Clary wondered what it was that made the Doctor want to do a reading on her all of a sudden. She knew that she'd get no explanation from him or any apology for sending her out without telling her who she was meeting. He had her follow him to a table where he produced a pack of cards.

"Now pick three, each card you choose will represent the past, present and future," said Facilier holding out the deck for her to pick from.

Clary chose three and handed them back.*

"This first card is called The Tower, it's upright so that means: Disruption. Sudden violent loss. Overthrow of an existing way of life. Major changes. Ruin and disturbance. Dramatic upheaval. change of residence or job sometimes both at once. In other words; nothin' we don't already know about you," he looked over the second card. " The Hermit in reverse: Isolation from others. A negative resistance towards help. Groundless suspicions about the motives of others..." Hm true enough, he thought, "Well that one ain't so important chere it's this third one that really counts," he turned the third card face up. " Well, looks like things are in your favor. This one is The Star : Fresh hope and renewal. Healing of old wounds. Promise and fulfillment. Seems like you're headin' for a happy ending. You didn't draw any cards that indicate any reunions so I don't see your daddy anywhere in your future, but you're gonna be happy in the end," and hopefully I will too... he added mentally.

There was a good chance that good fortune for her meant good fortune for him, he was quite pleased that she had drawn that card...imagine how disappointing it would have been to have her draw death in it's reversed form. On whole this had been a pretty successful reading, nothing really hidden or unclear and hopefully the girl would be pleased with it.

Clary took The Star card from him and examined it, a dark blue background with a shining white star, like the kind she'd been told to wish upon as a child, were the only things on this card. She found it ironic that there would be a star in her future...

"I used ta wish on stars all the time...but I daren't anymore, tis no' but the nonsense of fairytales," she said. "I the last wish I ever made on a star was that me mum would get better. It didn't work."

"Chere, I've done hundreds of readings and I haven't been wrong yet. Reading the cards is a very difficult art and I'm an expert, you just wait and keep working for me and that Star will be more than just a card," said Facilier.

Clary gave him a doubtful look, as distasteful as she found the dark arts she didn't really find these playing cards to be remarkably convincing...

"Well, nuff of that. I need you to go somewhere tonight," said Facilier wrapping his cards up in a purple silk cloth.

"Go where?" asked Clary warily.

"There's a party goin' on tonight at Jeanette Garnier's, last week I did a job for her and she didn't pay me. I want you to go there and persuade her to give me my dues. If she refuses, steal a lock of her hair or a scrap of cloth from her dress and bring it back to me. Do you understand?"

"Aye sir...but, the hair and the cloth, ye ain't gonna curse tha lady are ye?" Clary knit her brow in apprehension.

"Don't question me, just do as I say. Trust me though, she ain't no lady, you'll see that when you go to the party."

"But I have nothing to wear!" protested Clary, "I won't go there looking like a guttersnipe, don't ask me to embarrass meself again like I did earlier!"

"Pipe down!" Facilier tapped her shoulder with his cane, "Come back here in three hours and I'll fix you up, you understand me?"

Clary nodded and walked up to her room. She wondered what it was he had planned for her.

...

Three hours later Clary came down, she had tried to comb her hair into a style of some kind but the curls had a mind of their own and try as she might they had refused all attempts at combing.

"Come over here," said Facilier crooking a long, dark, finger at her.

Clary did as she was bid and without warning he blew a gust of violet powder at her. she coughed and sputtered and when the dust cleared she noticed that she was no longer in her baggy shirt and trousers, but in an elegant, pale, lavender dress.

"Oh my Lord," she breathed.

"Go take a look in the mirror darlin'" said Facilier.

She walked over to the far side of the room and stared into the full length mirror. It was a stylish dress, clinging to her sleekly at the top before flowering into a loose flowing skirt with a knee length slit up the side. Her hair was styled in a wavy bob with a white magnolia blossom adorning the left side. She hardly recognized herself...

"You do clean up nice," said Facilier with an approving nod, "took some work, but you'll do just fine."

Clary blushed, for the first time in a long time she felt...pretty.

"Only problem is that it won't last, there's a powerful lot of energy in that spell and there's no way to keep it up, come the stroke of twelve that dress will vanish and you'll be your raggedy little self again,"

"This is just like Cinderella, I guess that makes ye the fairy godmother," Clary wrinkled her nose, fairy godmother was not the first thing she thought of when she looked at Facilier.

"Don't you disrespect me little girl! I'll turn you into a damn bug and squash you!" fairy godmother indeed! Secretly he found her reaction amusing. It seemed there was a young girl under all that downtrodden mess after all.

Clary held up her hands in a defensive gesture, "Alright, keep yer knickers on! I'm no' serious."

Facilier frowned and made a shooing gesture, "Now go on git! There's a car out side but that'll disappear too, so I suggest you come home early if you don't wanna walk."

"Ye didn't make it from a pumpkin did ye?"

"Git!"

Clary giggled and disappeared around the corner, she knew she probably shouldn't bait him like that but she was to happy to resist. Her problems were far from solved but just for tonight she could pretend they didn't exist. She spun around, loving the way her dress swirled around her legs. She felt like a real girl again now that she was out of those tatty men's clothes and she was going to enjoy every minute...even if she was still working for Facilier.

...

* My deviation from the traditional rules of tarot: If you know anything about tarot you will note that all the cards I selected from Facilier's deck for my story came solely from The Major Arcana, I did not have her draw anything out of the suits of cups, wands, swords or coins as she would have during a proper tarot reading. In the movie Facilier only has Naveen and Lawrence draw three cards and they aren't even real tarot cards... so I decided that for the sake of consistency with the original story I would throw the usual rules of tarot out the window,... if you don't know or care about tarot readings this foot note is useless and possibly confusing so don't worry about it.

P.S...yeah, that star is symbolic of the first movie, I thought it made a nice touch to have her draw that particular card.

Cheers

~Enos