Well this chapter came out much longer than I anticipated but there was so much I wanted to write and I didn't want to split it up into another chapter. So here's an extra long chapter. Also the restaurant that Clary and Jace go to on their date, Magnus and Alec did in fact go to on their first date. It's mentioned in The Bane Chronicles. (Fantastic book, btw.)

"An Ethiopian and Italian fusion restaurant?" Jace said skeptically as they walked down the narrow sidewalk. His eyes slid over to her momentarily before refocusing on the sidewalk. "Are you sure about that?"

Clary nodded, "Magnus told me about it. He said he took Alec there on their first date. Its looks mundane, but most of the customers are Downworlders. And he said the food is fantastic."

"But who would think that would be a good combination?" he questioned, reaching out to take Clary's hand in his. "It sounds….strange."

A smile crossed her face as she laced her fingers with his, leaning into him slightly. His hand was warm against hers, his rough skin rubbing against hers. While her palms were far from smooth, his roughness had a different texture to it, caused by years of weapons training while hers were caused by years of art. She wondered absentmindedly if her hands would eventually feel like his after years of Shadowhunter training. "This is New York. Stranger things have happened. I'm pretty sure we would be considered stranger than that."

Jace grinned wickedly, "I don't think we would be considered food."

Clary bumped her shoulder against his in response, shaking her head. "You know what I mean; we're different even by Shadowhunter standards." She tugged him to a stop beneath a sign with a graffitied dinosaur on it, leading him into the narrow entryway between the old redstone buildings. The restaurant was large, but dimly lit, filled with Downworlders using the barest of glamours.

Jace's arm shifted down to her waist as they stepped inside, pulling her body closer to his. "Can I help you?" said the maître d' standing near the door.He looked the pair up and down before re-focusing on their face. 'Werewolf,' Clary realized after a moment. 'But not one of Luke's pack.'

"Table for two?" Clary said, her words coming out like a question. "Please."

A waiter passing behind the maître d' paused, smiling at them. He was a tall, lanky werewolf with long hair that curled along the collar of his shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing numerous scars that ran down his arms. "Oh hey you two," he greeted them familiarly. "Marcus, I can take them in my section if you want."

The maître d' glanced back at the waiter before nodding, handing him two menus and gesturing for them to follow him.

"Do you know him?" Jace whispered to her as they made their way through the semi-crowded restaurant.

Clary shook her head as she tried to ignore the stares they received from the other patrons, pressing herself closer to Jace. She knew they were probably safe in the restaurant, but she still felt uncomfortable beneath all their gazes. "I thought you knew him. He's not one of Luke's pack," she replied softly.

"Here you are," the waiter said as he gestured them into a booth in the corner of the restaurant, putting a little space between them and the other patrons, which Clary was grateful for. As they took their seats, he placed their menus on the table. "My name's James and I'll be your waiter for the night," he announced with a broad smile. "I'll give you guys a few minutes to get settled and see what you'd like to have."

"I definitely don't know him," Jace answered as James walked away, settling into his seat. He watched the retreating male disappear into the kitchen before looking back at her. "I hope he's not someone who we've had to track down for the Clave or something."

"Does that happen often?" Clary questioned, fidgeting with the ends of her hair.

Jace shook his head, leaning across the table to take her free hand in his. "Not important right now I guess," he answered with a shrug as he casually surveyed the restaurant. Satisfied with whatever he saw or didn't see, he turned his full attention back to her, smiling. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?"

Clary blushed, nodding her head. In fact it had been the first thing out of his mouth when she met him in front of the Institute, an unbelievably awestruck look on his face. Of course she felt just as awestruck by him; he was dressed in a simple white button-down shirt, showing off his tanned skin and the runes that crisscrossed his skin, and black jeans, but he still looked like a supermodel. Like always. "I wouldn't mind hearing it again," she teased him.

He chuckled softly, brushing his thumb against her knuckles. "Clary Fray, you look absolutely breathtaking," he said sincerely, his golden eyes locked on her green ones.

She could feel a blush creeping up her neck, her cheeks turning pink as she smiled shyly at him. Squeezing his hand lightly, she turned her attention to her menu. "I've never had Ethiopian food before," she commented.

"What kind of New Yorker are you," Jace teased, scanning through the menu. "It's really good; most of it you eat with your hands.

"Must you know everything about everything?" Clary sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes.

"Yes," he responded with a broad grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I think we should order a bunch of smaller items and just pick what we like from it."

Clary nodded, her own smile lighting up her face. "Teach my your ways, oh wise one," she said in mock seriousness.

By the end of the meal, Clary was glad that she had let Jace choose what they should get. He had been right of course; Ethiopian food was fantastic and it went surprisingly well with the Italian food. Even if the food had been absolutely horrible, she had a wonderful time with Jace. Their entire relationship had been filled with so much drama and tension, she enjoyed doing something as mundane as having dinner with him. Any worry that she harbored that he would get bored with a quiet relationship was wiped from her mind as they enjoyed their dinner together, his eyes shining with a happiness she had never seen before. He looked so relaxed, without a care in the world; she knew he couldn't always look that way, that wasn't part of the Shadowhunter life, but if she could give that to him, that peace, then she wanted to. Every touch of his hand, every dazzling smile gave her butterflies, reminding her of Izzy's words before she left.

"I'm so glad that Magnus told me about this place," she said as she caught the waiter's eye, gesturing for the check.

"The food was fantastic," Jace agreed, his elbows resting on the table as he leaned toward her. "I'm glad my beautiful girlfriend asked me out."

"I'm glad you accepted," she laughed as James stood beside their table.

He raised an eyebrow, "Did you think I would say no?"

"How was everything, guys?" James questioned, saving Clary from having to answer. "Everything alright? Did you want to take anything to go?"

Jace shook his head, "Just the check, please."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about the check; this meal is on the house," James answered easily. "Glad you enjoyed everything."

Clary's eyes widened in surprise, "No, no, we can't accept that. Why would you do that for us? Do we know you?"

James grinned at the pair, "No, but I know you." At their confused expressions, he continued. "I was there in Idris, for the battle on Brocelind Plain. I was there in that hall when you drew that rune, to tie us together. I fought there, with the wolves, the vampires, the faerie, the warlocks. With the Shadowhunters. I know what the two of you did, everyone does. I figured you guys at least deserve a free meal for everything. It's the least we can do."

"Wow," Clary said in surprise. While she knew there were tons of people who fought at Brocelind Plain, who died there, she never thought they would remember her and Jace. The battle seemed so much bigger than two teenagers. "Thank you for fighting with us."

"Thank you for fighting for us," James replied, shaking both of their hands. "Come back any time."

Jace nodded, taking Clary's hand in his as they left the restaurant. "Were you expecting that?" he questioned as they walked toward the subway.

Clary shook her head, "I never really thought about who would know what had happened. I was a bit more concerned with Valentine trying to kill everyone off, you know?"

"Guess that means we're famous," Jace chuckled. "Maybe they'll add us to the next version of the Codex."

"Oh god," she laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I can only imagine what they'd say."

He grinned, kissing the top of her head. "So where to now, Miss Fray? The night is still relatively young."

Clary was silent for a moment, thinking over her options. It was only a little after ten; it seemed too early for the date to end, she was having too much fun. "Do you want to come over for a while? We can hang out, watch some tv," she offered nervously.

"You sure?" Jace asked, pulling her to a stop so he could look her in the eyes.

She nodded, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, I'm sure," she replied more confidently. "Come hang out for a bit."

His eyes stayed locked on hers for a moment before he nodded, pressing his lips against hers. "Let's go."

If you asked Clary how she ended up laying on Luke's couch with Jace's body on top of hers as they kissed, she wouldn't be able to answer you. She could remember them coming back to Luke's apartment, settling onto the couch to watch some television. She remembered turning toward Jace at some point, initiating the first kiss. But somehow, they had gone from sitting side by side on the couch to lying down, every inch of his body pressed against hers.

Her lips moved against his hungrily, one hand running through Jace's golden hair while the other gripped the front of his shirt, holding him close. She knew Izzy's carefully styled hair-do was probably a mess, feeling the pins slide out of place, but unable to care what her hair looked like at the moment. All she could think about, focus on was Jace, the feel of his body against hers, his hands gripping her waist, his scent filling her mind. Her heart was pounding in her chest, Isabelle's words ringing in her head.

Jace hooked one of her legs over his hips, his hand caressing her calf. "Jace," she gasped breathlessly as his kisses trailed down her jaw and neck, his lips brushing along her collarbone. His hand slowly made its way up her calf before continuing beneath her dress along her thigh.

As his hand ran into a strap of leather encircling her thigh, Jace pulled away slightly, looking down at Clary. His golden eyes were darkened with lust, his pupils blown wide, and his lips were red from their kissing. "Thigh sheath?" he said huskily, a smirk on his lips as his finger traced the handle of the dagger. "That's pretty hot."

"Izzy said to always be prepared," Clary panted, her fingers stroking the nape of his neck. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Now that she could think without Jace kissing her, the enormity of the situation washed over her, causing her to stiffen beneath Jace. She was on the couch with her boyfriend, her leg wrapped around his waist in the most indecent way and his hand very high up her thigh. She knew she wanted Jace, wanted him desperately, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to want him this much.

"Clary?" Jace said gently as he felt her freeze beneath him. He waited until she opened her eyes before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. His hand drifted back down to her knee, rubbing it lightly. "Are you okay?"

She bit her lip, shaking her head slowly. "I-I think maybe we should slow down," she said softly. "With...you know...this."

He kissed her again as he nodded, carefully climbing off of her before helping her sit up. "You're right," he answered huskily, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I should probably be heading home; it's almost midnight."

"You can always spend the night again," Clary offered, the words slipping out before she could think about them.

"Are you sure about that? You look like you're ready to jump out of your skin," he said half jokingly.

"Just to sleep," she replied, grateful the darkness of the room would hide her blush. "I sleep well when you're there."

Jace smiled broadly, his gaze softening as he offered his hand. "I sleep well too. Maryse will probably kill me if she finds out," he commented easily, looking slightly amused at the thought.

"Well then you should make sure that doesn't happen," Clary laughed softly, allowing him to her pull her to her feet.

"Why Clary Fray, I do believe I'm rubbing off on you," Jace laughed happily.

Clary rolled her eyes as she smiled, tugging him toward the stairs. "Keep dreaming, Lightwood. Come on, I'm tired; let's go to bed."

I was tempted to make this a little smutty but I decided to stay more true to the events of the books. Reviews please!