Previously on At Your Assistance

"One new message," I read aloud, clicking on it, I held the phone to my ear.

Hi Clary, it's just me, your mum. I wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry about coming up for Christmas – celebrate it with your friends instead, Isabelle and Simon and such. We're snowed in, Luke and I, and you know that the traffic would be impossible, especially with such snow. I doubt you'd be here before morning even if you left this very minute. I'm so sorry, honey. We'll have to have a New Years' party instead. I love you, darling, bye!

JxC

Chapter NINE

Friday 24th December

I shut my bedroom door and sat down on my bed, calling both Simon and my mother. Simon – Simon Lewis, my childhood best friend – had caught a flight to meet with his parents and family in Hawaii for Christmas. I knew that Isabelle and Alec had gotten on a plane to visit their parents out of state. Which pretty much left me alone.

My mother had told me not to worry, and that we'd celebrate at New Years'. I scrolled through the contacts on my phone, just looking, feeling tears well in my eyes. When my phone rang, my eyes were so out of focus that I couldn't see the caller ID, I just answered, my voice breaking.

"Hello? This is Clarissa Fairchild."

"Clarissa, it's me, Jonathon."

"Jonathon?" I asked. "What are you – why are you calling?"

"Because it's Christmas, Clarissa. Dad and I wanted to invite you over for dinner tomorrow." I had the feeling that it wasn't so much of an invite as a command.

I just breathed. I hadn't seen Jonathon in months and our father since I quit my job as one of his desk-women, typing things up, doing powerpoints, et cetera, et cetera. It was shit work, and my father, Valentine Morgenstern, was strict, my lunchtimes never coincided with any that my work friends took purposefully, I didn't get paid much because I was the daughter. And as the daughter, I was the disappointment; my brother had always been the favourite, well, my father's favourite anyway.

"Clary," my brother breathed, his voice sweet and charming. "Please, you remember what our Christmases used to be like. Imagine facing that alone, like I have for the last four years."

"Jonathon… I can't," I murmured.

"Why?" he growled. That's exactly why!

"I'm feeling sick," I told him; it wasn't a complete lie.

He laughed, "That's the best excuse you can come up with!"

I sighed. "I just can't, Jonathon. I can barely get out onto the street without freezing up like an icicle. I can't drive in this weather.

He muttered something like: women shouldn't be driving at all before continuing. "We could pick you up, if you'd tell us where you live."

"Why don't you get it, Jonathon! I'm not coming down to father's for Christmas! I can't!"

"You owe him this, Clarissa," he growled. "How else would you have gotten that job with Jace Wayland?"

I'd have to admit, that sobered me up pretty damn quick. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Jace Wayland," he repeated. "He used to be one of my best friends, back in primary school, we played sport together. You would've seen his house many times, before it was burnt down and he was orphaned, sent off to some school for orphans."

I remembered. Seeing his house, burnt till it was almost entirely black, the boy had been lucky, playing with his friend from across the road when the house lit up with flames, I'd read it in the paper, and felt sorry for the boy whose name I hadn't known.

"Dad got you that job, Clarissa. He bribed Wayland's office into taking you on – no one else would have and you know it."

Tears dripped off my cheeks, falling onto my jumper. How much of this had been a lie? All of the friendships I'd built, they were all based on this!

There was a knock on my door: Jace. Fuck.

I covered the mouthpiece of my phone and shouted out, "Just a minute!"

There was a grumble from the other side of the door, but it stayed shut.

"What was that?" Jonathon asked.

"I was just telling my roommate to be quiet because I was talking to you on the phone." I took a deep breath. "I'm not coming down for Christmas, okay? It's too far, and I can't stand this kind of weather. I don't want to come down for Christmas. I'm sure you'll manage, Jonathon. You always have before."

"CLARISSA MORGENSTERN," he shouted in my ear so loud that I dropped the phone and the battery fell out on impact.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, cra-ap." I picked up my phone and shoved the battery back in. When my phone rang again, it was Jonathon, but I didn't pick up.

"Clary? You all right?" Jace asked through me door.

Better idea, I thought. I took the battery back out and threw it in my bedside table draw along with my phone.

"Clary? I swear if you don't answer I will –"

I opened the door and looked at Jace. "You're still here?" I asked.

His brow furrowed. "Of course I'm still here. Where else could you possibly want me to be?"

"I dunno. Oh, away from me?"

I pushed past him and closed the door behind me.

"So what was all that about anyway?"

"If it was any of your business, I'd tell you. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone now."

It kind of is his business, a voice told me, I mean, Jonathon did mention the bribe and stuff, remember?

I plopped down on the couch, feeling horrible and icky. I'd been looking forward to going home to see Jocelyn, but now I was stuck here. With Jace, at least until he disappeared.

"What's up?" he asked again.

"It doesn't matter," I scowled. "Just leave it alone, all right?"

He shook his head, disapprovingly, then a smile lit up his face. And he announced, "I have an idea."

JxC

Despite Jace's attempts to get my mind off of the phone call he knew nothing about – buying Christmas decorations, buying and eating tubs of ice cream, though it was already cold enough – my thoughts did keep going back to what Jonathon had been saying. Jace was bribed. Was everything a lie then?

We bought some donuts from Krispy Kreme on the way back from the supermarket and another of Jace's hole-in-the-wall stores that sold Christmas decorations.

"Mmmm, these are so good," Jace smiled at me, taking a bite out of his second donut.

"You're terrible at the jam donut game," I told him, even though my speech was impaired by the sugar on my lips, watching as he licked his. "The whole point is to not lick your lips."

"Replay? Let's buy some more at the Krispy Kreme near the apartment building."

When we got back to Isabelle's and my apartment, Jace put the ice cream in the freezer and I set the donuts on the kitchen bench and put the bag of Christmas decorations on the floor.

"Good for this game of yours?" he asked me.

"Of course, as long as you're ready to get caned!"

He just smirked at me.

"Two donuts each. First one to lick their lips loses."

"You're on."

I'm not going to lie, I expected to win, but when Jace finished his second donut and his lips remained unlicked, I didn't know what to do, since I hadn't licked mine either.

"What now?" we both said at the same time – at which, Jace smirked. Of course.

"Well, we could…" he stepped closer to me, and I moved back until I hit the kitchen counter. I had to try really hard not to lick my lips right now. He leaned in until his face – his gorgeous face – were mere centimetres from mine. "You don't mind?"

I seriously almost licked my lips. "Mmmm."

Though it wasn't really an affirmative, Jace's lips were on mine, kissing me, before I would've ever had the chance to push him away – not that I would have, I mean, how often did I have hot – scratch that – super hot guys lusting after me? He licked my lips, slowly, 'til there was no trace of sugar left. I figured that it was only fair if he took my sugar then I should take his. And as soon as my tongue touched his lips he groaned and I smiled against his mouth.

When we broke apart, I couldn't keep the silly grin off my face. This was a good distraction, I thought.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest.

"No way, Clary," he said, holding me back from his chest. "There are much better things we can do that cuddle."

He met my lips tentatively now, and I moved my arms, interlocking my fingers at his nape. He grasped my hips and lifting me up onto the kitchen counter without breaking our contact. As Jace's lips moved over mine, I threaded my fingers into his hair. When he did pull back, he smiled at me and suggested that we move to the sofa.

"As much as I am loving this," I told him, feeling bold and running my thumb along his lower lip. "It's Christmas Eve, we have to put up the decorations. It wouldn't be Christmas without them."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes," I said, patting his shoulder and jumping off the counter. "Come on. I'm not gonna be able to reach the top of the windows."

I decided that we should start by hanging the lights around the window in the living room, so now I was atop Jace's shoulders, trying to get a thread of fairy lights to stick to the ceiling, which was harder than I'd expected.

"Blu-Tack isn't working," I announced. "Either I need more or we need to find some other way to get this stuff to stick."

"Sticky tape?"

"I'm not really sure we have any, honestly."

"Hum," he said, turning us around. "Might you have something in your kitchen?"

"What could you possibly find in our kitchen?" I asked, even though he was already our way over. The sudden movement jolted me and I grabbed Jace's hair too hard, which made him groan. "Sorry."

"It's all good, Clare."

"Clary," I corrected. "Clary. Say it."

"Clary," he repeated and I ruffled his hair.

"Good boy," I smirked to myself.

"Top cupboard, middle shelf," Jace told me once he had us in the corner of the kitchen."

I opened it up. "How did you know there was extra Blu-Tack in there?"

"You've seen Isabelle's room, I suppose."

"Oh, yeah." Izzy's room was covered in posters. No doubt she needed the Blu-Tack. Oh well. I grabbed the packet.

"Got it?"

"Yeah, let's get back to it."

When we finished and I got down off Jace's shoulders, about an hour later, he looked seriously sore so I apologised and promised to give him a shoulder massage after I'd gotten us some ice cream.

"Do you even know anything about massages?" Jace asked as I passed him a tub of Valhalla Choc Choc Chip ice cream, opening up a similar container for myself – though, mine was Blueberry Bliss flavoured, apparently.

"Honestly," I said, digging my spoon into the ice cream, sitting beside him on the sofa. "I don't know anything about massages, but I'm gonna make it up and hope I don't screw your shoulders up totally."

After eating about half a litre of ice cream in ten minutes, Jace announced that he had a brain freeze and that it was time for me to have a go at massaging before he got a shoulder freeze too.

I rolled my eyes and told him to sit on the floor in front of me.

He did so, settling between my legs. "Good?"

"Uh-huh," I replied, putting my hands on his shoulders and rolling the muscle underneath me, completely unsure of what I was doing.

But the occasional groan, of what was obvious pleasure, from Jace told me that I wasn't doing too badly.

Eventually, I stopped and Jace stretched his neck back so that he was looking at the ceiling. I bent over him, my hair forming a curtain around our faces. "You 'right there?"

His hands cupped my cheeks, pulling me down 'til our lips met. This time, though, there was no soft and tentative, it was fast and hard. It was such a weird position, though, with Jace's nose in line with my chin.

I was the one to break the kiss, but only so that I could slide off the couch and into Jace's lap instead. With one leg on either side of his, I just looked at him, staring into his almost-golden eyes. He pressed his lips against my neck, continuing then to pepper kisses across my cheeks and neck, never once landing one on my lips – much to my disappointment.

"Come on," I said, pushing my fingers into his hair and pulled his face towards me. "Don't be a cockblocker."

"Technically," he said, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. "You are," kiss, "the one," kiss, "who would be," kiss, "doing the," kiss, "cockblocking."

"Stop that!" I moved my hands to his cheeks and kissed him hard.

Jace is your boss. The boss who only employed you because he was offered shitloads of money from your father…

I pulled back, looking into his eyes. "What's up?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"I – it's nothing."

"The same nothing from before, in your bedroom?"

I swallowed, pressing my face into his shoulder so that he wouldn't be able to see my face. "And you can't tell me?"

"No," because if I told you, I don't know what would happen.

"C'mon."

"It was my brother on the phone." I lifted my head back up and stared at Jace's face, looking for some kind of reaction as I clarified. "Jonathon Morgenstern." His face only crumpled a little bit, but it was enough. "Who you know, don't you?"

"He was my best friend before the fire."

"You must've been one fucked up kid, hanging out with my brother."

"He's changed now, he used to be better."

"Yeah, and that's why you let my father and brother bribe you into giving me this freaking job." My tone was harsh, and I was moments away from breaking down.

"What?" he just looked at me, as if I was crazy. "What are you talking about, Clary?"

"My brother told me," I continued, "that the only reason that you employed me was because my father gave your office heaps of money, a bribe."

"He didn't. I mean, he asked me to consider it properly, take some extra time thinking about taking you on, but there was never any money, just a few phone calls."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. I swear on the Angel." I searched his eyes, his face for some kind of twitch or something that would've indicated that he was lying, but I couldn't see anything. "Come here." He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close and resting his head on my shoulder.

After sitting there that way for a few minutes, Jace leaned back to look at me, then pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. "Ice cream," he suggested.

I let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't trust my brother all the time."

"It's fine, Clary," he reached across to the coffee table and grabbed my ice cream tub and put a spoonful in my mouth.

Once I'd swallowed it, I smiled, "You know that ice cream is amazing."

"It is," he smiled back.

For dinner I cooked a tuna pasta bake, which Jace and I ate at around seven, with a bottle of wine between us. Then we finished that off with what was left of the Choc Choc Chip ice cream.

"I'd have to say, you're like a million times better at cooking than Isabelle. Not that being better at cooking than Izzy was ever hard. Even Max was – better at cooking than Izzy."

I gave Jace a sympathetic smile and he shot me this weird look that I didn't quite understand.

"I'm gonna go and watch the news," I told him, "then I'll wash up. All right?"

"I'll wash up," he smiled.

"Thanks." I got up and went to sit on the couch, turning the TV on and watching Katelyn Carlson read out the news bulletins, something about Christmas cheer and then snow and blah blah blah. I kinda zoned out, ended up staring at the Christmas lights that Jace and I had put along the railing on the balcony and the buildings across the street that were also covered in fairy lights.

Then the couch beside me sank and Jace's arm wrapped around my waist and I leaned into him automatically.

"Sleepy?"

"Kinda, yeah. But we should watch a Christmassy movie or something first."

"Sounds like a good idea. What are you thinking of? Die Hard?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you wanna watch Die Hard, we can. I'm pretty sure I have it somewhere."

"Swa-eet."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own TMI, Cassandra Clare does.

I was thinking, some good fanart of TMI: burdge-bug (dot) deviantart (dot) com (forward slash) gallery (forward slash). And then search "mortal instruments" in her gallery. No doubt you'll find some genius work. I also have no doubt that there will be some errors in this chapter, but I figured I'd post early for you guys. Though, since it's holidays, I probably won't have a regular uploading schedule at all… Hum. Oh well!

Australian Words

Primary school: It's like Grade Three through to Six? Americans call it Elementary or something. Yeah, I think your schooling system is confusing :P.

Blu-Tack: Do you have this in the U.S.? It's like the biggest life saver ever. Google it if you don't already know what it is. ^^

Valhalla ice cream: is like the best ice cream I've ever eaten. I'm assuming that it is similar to Ben and Jerry's, kinda. They do 'different' flavours – like Christmas Cake, Buttered Pecan and Roasted Wattleseed and Macademia Nut. (Web: valhallaicecream (dot) com (dot) au (forward slash) flavours (dot) htm).

Reviews are lovely!

~Maisy :) x