And the next ^-^ thank you for the lovely comments on this. Next should be up tomorrow! Thanks x

Anastasia refused to flinch as the needle sunk deep into her arm, clenching her teeth as he draw her blood. She sighed gently, as it was pulled out, eyes flickering upwards to Valentine as he carefully put it away, asking "Why do you need my blood?"

"Another time, Anastasia." He just said before getting to his feet and Anastasia blinked. "You're busy on Jonathans birthday?"

"He'll understand how my cause is 24/7 in the future." He told her, adjusting his tie. Anastasia just muttered out coldly. "You don't have to be so cryptic about it. I do understand what this is all about, you know?"

"Are you backchatting me?" Valentine growled now, turning on her. She shook her head a few times, eyes locked upon his charcoal own. "Good. I've only just gotten rid of Jonathans. The last thing I need is you developing an attitude, Anastasia. And no, you do not know what this is all about." And with that, he yanked the door open and was gone. Her blood too.

Anastasia groaned, letting her eyes close with a flutter. But before she could get up, a snarl echoed down the corridor. "Come Anastasia. Now."

She climbed to her feet, feeling utterly sour as she walked into the corridor and up it. By the Angel did she hate obeying orders. But Anastasia did it, because she didn't want to get hit around the face as punishment like Valentine often did with Jonathan. Maybe she was a coward at times, but she didn't care. Why should she? This was her life. She was only human… well, part human.

Anastasia suddenly felt miserable at the thought of Valentine shunning her, thinking her useless. She wasn't. She wasn't. She clenched her teeth as she met him by the front door of the place, asking him "Yes?"

"I thought you'd like to see Jonathans birthday present." He said smoothly and pushed the front door open. Anastasia blinked and arched a brow at him. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

The man narrowed his eyes, then shoved her forwards so she fell through the door, landing on all fours neatly. Anastasia blinked as her hands touched wooden flooring, staring at the smooth brown of it. This wasn't outside. Hesitantly, she climbed to her feet and looked around, a frown appearing on her face- a kitchen?

"I- I don't-?" Anastasia mumbled as Valentine stepped forwards, and Jonathan a few minuets later, his eyes wide with wonder as he laughed out "I know what this is. It is, isn't it?"

Valentine nodded and stood before the pair, dark eyes lingering on Anastasia for a moment before he spoke in Jonathans direction. "In Paris, you have a job to do. This is important; I need you to spy on the Paris Institute. Find out if a Shadowhunter named Frederick Roche is residing there."

"What do I do if I find him?" Jonathan asked, raising a hand to rest upon the hilt of his seraph blade that was tucked into his belt. Valentine chuckled quietly. "Kill him. As soon as you find him. Discreetly."

Jonathan looked as if he wanted to ask what this man, this Shadowhunter had done, but held his tongue and nodded. "Of course."

"When you're done, report to me your findings or… outcome. Then you're free for the week." Valentine continued and Jonathan frowned, looking and sounding genuinely confused. "What do you mean?" a pause, then his father clapped him on the shoulder, telling him. "I mean, Jonathan, that you are free to do what you wish for a week after your mission. Your birthday gift this year. All I request of you both is that you keep your true identities hidden. Call this an exam for you Jonathan, to see if you can be trusted out there alone. Years of theory exams, and this is your final one- a practical."

Anastasia was taken aback by that- Valentine was trusting his son for a whole week, to workalone-? By the Angel, that had never happened before.

"Thank you father." Jonathan nodded, and Anastasia could see his eyes were next to blazing with excitement. He wanted to leave, and she realized just what this place was. He'd told her of it once, an apartment of a sort that moved to wherever they wanted.

He's going to trash the place Anastasia smirked internally. He'll never be able to step inside ever again after this. Wait. Did he say both-?

"Anastasia is coming as well." Valentine now said, stepping towards the exit. "Teamwork. Something you both need to brush up on." And then he was gone, leaving the pair of them stunned.

"I hope you know how to drive this thing." Anastasia muttered and Jonathan scoffed, stepping past her, shutting the door with a snap. "Of course I do."

"Why has he never shown me this place?" she scowled now as she walked over to a chair before a pine colored table and sat down before it. It annoyed her, the idea that Valentine was keeping things secret. He swore to her that he was an open book, that he knew he could trust her.

Lies. Fucking lies.

Jonathan walked over and sat opposite her, sighing out as he folded his arms upon the table. "Does this mean I'm stuck with you for a week?"

"Believe me; you're not high on my list of spending a week alone with either." Anastasia snapped back, meeting his charcoal eyes that seemed… unfathomable. He shrugged and merely walked off, calling back "I claim the biggest bedroom."

"Matches your head." Anastasia grumbled, letting her eyes flutter shut-

A week with Jonathan…

Her eyes snapped open as she realized that this wasn't just a test for him, but for her too. Valentines's words about them both being lovers in the future echoed through her mind now. He wanted to know if she'd been telling the truth. Sneaky fucking bastard. They were alone with no one around. An entire week…

Anastasia rolled her eyes internally, vowing to get through the week without even smiling at Jonathan. Maybe then Valentine would take her seriously when she said she had no feelings whatsoever for his son.

As Jonathan returned to the kitchen a moment later, his gear in his arms. He pulled it on, Alexandra blinked. "Where are you going?"

He chuckled at that, tightening his belt. "Are you deaf? Father wanted a job doing. We're in Paris already." Anastasia stared at him as he slipped a seraph blade into his belt, sighing out "Be careful."

"Too scared to come?" Jonathan teased with a smirk upon his face and Anastasia scowled. "He asked you, not me."

"But we are as close as parabatai."

That took Anastasia aback, blinking hard. "We are nowhere near anything like that. Why… why would you say that?" she was next to glaring. Jonathan said nothing after that, finishing off putting his gear on and simply walked out of the house without a word.

She guessed she'd pissed him off, but then he poked his white blonde head back inside and smiled almost angelically as he told her. "And don't worry about me. Nothing is about to get me. I'll see you later. Be a wench and make dinner."

He was gone again and Anastasia rolled her eyes, running a hand through her long midnight hair- his cockiness around her was going to get him hurt, she knew it. Such a show-off around her. Just because he was a fantastic Shadowhunter didn't mean he was invincible. He was flesh and blood. He could…

Anastasia paused as she realized she was caring about him. She frowned lightly and wandered over to the fridge, finding it freshly stocked for them for the week, her mind heavy with thought; all these years with Valentine had taught her three things. One, that there was no place for fear in a Shadowhunter, so she had toughened up for him. Almost as fearless as Jonathan by now, but she still moments of anxiousness. Two, that you had to grow up. There was no place for children in this place. She had to be strong, mentally and physically. And three, there was no place for love in this life. It would only get the people involved hurt. Valentine had told her a little while ago about Jonathans mother, Jocelyn… that she'd hated him as soon as he was born. How could you hate a baby? Maybe his mothers influence in his life would have made him less… less cruel. She and Valentine had been married, he'd adored her, and… she betrayed him. It made Anastasia feel sorry for Jonathan in a way. The day Valentine told his son about his mother, Anastasia saw the anger, loss and hurt in his charcoaled eyes.

He could have been so different.

Anastasia just stared blankly at the fridge- urgh, fuck cooking. She wasn't hungry. Jonathan could do it himself. She yawned and walked through the corridors until she found a bedroom. The first one was the one Jonathan had claimed, and she couldn't be bothered to argue when he came back and found her in 'his' room. She opened the wardrobe and found clothes in there, but nothing to wear for bed. Urgh. Great.

She snuck into Jonathans room and into his wardrobe, snagging the biggest and longest t-shirt she could find and used it as a nightgown. The bed was soft when she returned to it, peeking a look through the closed curtains to feel a smile creeping onto her face as she spied the Eiffel Tower and Parisian landscape. So beautiful she thought, suddenly feeling grateful that Valentine had ordered her to come as well. With a yawn, Anastasia slid a knife under her pillow like she always did out of habit and turned the lights off, falling asleep almost instantly.

Anastasia didn't know what woke her up, and from the twilight in her room, it made the shadows look distorted in such a way she grabbed the blade and held it before her with her heart hammering. Slowly she came to and realized where she was.

After shoving the blade back under the pillow, she wandered into the kitchen, about to open the fridge when she spied the drops of dark scarlet blood upon the floor. Shadowhunter instincts kicked in and she grabbed her stele from the table where she'd left it, along with a normal kitchen knife. She wished she'd bought the seraph blade with her, but it was still in her room. In total silence, eyes staring ahead, she followed the spots of blood and came to the bathroom where the door was wide open. Her hand tightened around the hilt of the blade and she stepped into the room, weapon held high… but she soon felt her grip loosen as she spied the person sat before the shower, back against it and eyes closed.

"Jonathan?" Anastasia muttered out as she knelt next to him and raised a hand to touch his cheek- it was freezing. And that was rare. As rare as him being unconscious like he was right now. She took him by the shoulders and shook him gently, eyes staring at the iratze on his arm from where a deep, bloodied gash was healing. Looked like his little mission had gone badly.

"Hey-" Anastasia said loudly, poking his cheek "Jonathan. Oi! Wake up! Now! Or I'll slip ice cubes down your shirt, I swear by the Angel I'll do it." After a minuet or two of poking, he came around, making Anastasia jump as he snatched up the knife she had dropped onto the floor and held it so close to her neck she felt the razor sharp blade nick it. She ignored the stinging and sighed out "Why have I found you passed out on the floor of the bathroom? And covered in blood?"

"Most of it's not my own." He just told her, and Anastasia noticed him wincing as he got up, feeling concern as she asked at the sight of him holding the shower for support. "Are you hurt?"

"Concussion. Stop fussing. I'll go and have a lie down."

"No. You're not allowed to sleep with a concussion. How long were you out?"

Jonathan chuckled, shaking his head a little as he said in amusement. "Anastasia is worried about me. This is a first-" he stared at the hand that was upon his shoulder, grip tight incase he fell. "You're touching me. Stop that. Now." Anastasia let him go, rolling her eyes a little. "If you fall over, I'm just going to stand and laugh."

Without a word, Jonathan walked with steady feet to the door and Anastasia's eyes widened at the sight of his back- that man, or someone, had caught him with a single stroke of a sword and sliced him from right shoulder to almost to his left waist. She felt her heart twist at the sight, dashing forwards and taking control, grabbing his arms and dragging him over to the nearest stool, saying in a business like tone as she let him go. "Take your shirt off, then sit down."

"If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask." Jonathan smirked and Anastasia slapped him across the face, concussion or not. He glared at her with murderous eyes and she scoffed out. "You can give me the evils all you want, you don't scare me. Not anymore." I'm terrified of you at times. Because I know what you can do… what you have done…

Jonathan actually laughed at that, ignoring the pain in his back with his gear still on. "You are such a fiery little thing, aren't you? I think, Anastasia, that you are the only person in this world that would slap me like that. You do it without fear, how can you do that? I'm curious."

"Take off your gear. Now." Anastasia just snapped, ignoring his words. Jonathan went to shrug, but it pained him, so he let his hands drop and he started to unbuckle his belt and she glowered, making him smirk and let it go. He just tutted out. "Well you did say 'take off your gear.'"

Anastasia said nothing, making him roll his eyes and proceed to take the top half of his gear off, tossing it aside. She found herself staring at him. Perfection was the only thing she could think about as she gazed upon him, his chest well defined and lean, like a lion. "You're staring." Jonathan coughed out, smirking broadly. He said nothing else as Anastasia walked around behind him without a word and felt her eyes widen at the sight of his back.

"What… what happened to you-?"

"Well, I went to the Paris Institute and had a little watch for half an hour, then I saw our dear Frederick leave the place. So I followed him down a little alleyway and thought I had him. The little fucker knew I was trailing him and oh look, my back got cut. He shoved me against the wall, did the impossible… he caught me by surprise. But ah- I'm fast. He's lying in that alley with his heart ripped out of his chest, because I fancied the theatrics. At least I got to wash my hand before concussion decided to set in."

"I didn't mean tonight, today… whatever time it is. I meant your back. Just… what are all these scars?"

Jonathan paused before telling her in a normal tone. "Well, my father can be quite the violent man. You should know this."

Anastasia stared at the even marks on his back. Whip marks. She pulled out her stele and held it loosely in her hand.

"Lost for words?" Jonathan chuckled, seemingly uncaring and Anastasia frowned. "Don't they hurt?"

"All the time." He said almost instantly, making the young woman scowl. "Why don't you fight back?"

"What would that accomplish?"

She gaped. "You're gonna let him do this to you?"

"Just shut up and heal me."

Anastasia poked her stele into his newest cut and made him snarl in pain, catching her wrist in a vice-like grip with a voice like acid. "Heal. Me. Now."

She just stared into his fathomless black eyes as his grip tightened, refusing to wince as it hurt. It would bruise, she was sure. "Not until you tell me just why he does that to you. Yes, you're a little shit, but that… no. They weren't ordinary marks. I'm not stupid, you know I'm not."

Jonathans grip on her wrists loosened a fraction, and he breathed out with a quiet laugh "Oh I know you're not stupid."

"Why does he do it."

"Because of who I am." He simply said, letting her go and gazing up into her eyes. "What I am."

"I- I don't…"

Jonathan was silent, but then he just asked in a calm tone "Heal me."

Anastasia paused, but then raised her stele and put it to his back, drawing the iratze in silence, watching the most recent gash upon his back heal up until it was very nearly gone. She noticed he never thanked her.

"Now tell me." Anastasia kept clamped a hand onto his shoulder and his eyes flickered to it, then up to her eyes as he simply said. "I am the worst monster you have ever, or will ever meet."

"Just tell me."

"I'm a demon."

Anastasia stared, a frown upon her face. "Excuse me? I think I would know if-" but then she saw his face and knew that he wasn't lying. She backed up, eyes widening in horror. "What the-?"

"Half demon, actually. So calm it." He chuckled, picking up a fresh shirt from the railing and slipping it up over his shoulders, leaving it open, his pale chest bloodstained, but littered with silvery scars where Marks had been. He looked beautiful with them Anastasia decided at the back of her mind. Jonathan walked over to the sink and ran the water, grabbing a towel and splashing water onto it, rubbing the blood off. She averted her eyes, asking "How can you be half demon?"

"You know what I am, who I am… The big question is…" Jonathan started, buttoning up his shirt. "Do you still want to kiss me?"

Anastasia blanched, making Jonathan laugh out. "I was joking. But oh, wait-" his smile started to widen into a malicious grin. "You want to, don't you?" Jonathan glanced down and popped the top two open with a smirk upon his face. "You like this."

"Yep. So much (!)" Anastasia scoffed, reaching forwards and doing up the two opened buttons while he gazed into her face. With his eyes still fixed upon her own, he reached down and yanked the front of his shirt open completely, breathing out "Go ahead. Touch to your hearts content."

"Jonathan-!"

"What?" he asked, trailing his eyes up her body. "You're a woman. I'm… sexy. Perfectly natural to want to kiss me."

Anastasia shook her head with narrowed eyes. "I hate you."

"You're a sweetheart." Jonathan laughed, catching her wrist and holding it fast. "Come on Anny, admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you like me. In a 'I want to kiss you' way. Oh, and the rest as well."

"I don't! Why would you even think that?!"

"Because-" Jonathan smirked, raising a hand and placing it over her heart in a flash. "You are red in the face, you're in denial… and your heart is racing like that old horse I had when I was seven. He was the fastest beast ever."

Anastasia slapped his hand away, but he caught it neatly and pressed her hand to his own bare chest where she could feel his heart hammering against it. "See? I'm part angel, part human-"

"Part demon." She finished quietly and he smiled angelically. "Kiss me?"

"Fuck you."

"Well, if you want to be my first, I've no quarrels with it." He chuckled and pulled his hands away, telling her. "I can tell from the way you're reacting, that you like me. But, you're not sure whether or not to pursue these… feelings."

"I do not love you!"

"Who said anything about love? I certainly didn't, you're not a fool to fall in love with me."

Anastasia shook her head a little at him, muttering out "Why are you doing this? Playing with me? And don't blame the fucking fact you're part demon. You know what you're doing. Explain."

"Because I can? That I enjoy it? Because I do. It is so much fun winding you up until you snap. Hell, it's even a little bit hot when you hit me these days." He cocked his head a little. "I enjoy you having your pretty little hands on me. As a matter of fact, I love it."

He wasn't lying, and Anastasia was stunned. She was going to slap him, but held back, remembering what he'd said- that he liked it. Eurgh. That was his turn-on?

"You are ridiculous."

"And you, Anny, are extraordinary sexy." His eyes glinted. "Come to bed with me." It wasn't a question. Anastasia picked a knife up from the draining board, quick as a flash and went to stab him in the arm, but he caught it by the blade, not even wincing as his palm was sliced cleanly. "I'll take that as a No, shall I?"

Anastasia stalked off to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her with her eyes wide-

He was part demon? By the Angel this is not happening. No. No no. But then Anastasia paused and realized something- that maid from one of her visits when she was younger. She'd warned her, and… she didn't recall ever seeing that maid ever again. Did Valentine know? Did he get rid of her, or kill her?

Somehow she knew she was dead.

Valentine knew that his son was half demon. Which meant… it was his fault that he was this way. Anastasia felt sick, realizing now that Jonathans mother, Jocelyn, had hated him from when he was born. Because of what he was. What was he capable of? What did being part demon mean? He enjoyed ridiculing her, making her feel anxious, just… playing with her. But all she could think as she locked her bedroom door with a rune was that he was still part human, and angel too-

There had to be some light in all that darkness.