Disclaimer: Still not Cassandra Clare, so I still don't own the characters' in this story.

Being with both Simon and Jace in such a small area for such a long time was beginning to take it's toll on Clary. She loved them both dearly, but, for Angel's sake, could they not shut up for five seconds? After a fascinating conversation about football (apparently a Shadowhunter and vampire's biggest disagreement could still be over Manchester United and Liverpool), they'd now moved onto a scintillating game of I-Spy. Clary had to constantly remind herself that no, they were not five year-olds.

"Traffic light?" Simon hazarded a guess. Jace snorted.

"I think I can be a little more creative than that."

"Idiotic, yes. Creative, no." Simon couldn't resist a little jibe. Clary reached over and slapped the back of his neck firmly.

"Hey!" He protested, "D'you want a crash?"

"We're in a traffic jam," Jace pointed out.

"So?"

"So shut up and guess."

Clary rolled her eyes, and settled herself back into Jace's muscular, scarred arms. Jace absent-mindedly played with a lock of her fiery hair during Simon's next few guesses. Simon was becoming more and more desperate, but he was damned if he was about to give into Jace's merciless taunts. Wait, he was damned already... Whatever.

"Need a clue, vamp?" Jace grinned.

"Nope."

"Sure?"

"Yup."

By the Angel, boys' were boring, Clary thought as she laid her head on Jace's shoulder and willed herself to sleep.

------***-------

"I don't know, Iz..."

"Maia!" Isabelle moved over to shake her vigorously by the shoulders. "Of course they'll show up. It's gonna be fun, trust me." Maia had trusted Isabelle one too many times before, but she shrugged, and returned to the cakes she was laying out on a plate.

"If it's any consolation, darling," Magnus called from the sitting room, which he was currently transforming into wonderland, "I've personally arranged travel for Alec, and I will be very disappointed if he doesn't use it..."

Isabelle laughed.

"Good luck with that!" She blew into a balloon with a little too much force... it popped with a loud 'BANG!'

"Oops..." said a shell-shocked Isabelle as Maia burst out laughing.

"Oops indeed," Maia surveyed the trays and platters of various cakes that were scattered around the kitchen, "I reckon that's enough, right?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"The more the better!" She sang cheerfully, accidentally putting a teaspoon of salt into her chocolate brownie mixture instead of sugar. "It'll be fine!" She pouted as Maia shook her head.

Twenty minutes later, Isabelle's rock-hard cookies and Maia's dainty fairy cakes were all stacked up in the kitchen where Magnus had demanded they be left.

"Time to get ready!" Isabelle announced gleefully.

"But, Izzy..." Maia was already confused, "You look awesome. Plus, I didn't know you had clothes at my place?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatedly.

"Not me! You." She said it like it was obvious.

Maia looked herself over: black converse, with silver stars that she'd gotten Clary to paint on once; big, baggy combat trousers and a 'World of Warcraft' t-shirt, especially to impress Simon.

Simon. The only vampire she'd ever been friends with, ever taken the opportunity to even get to know, against everything she, a werewolf stood for. She was made to hate vampires, destroy them if possible. It was in her blood. It was expected of her, normal etiquette for werewolves. So why did she feel such a pull towards Simon?

"Please?" Isabelle took her hand and began to drag her reluctantly up to her room. "You don't want me to force you, do you?"

With that, Maia was thrown into the world of bright red lipstick, glitter eye-shadow, and nine-inch heels.

------***------

"I give up," Simon said grudgingly.

"At last," Jace smirked, but his eyes were fixed on Clary.

"What was it then?"

"I don't know."

Simon blinked.

"...You. Don't. Know?" Simon's voice was low, angry.

"Nope." Jace was, naturally, oblivious to his anger. "I was just waiting for you to say something interest, but I should've guessed that was impossible."

Simon was this close to throttling him, but that would've woken Clary up, so he graciously refrained.

They drove on in a strangely companionable silence for a while. Simon watched Jace and Clary through the rear-view mirror. Sleeping peacefully cradled in his arms, Clary was oblivious to the vulnerable, tender look in his blazing golden eyes. Love. He gently pushed back a lock of unruly red hair obscuring her eyes. Simon looked away, not wanting to intrude on this decidedly private moment.

A/N: Ah, how I love writing Jace and Simon's... disagreements... ;) Another slow chapter, sorry, it'll definitely heat up next time, and Aline will enter... Mwahahahaaaaaa! Anyway. R&R! ^^