Hello Everyone. I know that it has been a really long time. Earlier I had said that I had a family issue that was making my brain all fuzzy- well, My mother was diagnosed with cancer a little over a month ago. On 4/14/09 (just 4 weeks since we got the news) my mother passed away at the age of 48. Obviously, I have had a few things on my mind, but suddenly, a few days ago, I started to write again. It was like this little voice in the back of my head saying, "hello! I am still here. You remember me right? Your blonde angel? You have this wonderful scene that I know you have been thinking about for almost 3 months now. This is torture for me! Hurry it up, woman and write it down!" And of course, who can resist such a wonderful distraction?
Also, Let me just say how wonderful it is to hear all the wonderful comments about my story. I really appreciate the great feedback! I am trying to respond to all of you individually, but this past month I have been slacking on it. Thanks for the reviews!
So to recap- Jace has branded Clary with his mark and now she is on a blind date with Isabelle and two warlocks. Since, I couldn't find any in the book that I would like them to go out with, I decided that a friend of mine (Kritio) needed some closure on a horrible semi-boyfriend she once had. So Chris is icky and Mark is just a name I came up with that has nothing to do with my actual life.
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Clary stomped out of the night club and down the street. She hated making a scene and this was her second one tonight! She thought back to the first time...
Clary and Isabelle stepped out of the Institute and headed towards the street. She still couldn't believe that she had slapped Jace; for the second time, no less. She wondered if he was ever going to react to her doing that.
Isabelle looked at Clary. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, let's just get a cab and go."
They looked down the street both ways and then at each other.
"Broadway" they said together. They headed off down the street, Clary wrapped in an angry silence and Isabelle, quiet for once.
"I just can't believe he would have the gall to brand me!" Clary burst out suddenly as if they had been talking.
Isabelle stopped walking and grabbed the other girl's arm and pushed up her sleeve. She read the 'Property of Jace'. She looked at Clary.
"Oh no, he didn't!" Isabelle was shocked.
"Oh he did. I don't mind the fact that he branded me; I just hate the fact that he doesn't trust me to take care of myself."
"Us. He doesn't trust either of us. I can't believe him! How does the rune work? And I thought it was only you who could make up new runes?"
"The rune works like this- let's say that there is someone who means me harm or is thinking ill thoughts towards or about me, Jace will be warned in some way. I am not sure if even he knows how he will be affected. Jace keeps trying to tell me that we are two parts of a whole, and maybe that's why he can create new runes like I can. Or maybe he was just using already known runes to create a new one. I don't know, either way, I'm pissed. He can't just go around claiming things! Especially not people."
"Well, you are his sister."
"Isabelle! How would you feel if Alec claimed you and wouldn't let you out of his sight and tried to take over your world?"
Isabelle's eyes darkened noticeably. "Oh. He would die. Slowly. Painfully."
Clary laughed. "I don't want to kill him; I want him to trust me to take care of myself."
Isabelle opened her mouth to object, but Clary stopped suddenly and whistled shrilly using her thumb and fore finger. A cab stopped with a shriek of tires in front of them. Clary grinned at Isabelle, "Thanks for teaching me that!"
They laughed and scrambled into the cab. "Pandemonium." Isabelle stated for the driver and looked over and Clary.
"Listen- I don't want to deal with this Jace thing right now. Let's just have fun and you can help me kill him later." Clary said before Isabelle had a chance to open her mouth.
"Sounds great! So, you get Chris and I get Mark."
"Why did u get to decide?"
"Cause this was my idea."
"No it wasn't." Clary said laughing. "It was Magnus's."
"Oh well. I agreed first which means I get to decide first."
"If you say so. So what's Chris like?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, what's he look like?"
"I don't know."
"Ok. What is Mark like?"
"I have no clue."
"Do you know what he looks like?"
"Nope."
"Isabelle! You have no clue what you have gotten us into! Why am I doing this again?"
"Cause I told you to. You look great by the way. Who picked out your outfit?"
"You know, I've been dressing myself for quite sometime. I can get dressed by myself and not make a fashion faux pas."
"Why are you so touchy!? I said u looked great didn't I? Anyway, I still stand by my opinion that you would have looked awesome in this outfit."
"Yes, but how do you walk in that outfit without flashing anyone?"
"I don't."
Clary looked at Isabelle in astonishment and was about to say something when she was thrown against the divider when the cabby slammed on the breaks right outside the club.
Isabelle threw the money at the driver and got out, muttering about men drivers.
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Jace watched with shock as the doors closed on the thing in his life that he needed more than anything else. The hurt he felt inside was soon replaced with determination to protect. He wasn't sure why Clary couldn't understand that they were meant to be together, but he wasn't going to allow her to just walk blindly into a dangerous situation.
He turned and started towards his room when he felt a hand on his arm.
"Jace, where are you going? What are you going to do?" Jace turned to see Alec and Magnus watching him with concern.
"I have to change; I can't go to Pandemonium like this. Besides, I need to take stock of my clothes as Clary seems to have most of them. I am curious to see how much I really have left.
"Pandemonium!? You aren't serious are you?" Asked Alec in alarm.
"I was serious when I asked if you were going to let your sister date a warlock. I don't think that I can watch Clary get hurt by some idiot with a killer finger snap."
"Oh please, Shadowhunter! I take great offence to that. No one has a finger snap like mine."
Jace rolled his eyes and started back towards his room. "I am going to find them and keep an eye on her. For her own safety." With that, he entered his room and shut the door.
Alec and Magnus looked at each other and grimaced. Well, Alec grimaced and Magnus grinned.
"Clary isn't going to like this." Alec said with a frown.
"No she isn't. This is going to be fun!" Magnus said with a grin. "We are so going to watch."
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Clary followed Isabelle into the club (the bouncer took one look at Isabelle and let her in without question) and over to the bar where they were supposed to meet the boys. Two young guys sat with their backs to the bar, scanning the crowd continuously. Clary nudged Isabelle and pointed to where they sat. "I think that's them." Isabelle nodded and headed over, Clary just a step behind.
The boys stood as they approached.
"Hi. I'm Mark and this is Chris." Mark said, gesturing to himself and the boy next to him.
They are cute, Clary thought without much feeling. They might be cute, but neither of them were Jace. No matter what she claimed to Isabelle that kiss in the library affected her ability to think about anyone besides Jace.
Mark was interesting to look at, but didn't seem to have much thought beyond Isabelle's outfit. Clary grinned to herself. They are perfect for each other. Chris didn't seem to have much more thoughts than Mark and Clary knew that this night was going to be a long one. She mentally sighed and shrugged.
She stepped around Isabelle and caught Chris's eye.
"Hey Chris. It's so good to meet you." Clary reached out her hand to shake his but he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into a hug.
Ok, she thought. This is weird. If his hands stray, I'm so outta here!
He pulled back from her, but kept his hands on her waist. She gently removed them and stepped back. He didn't seem offended, in fact, his smile widened.
"Do you wanna sit down or dance?"
Clary looked around for Isabelle and saw her on the dance floor with Mark and from the way Isabelle was all over Mark Clary knew they would be a while.
"Let's sit." She suggested pointing to a spot across the room where she could see the entire club. She knew she had to keep an eye on Izzy.
They headed over and sat down; immediately Chris slid his chair closer to hers. She inwardly grimaced wondering how to let this guy down easy without being obvious. When he bumped her leg with his she thought it was an accident, but when his hand reached up her thigh she knew she was going to have a hard time not being obvious when she stuck the dagger in his hand…or leg…or whatever was nearest. She was sick of boys doing what they wanted to do and not thinking of anyone else's feelings. This guy had to be stopped.
Suddenly, she had an idea and she grinned to herself. Oh yeah, this is going to be so good.
She leaned in close to him and whispered, "Do you want to go some place a little bit more private?"
"Sure!" He replied enthusiastically.
So easy, she thought.
She got up and before he could grab any part of her, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along after her.
"I know this great little place." She said, looking over her shoulder at him.
He willingly followed her into the storage room.
She was surprised when he flung her hard against the back wall and stepped in between her legs. She opened her mouth to yell but he covered it with his own.
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Jace stepped right past the bouncer (poor guy never even saw him coming) and into the club without checking to see if Magnus or Alec were behind him. He started to scan the crowd before he even reached the point where he could see the entire club. He spotted Isabelle dancing- if you could call it that- with a boy close to the edge of the floor but Clary was no where to be found. Suddenly an intense pain flared up in his gut and he doubled over with surprise and pain. He heart beat faster. Get to Clary. Get to Clary; his heart seemed to be beating out the same rhythm over and over. Get to Clary. Jace felt a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?" It was Izzy. Anger for this girl filled him.
He grabbed her arm and hauled her to a quieter spot in the club, moving so fast no one saw her move. "Jace! You are hurting me; let me go! What is your problem?"
"Where is Clary?" He demanded through gritted teeth.
Isabelle looked astonished. She glanced around, "Jace, you know she can take care of herself."
"Isabelle-" He was cut off by another sharp pain, but this time he didn't double over. He knew where he had to go now. It was all to clear.
He spun on his heel and started towards that stupid storage closet where it all started.
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I don't think so, Clary thought and brought her knee up sharply to his groin, but he was considerably taller than her so she missed. Instead she brought down the heel of her boot straight onto his foot. He cursed and let go of her. She pushed off the wall and let her momentum carry her and him to the opposite wall. She slammed him against it, thankful she had thought to put on a strength rune before she had left the institute.
"How dare you!" she snarled at him. "How dare you think that you can push me around and touch me. Did you ever-" she whipped out her stele and knife from her coat "-even consider my feelings? No! You are pathetic! The only way you can get girls is by force. You are a pathetic excuse for a warlock."
Chris blinked down at her in shock. One minute she was ranting the next he was pinned a few feet off the ground by his wrists in manacles on hooks. Where did those come from? He thought vaguely.
The door burst open revealing Jace; a very angry, very hot Jace. Clary's breath hitched when she saw him. She quickly sucked in a breath though, when she saw how angry he was.
Jace's heart skipped a few beats when he realized that she was cuddled up to the warlock. He failed to notice the manacles on the wall or the fact that she had his dagger out but wasn't using it…yet. He couldn't believe that she would do this to him. He looked at the two of them and shook his head. He wasn't needed there.
He had turned to leave when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. The warlock had swung his legs up to enclose Clary's waist so she couldn't leave. Jace moved forward to help her when Clary's arm reached up to plunge the dagger into his leg. Immediately, the warlock screamed in pain and let her go. She stood back and straightened her clothes. She glared at Chris and whispered something only he could hear, but from the shocked look on his face, Jace knew it wasn't a sweet nothing.
Clary grabbed the dagger out of his leg and turned on her heel. She walked past Jace, not even glancing in his direction, and out the door. She was halfway to the club's exit when she felt a hand on her arm. She stopped at looked at Jace.
"I am not in the mood to talk with you Jonathan."
"Fine; I will talk then. How could you cuddle up to that…that…that thing!? I mean-"
"How dare you insinuate that I would have anything to do with him after knowing him for such a short time. You say that we are two parts of a whole, but you don't take the time to communicate with me. You brand me, but don't take the time to consider my feelings. Jace. I can't even look at you right now. Just leave me alone."
Clary glared at him and stomped out of the club.
AN: I know that there wasn't much Jace and Clary goodness in this chapter, but I needed this so I can get to the good parts. I really need confirmation that this story is going well…help a girl out and press that little grey button for me and tell me what you think. THANKS!
