"Lightwood Garroway, you've reached Jace Wayland's office. No Stan, I've told you not to call this number when there's a package, you let the lady at the desk in the main reception know. Remember? Yes, letters too. Okay Stan? Great. Bye, Stan. Take care!" Jocelyn hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. "Just retire already."
Jocelyn looked up to see Simon nervously approaching her and stopping at her desk. It took him a moment to speak up. "Okay, what have I done this time?"
"Don't be nervous; you tap your fingers on your thighs like you're playing piano when you're nervous." Jocelyn noted.
"I have been learning to play piano…I'm great at guitar too! I'm realising this isn't relevant and you don't really care. You pick up on things really quickly, huh?" Simon asked.
"Yep. I'm Jocelyn and I'm awesome. I know people. Take Jace for example; when he runs his hand through his hair and likes to think it makes him look confident he's really doing it because he's nervous. I only know because he so rarely does it. Just go straight in; he didn't seem angry at all."
"Okay. Thanks." Simon breathed deeply before walking into the office and took a seat opposite Jace at his desk. "I'm sorry I was slow getting that contract done last week."
"Shut up." Jace said, leaning forward. "You got that done quicker than I've ever seen someone do it. I'd had a really bad day and I took it out on you and…Clary. I'm…I'm sorry."
"Is that another sentence you're not used to saying?" Simon asked.
"It is, so enjoy it."
"So, what did happen last week?"
"Valentine and Hodge have set me up; no idea how they've managed it. At dinner two people who work for them came with a contract I'd apparently negotiated to leave the firm to come and work for them. They'd forged my signature and my email account; it all looks legit. I've talked to Luke, Maryse and Robert and they all know what Valentine and Hodge are like; they believe me but Alec and Isabelle haven't spoken to me since." Jace explained.
"…That does seem like a sticky situation." Simon nodded.
"That's putting it lightly. I'm devoting most of my attention to getting to the bottom of this, which is another reason I called you in here. I'm giving you your first case." Jace said.
Simon thought his heart had stopped beating for a moment. "…What? Really?"
"Yep. Time to get excited." Jace said, picking up a file to the side of him and passing it to Simon. "One of our clients came to see me yesterday. His son Jonah was involved in a car accident the previous day; Jonah was driving home at night when someone appeared out of nowhere, he hit them but in his panic kept on driving and doesn't know what happened to whoever got hit. Swears blind he wasn't drinking or on drugs. Jocelyn's put a slot in your timetable to go and meet him. All good?"
"Uh, well…I, um…I…"
"Spit it out, Harry Potter."
"Well, I…I don't know if I'm ready for this yet." Simon admitted.
"Course you are! I believe you can do it, shouldn't be that much of a challenge." Jace stated.
"But-"
"-Simon Lewis, grow a pair." Jace said as he stood up from his desk. "A man who can't swim finds himself thrown into deep water, what happens? He learned to swim or drowned. Don't drown. Being thrown in at the deep end is never a bad thing. This is what you've dreamed of doing for years, so relish in it and get this fixed. Right, I've got some flowers to pick up downstairs."
"Huh, didn't think of you as a flower kind of guy." Simon smirked.
"They're not for me, Potter. Off you go; change the world one person at a time. First impressions and all that." Jace smiled, patting Simon on the book as he headed out towards the elevator. Simon looked down at the file in his hands for a moment before heading out himself.
"Simon?" Jocelyn called out as Simon walked past her. "You'll do great."
Simon smiled and nodded before walking off.
…
Alec got fed up of the constant attempts from Robert and Maryse to call him, so he eventually just turned his phone off. He hadn't been to work for two days and had tried to do all the work he could from home in his apartment. He didn't want to believe Jace would betray the firm – betray him – so easily, but the evidence was there as clear as day. Even so, Robert and Maryse didn't listen to reason and believed Jace's story despite the evidence stacking up against him as they always did; their golden boy with the golden hair. At least Isabelle still had her doubts; Alec could always count on his sister to be on side.
Maybe he could just go in for a few hours and keep himself to himself? He could just refuse to talk to them.
Even so, the mere thought of having to be in close proximity, in the same building as any of them was exhausting. Nevertheless, he grabbed a suit from the wardrobe, shoved it in the back of his car and set off, not knowing exactly where it was he was driving too; the closer he got to the firm the less he wanted to be there.
Eventually he found a place to stop as he pulled into a carpark just outside the city centre. He stepped out and looked at the building in front of him; a bar called Pandemonium of all things. Still, he could use a drink.
It was all very flashy inside; neon lights all over the place, loud thumping music and a surprising amount of people considering it was still fairly early in the day. Alec felt put off by the atmosphere and almost turned to leave, and yet something was compelling him to stay. It was a weird sense of familiarity, a sense of home. It was just somewhere to hide and get away, so it definitely had that going for it.
Alec took a seat on a stool at the bar and ordered a whiskey; it had been a while since he'd drunk any and despite never actually liking the taste he found himself coming back to it now and again. Just as he was starting to feel relaxed and forget about his parents and Jace and work, a familiar purring voice sent a shiver down his spine as someone took a seat next to him.
"Alexander! What a pleasant surprise. It feels like fate." Magnus Bane smiled.
…
Clary was fixated on her computer screen as she reread the patent for what felt like the sixtieth time at least. Everything certainly seemed to be in order but she had to be absolutely sure that there we no mistakes or-
Her view was blocked by a bouquet of flowers being placed in front of her. Roses and lilies in reds, pinks and whites were all lovingly placed together in a baby yellow box, starting to dampen from the water inside. She looked up and saw Jace stood there staring.
"…They're for you." Jace said, running a hand through his hair.
"Oh, um…"
"…To apologise for last week. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I'd just been having a really bad day." Jace said sincerely.
"I see. That's very sweet, thank you. And apology accepted." Clary smiled, moving the bouquet to the end of the desk, still on show but away from her computer screen. "I love roses and lilies."
"Yeah, Jocelyn said. I've no idea how she knew but the woman knows everything." Jace explained.
"We, uh…we go way back." Clary smiled. "They're beautiful. Lots of red roses, very romantic."
Jace's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I didn't want to imply anything or that I…sorry, I…"
"I'm just messing with you." Clary laughed. "I love them. And I wish I could have taken a picture of your face just then."
"I'm glad you didn't; I have a reputation to uphold." Jace smirked.
"If that were the case, why didn't you get someone to bring these to me instead of letting people see you do it yourself?" Clary wondered.
"…That way I wouldn't have gotten to see you." Jace said timidly as Clary blushed. "Well, I have more bridges to stop burning so…see you around."
He quickly hurried off and away; Clary watched him go with a smile, her cheeks still bright red. That was a Jace Wayland she'd never seen before, one she never even knew existed, and one she rather liked.
"Be careful of that one." A voice to Clary's right stated; she turned to see Isabelle stood there, arms folded and a cold expression on her face.
…
"What a lovely thing coincidence can be." Magnus grinned as he prompted the bartender to get him another drink; Alec assumed that Magnus must come here quite often and has a 'usual'.
"If only this were one of those times." Alec said, sipping his whiskey.
"Come on, you're not in the slightest bit pleased to see me again? I was saddened that you didn't call." Magnus commented.
"I'm sure your heart will mend." Alec said, refusing to give Magnus the satisfaction of eye contact. "I can remember making my position pretty clear."
"I'd like to make your position clear myself." Magnus smirked flirtatiously. "What brings you to Pandemonium at this time of day?"
"Needed to get away. You?" Alec asked, not entirely sure why he was even interested.
"It's happy hour somewhere! I've always loved the vibe of this place; beautiful men and women always come and go. I wish I could recount some of the nights I've spent in this place, but the nights you don't remember are always the best ones." Magnus explained.
"I don't tend to get out much." Alec said.
"I am utterly shocked by the surprising revelation."
"Is this going anywhere, Magnus?" Alec asked.
"I'm touched you remember my name. I was just wondering if you'd like to come and sit with me at my table over there. I bought that spot a few months ago. Just us." Magnus suggested.
"No thanks. I told you I'm not interested."
"Many men have told me that before now. They'd changed their minds the next morning."
"Just leave me alone, okay?" Alec grumbled.
"…I'm sorry if I've upset you." Magnus said.
"That's all anyone ever seems to do nowadays." Alec sighed.
Magnus looked intensely at Alec for a moment. "…I've been suspended for a week."
Alec looked at Magnus. "…You have?"
"I had a disagreement with the boys on top. Which is odd because that's usually me." Magnus purred.
"Do you have to layer everything you say with innuendo?"
"Sometimes that's all that gets me through the day." Magnus smirked. "I take it you're upset over Jace."
"Not just Jace, but yeah." Alec confirmed.
"Then let's forget about what upsets us for a few hours. Come have a drink as two people who want to get away for a while." Magnus suggested.
Alec looked at Magnus, then at his near empty glass, over to the empty table Magnus had reserved and the back to Magnus himself. "If you buy the next round."
"Consider it done. Cocktails it is." Magnus declared happily.
"I…I don't really drink cocktails." Alec said.
"You do now. Whiskey is absolute cat piss." Magnus said, signalling for the barman again before turning to Alec. "Believe me, I know; I have a cat and I once spent a whole evening drinking whiskey. Far too easy to mix the two up when there are lots of spillages on the floor."
Alec actually found himself laughing at that before heading over to Magnus' table, looking back and taking another look at his extravagant companion as he went.
…
Simon walked into the staffroom located at the end of the corridor of Floor 35 where a large table and chairs was set up with kitchen utensils arranged in cabinets on one side. He and Clary had been eating lunch together there every day for the last few weeks. "Sorry I'm late, had some stuff to chase up about this case Jace has got me working on and oh wow Isabelle hi."
Clary and Isabelle were sat together at the table giggling away. They book looked up at Simon and grinned.
"Hello, Simon. Congrats on getting your own case." Isabelle said softly.
"Uh…thank you. I didn't, um…you two…I didn't know you two…" Simon mumbled.
"I was asking a fellow associate a favour when I saw Clary here talking to Jace. I took it upon myself to warn her of his treacherous ways and then we ended up talking about all sorts. I like your taste in friends, Simon." Isabelle explained happily.
"Come on, sit down!" Clary smiled. "How's the case going with that Jonah kid you told me about?"
"Not too bad." Simon replied as he took a seat next to Clary (he knew her better than Isabelle, and Isabelle's beauty intimidated him). "I met with Jonah and he said the guy he hit didn't come into his vision until it was too late, and when I inspected the car the minimal damage and angles of it, it corroborates with Jonah's story, which was good."
"Did you track down the guy he hit?" Isabelle inquired.
Simon was secretly very pleased Isabelle was taking an interest. "Yep; I checked the hospital records and a boy named Connor Wilton was rushed to hospital not long after the incident took place with injuries that matched what Jonah told us. The problem was that Connor was taken to hospital because a 911 call told the ambulance where to go."
"That's a bad thing?" Clary asked.
"It is when I recognised the number the lady on the phone read out to me; Jonah was the one who called 911." Simon revealed.
"And he didn't tell you that?" Isabelle asked.
"He did not, no, which is super helpful. Luckily, Connor is currently stable despite some injuries. I recommended Jonah turn himself into the police even though it was an accident since it would put us in a better position." Simon said.
"Smart call. Did he agree?" Isabelle wondered.
"Yep, I took him down there myself. He's there now. I have to go and see an Assistant DA to present the case to her." Simon explained.
"Which one?" Isabelle asked.
"Uh…Ida? Immette?"
"Imogen? Imogen Herondale?" Isabelle corrected nervously.
"That's it…I don't like your tone." Simon winced.
"Imogen Herondale is a bitch, plain and simple. You'll need all the luck you can get with her." Isabelle warned.
Simon sighed. "Great."
"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Clary reassured.
"Well, I best get back to work; no rest for the fabulous. I'll see you on Saturday, Clary. Bye, Simon." Isabelle declared as she headed out. Simon rushed out after her.
"Isabelle?"
"…Yeah?"
"I just, uh…you know Jace was set up, right? He never planned on leaving the firm." Simon said.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. "I've known him for years, Simon, and I can still believe he'd do something like that. He only cares for himself, like I was telling Clary. I've seen girl after girl come and go and not one of them sticks in his mind. As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care."
"I just…I think there's a side to him he keeps well hidden from you and Alec."
"Simon, I don't want to be angry with you and it's sweet that you're trying to fix things, but Jace will show you who he really is soon enough. Fake a signature, maybe, but to fake his private emails that Alec told me about? No chance." Isabelle said, straightening Simon's tie with a smile before walking off.
"You know why he gave me this case? So he could dedicate his time into mending fences with you and Alec." Simon stated. Isabelle stopped for a moment, but said nothing and carried on walking. Defeated, Simon returned to the staffroom with Clary. "So you and her are BFFs suddenly?"
"We just clicked, that's all. We're going out on the town on Saturday. My god, you're sweaty." Clary smirked.
"What? I am?" Simon asked nervously, placing a hand on his brow.
"Wow, you just melt around Isabelle Lightwood, don't you?" Clary chuckled.
"It's not funny, it's embarrassing." Simon sighed as he sat back down.
"I think it's sweet that you have a little crush." Clary teased.
"Is that so? And why was it that Isabelle felt the need to warn you away from Jace?" Simon wondered with a smirk.
Clary's face dropped and her cheeks went red. "Don't you have an Assistant DA to go talk to?"
…
Imogen's office was quite bland, Simon observed as he walked in, shook her hand and took a seat. The desk was a nice glossy mahogany, but the walls and carpet were beige and aside from the shelves of books and computer of the desk, the only other decoration was a single painting of a landscape hung up directly opposite where Imogen sat.
Imogen herself was an older woman, with lines of age and wisdom on her face. She was thin yet intimidating and ice cold. Simon assumed that monsters checked under their beds at night in case Imogen Herondale was there.
"It would help if I could look through that." Imogen said, her voice sharp as she pointed at the folder Simon held.
"Oh, of course. Sorry." Simon chuckled nervously as he handed it to her and watched for a few minutes of pure silence as she looked over it.
Imogen laid the folder down on her desk and looked right into Simon's eyes with such intensity he was scared his glasses would start to melt. "And what sentence are you proposing?"
Simon fiddled through his laptop case before pulling out another sheet of paper and handing it to Imogen. "My client is willing to accept maximum community service and a fine, but nothing more."
Imogen looked over the document. "Is that so?"
"Well…yeah. It's only a minor offence and my client turned himself into the police of his own accord." Simon stated.
"I'm afraid this won't do. Unless you're willing to pay for funeral costs?" Imogen wondered.
Simon looked confused. "Funeral costs?"
"We just received word that Connor Wilton died from his injuries earlier this afternoon." Imogen revealed.
"…What? But…but he was stable?!"
"And now he's very stable. With Mr Wilton's passing your client has committed a much more serious felony, one that normally warrants twelve to fifteen years in jail. He'd still have a long life after his sentence, at least." Imogen said, sounding far too pleased with how things had turned out. "I think you'd better go speak to your client, don't you think?"
…
Alec and Magnus chuckled as they stumbled out of Pandemonium and back into the car park.
"…And it turns out I'd slept with the wrong twin!" Magnus finished as Alec tried to control his laughter.
"That might just be the single greatest story I've ever heard." Alec stated.
"What an honour that is. Why don't you come back to my place? For tea, not…anything else. I import the most spectacular blend." Magnus suggested.
Alec grew serious. "Oh, I…I shouldn't. I think I might just head home."
"Very well. At least let me drop you off; you're in no fit state to drive." Magnus said.
"And you are?"
"I'm not driving, I have a chauffeur!" Magnus declared, pointing towards the glossy black limo in the corner of the carpark that Alec couldn't believe he hadn't noticed earlier. "I love Parker."
"Parker? Isn't that the chauffeur in Thunderbirds as well?" Alec wondered amusedly.
"Oh, Parker isn't his real name but it's the one I insist on using." Magnus said.
Alec laughed. "And he's been sat there since you went in? It's been hours!"
"He doesn't mind, one can only imagine how many Pokémon he's managed to catch. You can come back and get your car when you're sober. Let's go!"
"Okay, fine…" Alec smiled and let Magnus lead the way over to the limo. Just as they went to get in, Alec put a hand on Magnus' arm (and tried not to look quite so surprised at how muscular it felt). "Thanks for this. I actually had a great time."
"Me too, Alexander. Me too." Magnus smiled.
…
Jace sat at his desk waiting for Simon's arrival. When Simon had called him to update him on the case, he gave up on driving around the city and looking for Alec in all the places he thought he might be and headed back to the building, especially when Simon added he thought he'd found something good.
Eventually, Simon rushed in and put some papers on his desk.
"Okay, and what's this?"
"When Connor Wilton was brought to hospital he was dressed in all black. Local CCTV picked up someone matching his description spraying graffiti onto a wall, ditching the cans and running off in the direction of the road he was hit by Jonah on." Simon explained as he pointed at the papers Jace held containing CCTV screenshots.
"Oh, this is good, it puts the fault on Wilton rushing to get away from his own crime." Jace said.
"It still doesn't feel right, having to pin the blame on him like this." Simon noted.
"Of course it's not; the poor kid died, but we have to put our own client first. The law is hard but it is the law. Let's go stick it to Imogen." Jace said, standing up.
"Actually, uh…do you mind if I went alone?" Simon asked.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'd really like to be the one to, you know, stick it to her." Simon said.
"I'd have thought she was a bit old for you, but each to their own." Jace smirked.
"Come on, man."
…
The following day, Simon walked out of Connor Wilton's family home feeling good about himself. The previous day he'd returned to Imogen with the new evidence he had found, and she had agreed to the original deal he'd proposed. Simon was shocked when Jonah hugged him after revealing the outcome.
The next day he'd been told to visit the Wilton family to discuss expenses; they had accepted that Jonah hadn't been to blame for Connor's death and just wanted enough money to pay off his debts and funeral costs, which they estimated to be around twenty thousand dollars.
Jace had told Simon not to offer them a maximum of a hundred thousand dollars, and that's what he gave them.
Returning to Jace's office, Simon was shocked to find Jace sat there with two glasses of whiskey, handing one to him as he approached the desk. "First case done and dusted. How do you feel?"
"Pretty great, actually." Simon smiled.
"Nothing beats the way you're feeling right now, I promise you that much. Cheers." Jace said, tapping his glass of whiskey against Simon's. The two downed the liquid in one go.
"Oh, that's hideous." Simon coughed.
"Yeah, it's really not good. We'll get to the more expensive stuff when you close your tenth one, how about that?" Jace suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Simon agreed.
"I'm…I almost feel like I'm proud of you, Potter." Jace admitted.
"Thanks. I think." Simon smiled. "Any progress with Alec and Isabelle?"
"I drove around most of the day trying to find Alec and nothing, and Isabelle make an excuse to leave any room I walked into. The grind continues. I did apologise to Clary earlier though."
Simon smiled to himself. "Ah."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Well, go home and get some well-earned rest. Now the hard work really starts." Jace said.
"Marvellous." Simon sighed.
"When I closed my first case, Robert told me something I'll never forget. Remember what I was saying about learning to swim or drowning?" Jace asked.
"Yeah?"
"In this business, each case is a new start. You can never learn to swim, just learn to float."
"Wise words." Simon nodded.
"Rob has his moments, I guess. I guess I'm wondering if you're ready for what's coming next?" Jace wondered.
"You know, three days ago I'd have said no."
"What happened?" Jace asked.
Simon looked at him and smiled. "You threw me in at the deep end."