me to the ground, standing and brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"You are the only person I've ever lost to, Nicolette Bellefleur." The smirk playing at his lips made him seem like he was joking, but there was an unrecognizable intensity in his eyes, and I knew he barely used my real name at all.

"Did I wound your pride, Wayland?" I asked, and his eyes narrowed.

"It takes a lot more than a girl like you to wound me," He said bitterly, and he motioned for me to stand.

I obliged, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye Alec and Isabelle were no longer practicing, but were watching us intently.

"Let's go."

And Jace lunged again.

How was it?

Let me know!

Until next time, guys!