Chapter Two - I act like I don't fucking care 'Cause I'm so fucking scared

Simon sat on the couch typing away at his computer. It was about three in the morning and he was far too busy working through several different conspiracy theories that were running through the internet that were far too accurate for comfort. The biggest being about Dumort being the home to a den of vampires. So here Simon was, deleting article after article while simultaneously adding the author to ever watchlist he could think of including several pedophile watchlists. He was almost healed, just waiting for his Achilles tendon to finish reconnecting and then he would be good to go. Alec and Jace had been trying to convince him that he was safe at the apartment and he had to admit that it was a very nice set up. They didn't push him to let them in the door even though Alec had a key. He had slept far more in one sitting than he had since his turning. They had given him two bags of human blood and it had helped speed up the healing process. Simon wouldn't even have any scars either. Of course, he had thrown up most of it two hours after the two Shadowhunters had left but the little bit that he had been able to stomach had been nice. An unfamiliar knock on the door pulled Simon out of his work

"Yeah?" He called and there wasn't a reply. Odd. Simon slowly got up and grabbed his crutches. There was another round of knocks, these being more like someone pounding on the door. Simon paused before heading towards the bedroom where he had left his cell. He shut the bedroom door behind himself and sat on the bed while he dialed Jace who was supposed to visit tonight

"Hey, I'm on our way over. What's wrong?" Jace said when he answered

"Someone's knocking on my front door." Simon said softly. Jace swore

"Hide. I'm just around the corner." Jace said and Simon hung up. He tucked the crutches into the closet, shutting it before carefully hobbling towards the bed and sliding under it. It was then that there was a crash from the outer room and someone barked a rough

"Find him!" Simon held his breath, something he had found easier after he had left Dumort since some of the places he had crashed during the day had smelt worse than death. There was the sound of several feet pounding and he watched a pair of feet thunder into the bedroom from his hiding spot.

"Sniff him out." Another gruff voice said and Simon had to force himself not to move. He knew that even the slightest of movement would give away his hiding spot

"Can't. This whole fucking apartment smells like the fucking bastard. It's impossible to tell what's fresh." A third voice said. Simon closed his eyes and forced himself to relax as they began to discuss how to find him. One wanted to rip the place apart but another, who sounded like he was the leader, didn't because he said that it would get Magnus pissed and Simon wanted to chime in that the Shadowhunters wouldn't be happy either. Their argument was cut short when Jace arrived. Simon could hear them fighting and then there was only silence.

"Simon?" Jace called from the outer room

"Under the bed." Simon called back. He tried to wiggle out of his hiding spot but his ankle was killing him and he only made it about a quarter of the way out before Jace had to pull him out.

"Good hiding spot." Jace said with a grin and Simon shrugged

"Monsters never look under the bed, that's supposed to be their turf." Simon said and Jace laughed causing Simon to crack a smile.

"We have some good news. Alec got Izzy to talk and she spilled everything. He took the information to Magnus who's taking it to Santiago tonight and getting the hit taken off your head. He might even invite you back to the clan." Jace said plopping down onto the bed beside Simon. Simon raised his eyebrow at the blood that Jace was getting on his blanket but didn't say anything. He could wash it later since there was three washers and two driers in the basement.

"I've got work to do. Will you bring me my laptop?" Simon asked and Jace raised an eyebrow

"You're not going to comment about what I just said." He asked incredulously. Simon shrugged

"I've gone almost a year without a clan. It's hard sometimes and I always feel like I'm adrift in a stormy sea but I've grown used to it. Whether or not Raphael invites me back isn't important anymore because I doubt, he will. He's got far too much pride to rescind the banishment even if he takes the hit off my head." Simon said blandly. Jace frowned and left the room returning with the laptop. Simon shooed him away to the bathroom to clean the blood off himself and started to strip the bed so that he could remake it in clean sheets. When Jace returned he was shirtless but his jeans were cleaner and it was obvious he had scrubbed at them to clean them up. Jace helped him remake the bed before crawling in and curling up beside him. Simon worked on deleting the last of the conspiracy blog and set about going through the security cameras around the city to do his weekly doctoring session. Jace pressed into his side and Simon let him knowing that this was Jace's way of giving comfort. Jace fell asleep somewhere between five and six so when Simon put the computer away at seven he was softly snoring. Simon watched the Shadowhunter sleep and wondered if he could have fallen in love with Jace if things had been different. He supposed he could have, Jace was beautiful in an angelic way until he opened his mouth and started talking. That was when one knew he was an asshole. Simon slipped out of the bed and grabbed his crutches from where Jace had put them leaning on the bedside table. He hobbled into spare room which Magnus had turned into a library of sorts and grabbed the book he had been reading the previous day. It was on Vampire law, something that Simon figured he should really know since he was now both a vampire and without a clan. There were all sorts of things that now applied to him such as a vampire from a clan could kill him without getting in trouble if he was on clan land and the fact that Simon could create his own clan if he could find them a place to live and have five or more vampire followers. He had thought about making his own clan for a brief minute before discarding the idea since he was no leader. He would more than likely get anyone who followed him killed by the Dumort Clan. Other things he had learned was that since he was still a fledgling Raphael had had to prove without a doubt that Simon had been a danger to his clan before kicking him out officially and that if he had known the law, he could have contested the decision within a month of being banished.

Not that Clary would have released him from the rune to let him return to Dumort.

Raphael stood at the door of his Papa's apartment. Magnus had told him to come over and that had raised all sorts of red flags with the clan leader. First, Magnus didn't talk to him anymore, it had started when Raphael had become Camille's second in command and especially after he had kicked Simon out. He and Magnus had fought for days about that decision. Magnus had won in the long run. While Raphael hadn't rescinded the banishment yet he had pulled the bounty off Simon's head and had been spreading the word that the fledgling was still under the protection of Dumort. William had fled which had caused a whole array of new problems starting with the fact that Raphael would need a new bounty broker to work for the clan and ending with the fact that some of the Downworld would still be hunting Simon due to the sleaze's deal with Camille.

Another reason he was worried about coming to Magnus' apartment was that he was afraid the fledgling was staying there. He hadn't visited since he had taken over the role of Clan leader because Raphael hadn't had the time. Magnus was known for having a big heart. He would have taken Simon in in heartbeat and that had always been the reason Raphael hadn't visited his Papa after Simon's banishment. After standing there for several minutes contemplating what was on the other side of the door the door burst open and Raphael was dragged inside by the Warlock.

"He's not here but we do need to talk about our dear Samone." Magnus said sounding slightly exasperated. Raphael raised his eyebrow at who was there, the two Lightwoods. The male sibling was standing by the large windows, leaning against the wall in the perfect picture of nonchalance. The female was sitting on the couch, a tissue box in her lap and her makeup running down her face as she cried softly.

"Who has the fledgling killed?" Raphael asked gritting his teeth to keep from running out to find the baby vampire to hide him away.

"No one. It's more of what was done to him." The male Lightwood said and Raphael crossed his arms across his chest.

"When they freed Camille, was Seamus acting…odd?" Magnus asked and Raphael shrugged

"He was more distant than he had been before. Refused to let me touch him. Agitated." Raphael said without mentioning that Simon had recoiled away when Raphael had tried to calm him by pulling him into his arms or how he had been repeating the same phrase over and over like it was the only thing he could say.

"He was under the control of a rune called Rectio. It's basically the drawer has complete control over the victim, what they do, what they say, everything. While they are under its control the victim is aware of everything but helpless to stop any of it. It's illegal to use on another Shadowhunter and so old no one thought to make it illegal for use on Downworlders." The male Lightwood said and Raphael knew if he was the type to still breath the air would have been drained from his lungs.

"As convenient as that sounds, why should I believe the word of a Shadowhunter?" Raphael asked and this time Magnus spoke

"I've seen it too. I'm old enough to remember when it was still used. It's the Rectio rune on Simon's shoulder." He said and Raphael frowned. Simon hadn't been in control but then who freed him

"How did he get free? I doubt the person who drew it removed it. Simon would have been back at the hotel explaining himself if that was the case." Raphael said and he watched as Magnus and the older Lightwood shared a look

"I broke it." The female Lightwood said breaking the silence and speaking for the first time since he had arrived. With all the attention on her the girl began to speak. She spoke of Fray locking Simon away so that he would have limited contact with the rest of the Shadowhunters. She spoke of how Simon seemed to be wasting away and how one night in January Fray had been called away on a mission before she could lock Simon away. The girl said she had taken a seraph blade and tore through the rune freeing Simon before telling him to run and not look back.

"…I got an anti-tracking potion from a warlock and doused everything that Clary could have used to track him in it. I just hoped that he would be safe where ever he ended up. That one day he would be truly free." She said and Raphael felt the world around him fade to static. His bebè had been alone because of this.

"Why are you just bringing this to my attention now?" Raphael snapped. Half of him wanted to flash out of there and search every dark place for his cariño.

"Because we found Sherwin. He's safe for now but whispers in the Downworld is that Camille's looking for him as well. He needs the bounty to be pulled from his head Raphael. He doesn't deserve to be hunted." Magnus said and Raphael frowned

"The bounty was supposed to be pulled a couple of weeks ago. My broker didn't because he was working for Camille. I've spread the word that's it's invalid now though. Anyone who tries to collect knows they would have to deal with the clan." Raphael said and Magnus nodded.

"Good. I'm sure Seth will be happy to not have any more vampires attack him in the streets." Magnus said clapping his hands. Raphael frowned but didn't comment

"Where is he." He asked and the older Lightwood pushed off from his place on the wall

"He's safe. Until he wants to see you or unless we think he needs the clan it is better if his hiding spot remains a secret. We don't want Clary to find it." He said and Raphael frowned.

"He'll need blood. I'm not sure where he's currently getting it but I'll start supplying him." Raphael said and Magnus nodded.

"Wonderful." He said cheerily. Raphael narrowly held back on the urge to roll his eyes in a way that was undignified

"If Simon asks, he had a place at Dumort." He said instead before flashing away.