Hellooo! I was meant to upload this last night but I got caught up at my friend's house party, so sorry about that. And no, nothing quite as interesting as this happened aha.

I just wanted to say a big thank you to the anons that I got for the time. I hate that I can never reply to you guys but I really do appreciate everything you have to say and it means a lot that you continue to offer your thoughts chapter after chapter. I love you all.

It's also been great to see some of your theories about what's about to happen. Between a few of you, you've managed to piece together almost one of the plot points, but no one's come close to the main twist yet ;) The hints have been deliberately vague so far so I'd be very impressed if someone managed to even guess the nature of the twist, but yes, kudos to those of you who have been trying to decipher my cryptic clues. I haven't been making it easy.

But anyway, on with the story and I feel like you may like this one...

Disclaimer: I do not own TMI, TID or any of their characters and I'm awful at card games. Unless it's UNO. UNO is life.

A Tale Of Two…

10. Risks

30th January

Everything hurt.

The sunlight streaming in through her windows. The sound of the kettle whistling from the kitchen.

Her feet. Her head.

Clary was a wreck.

She pulled the blanket over her face, pressing it to her forehead as if that would somehow stop the pounding headache her body was submitting her to. Okay, so maybe she'd brought it upon herself. Clary remembered her plan to stick to half a glass of wine last night and she especially remembered tossing that aside.

She could recall the way Jace had looked at her after he walked in on her hugging Jonathan and how her spirits had plummeted. After that, the glass had just kept filling up.

The problem was, she didn't remember much of what happened after that.

"Clary?" Her bedroom door opened a crack and Tessa peeked her head inside.

"Hey," Clary mumbled, pushing the blanket aside enough to expose her left eye to the blinding light.

"How are you feeling?" Tessa walked in, carrying a steaming mug of what smelt like coffee and a plate holding two slices of toast. She placed them all on her bedside table and then knelt down beside her.

"Like crap."

"Hmm. Alec told me you'd gotten a bit carried away last night."

"Did he now?" Had she run into Alec? That must have been one of the things that slipped her mind.

"How did you get back upstairs? He said he couldn't find you after that and neither could Simon or Isabelle."

"I…" Clary struggled with the memory. How had she gotten back to the flat? She knew enough of her habitual drunken behaviour to know that her balance was almost always affected. It was unlikely she'd made it back up on her own. "Someone helped me."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah," she nodded weakly, the motion setting off the dysfunctional orchestra in her head. "Must have been."

Aside from the Lightwood siblings and Simon, she couldn't think of anyone else who was left at the party that would have bothered to take care of her.

"It's my fault," Tessa sighed, guilt washing her features. "I shouldn't have left. I should have been there for you."

"Don't be stupid," Clary waved her off. "I shouldn't have been careless enough to get drunk in the first place. I promised you I wouldn't."

"That doesn't matter now." She pushed herself off the floor and smoothed out her blouse. "At least you're safe. Alec had me worried sick when he stopped me in the hallway so it was a relief when I found you asleep in here. Right, well, I'm off to uni now and then I'll be finishing late at work, so I won't see you until dinner. But I checked your timetable and you don't have anything until your afternoon class with Professor Fade, so have your breakfast and make sure you're ready in time."

"I will." Clary managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Tessa."

"You're welcome."

Clary winced at the sound of the door shutting but was relieved to find that she didn't feel the need to vomit.

Her afternoon class with Professor Fade: that's what Tessa had said she needed to be ready for. It seemed like timetabling hadn't factored in her class change yet, so she had little choice but to brave it one last time and then join the other lecture group next week. The group without Jace.

Clary eased herself up onto her elbows, letting her eyes begin to adjust to the light and once she was sure she could support herself, she reached out for the mug of coffee that Tessa had left for her and took a sip.

The bitter liquid burned down her throat and she had to grip the side of her bed before she spilled it all down her clothes.

Her clothes.

Clary looked down.

Her clothes that weren't there.

She set the coffee mug down and slid across the bed until she was upright, peeking under her blankets. She was still wearing her bra and underwear, which was a relief, but she looked up to see her dress strewn across the floor.

Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal. On the few occasions where Isabelle or Tessa had had to take care of her – usually Tessa because Isabelle was likely to be in just as bad a state – they'd help her into her pyjamas and leave her to sleep it off. But she was sure Jonathan would never have done that. She'd have been lucky if he'd even walked her to her front door, let alone find the way back to bed.

And that's when she saw it.

The brown leather bracelet lying at the foot of the bed.

Though her mind was foggy and she couldn't remember much of the latter part of Magnus's party, that pretty brown band stood out like a beacon in her memories.

The one Jace Herondale had been wearing.

-o-O-o-

Tessa smiled to herself as she strolled down the uppermost corridor of the English department. Her conversation with Will yesterday had given her some ideas for her final-year dissertation on the role of women in Victorian literature. It wasn't the conversation so much as it was Will himself.

Speaking to him reminded her of all the different types of characters he'd pestered her about for his book and had showed her that there were some aspects of them she hadn't even considered to analyse. This was primarily because erotica was something she preferred to avoid altogether, but she couldn't deny there were undertones in the novels she'd been reading, albeit to a different extent than what Will was likely planning for his own book. She still didn't want to think too much on that. Needless to say, her academic advisor – Professor Charlotte Branwell – was delighted with her progress and that put a spring in her step as she made her way to the courtyard. She still had a couple of hours to go until her shift at the bookstore, so she'd decided to catch up on some of her compulsory reading while she waited. Few people stuck around after lectures unless they were heading to the library, so she'd expected that it would be relatively deserted.

What she hadn't expected was to see Will Herondale, leaning against one of the trees. He was facing away from her, playing with the phone in his hand and so he didn't see her come up behind him.

"Will? What are you doing here?"

Will jumped, spinning around in shock.

"Tessa?"

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, glancing about the courtyard. There were a few students milling about but thankfully none that she recognised. For some reason, she didn't like the idea of people seeing her with him.

"I was…waiting for you, of course!" He pocketed his phone and led her to the university gates by the elbow. "You took your time."

"I was in a meeting…" She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't resist as he walked her out and along the pavement. "How did you even know to find me here?"

"I didn't," he admitted, pausing by the side of the road. "Another lucky guess."

He held his hand out as a black taxi sidled to a stop beside them and opened the door, gesturing for her to get in.

"What's this?"

"A door, Tessa. Now if you'd step through it, we can begin our journey."

"What journey?"

"Well, if you're going to just stand around by the road all day, you won't find out, will you?" He cocked his head toward the taxi again and this time she slipped past him onto the leather seats. She had no idea what he was up to, but she'd come to realise that when it came to Will Herondale, sometimes it was best not to ask too many questions.

He slid in next to her and leaned forward to give the cabbie some directions. He was too quiet for her to hear all of it, but she thought she could make out the word 'Camden.'

"Will, I have to go to work soon," she pointed out as the driver revved the engine and they joined the throng of London traffic. "So whatever it is you've got planned, it's got to be quick."

"Don't worry, I'll have you back by three."

Three. That was indeed the time her shift at the bookstore started, but she had no idea how he'd known that. Again, she didn't bother to ask.

"And where exactly will we be back from?" Tessa belatedly realised how stupid it was for her to have so easily agreed to get into a car with him. She was normally so cautious that she'd never have stepped in without a comprehensive itinerary and informing at least one of her friends, but that had all gone out of the window.

A storage room rendezvous.

Midnight strolls in the park.

What was happening to her lately?

"You'll find out," was all he said, somewhat cryptically. That only increased her suspicions but she forced herself to sit back and relax. If the traffic kept up like this, this mystical journey of theirs was going to be very slow indeed.

-o-O-o-

Clary was panicking so much she could hardly breathe.

Jace had brought her back to the flat. He'd taken her to her bedroom and then somehow, she'd ended up without her dress and his bracelet was left lying on the floor.

She racked her brain, trying to figure out what happened last night and prayed to whatever god would listen that it hadn't been the unthinkable.

She wanted Jace, of course she did. But not like that.

Not while she was half out of her mind and unable to remember a single detail of it. Her only solace was that Tessa had told her she'd found her sleeping in her bed last night. If Jace had been with her, she was pretty sure her holier-than-thou friend wouldn't have failed to mention that. Of course, she had no idea what time Tessa had come back, but surely they wouldn't have been alone long enough for…

No.

She shut the thought down once again and told herself to breathe.

"Be logical, Fray," she said aloud, pacing about her room. "How would Tessa solve this?"

Details. Tessa always looked at details. So that's what Clary had to do.

Other than her dress and the bracelet, nothing else was out of place. She also hadn't been completely naked when she woke up, so that was something. With the kind of headache she'd had this morning, she thought it was unlikely that she'd have been able to do…whatever she hoped she hadn't done, and then dressed herself afterwards.

Her heartbeat slowed somewhat.

Okay, so that particular thing probably hadn't happened.

But there was a lot more she could have done with her clothes still on.

Had she kissed him?

Please, no.

Again, that was something she'd found herself fantasising about before, but to have had her first kiss with him and not remember how it felt… How he felt. That was just too unbearable to think about.

And of course, she was missing out the biggest part of the puzzle. Jace himself. Had he been just as inebriated as her or was he sober? If the latter were true, she thought she could probably put her mind to rest. Yes, Jace was irritating and they weren't currently on the best of terms, but she could give him enough credit to assume he wouldn't take advantage of her while she was drunk.

But if he was equally as tipsy…

There was a good chance she may have just broken both of the promises she'd made Tessa, including the one she'd made two weeks ago. The pact itself.

Clary slumped to the floor, her head in her hands.

She was stupid. So, so stupid.

If Tessa had known what she'd done, there's no way she would have been so calm and understanding this morning. Clary didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve her kindness.

Not when she'd abandoned her friend at the first opportunity that had arisen.

But no more.

Clary glanced at the toast on her bedside table, noting the way Tessa had cut it into four triangles with honey glazed over the top, just the way she liked it.

She forced herself up and stood resolute. She'd already let down Tessa too many times, but by Noel Edmonds if she could help it, she wouldn't do it again. Tessa had told her she needed to make it to Fade's class in time and she would. She'd clean herself up and face her demons if she needed to.

Though she sincerely hoped he wouldn't be there.

-o-O-o-

The taxi finally came to a stop at the side of a busy road and Tessa glared at Will as he made her jump out on double yellow lines, wondering as if some undercover policeman was about to grab them at any moment for their blatant disregard of traffic safety.

"Come on," he urged, running across the road, despite the fact the 'red man' was still showing. Granted, the traffic was at a standstill, but Tessa still felt like a felon as they weaved their way through the cars to the other side.

This boy was going to be the death of her.

Sure enough, he'd brought her to Camden Market. Her senses were immediately assaulted by all the various incense fumes, foods and colours that were set up in the stalls that formed the labyrinth of the market and despite herself, she had to hold onto the back of Will's jacket to make sure she didn't lose him in the melee.

"Will!" She leaned forward to hiss into his ear. "What are we doing here?"

"You'll see," is all he said, not pausing for even a second as he navigated the complex and lead her to the end of an alley. There were less stalls here and less people as a result, but he carried on through until they reached one tucked away in the corner.

A very small man sat behind a table, his eyes lighting up as they landed on the pair of them. All around him were jewellery trees, each carrying a dazzling array of necklaces. Gold and silver, plain and embellished, big and small. Tessa didn't think she'd ever seen so many in her life.

"William!" He opened his mouth to reveal a set of shining gold teeth.

"Nigel," Will nodded in greeting, then gestured for Tessa to come closer. "It's been a while." She realised she was still holding onto his jacket and made a show of shaking him off.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Is it business or well, pleasure?"

"Always both when it comes to you…" Will laughed. Tessa raised her eyebrows but said nothing. "But primarily business this time. My friend here would like a necklace."

"Sorry," Tessa butted in. "Excuse us for a second." She removed her gaze from Nigel and turned to Will, dragging him far enough away from the stall that she hoped the merchant wouldn't be able to hear them. "What?"

"A necklace," Will repeated, still smiling. "You need a necklace."

"I have a necklace." She looked pointedly at the green pendant hanging at her neck.

"Well, we're getting you a new one."

"What if I don't want a new one?" Tessa held onto it protectively. Had he really brought her all the way out here just to buy some jewellery?

"Then that's up to you," he shrugged. "But I think it'd do you some good to have a change."

"Why would I want to change it?"

"I had a friend called James too," he said in response, ignoring her question. "He was my best friend, actually. We went to primary school together and even the first couple of years of secondary school, but then his dad's job got relocated to London and he moved away." Will avoided her gaze. "I was devastated. We'd made this pact, you see. We promised we'd never leave each other, no matter what. But he broke it. We were barely twelve and he left me. All alone. It wasn't his fault, I understood that afterwards, but I hated him for it at the time. I was so angry that I threw away everything. Everything that had ever reminded me of him and every letter he sent me afterwards. Eventually he stopped writing and there was nothing left. Nothing to tell me where he was or how I could speak to him again. And then I realised it was me." He raised his eyes, the blue deeper and darker than she'd ever seen it. "I broke the pact. I abandoned him. There hasn't been a day since that I haven't regretted it."

It took Tessa a while to find her voice.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because then I realised something. After all the things that I'd thrown away, the only ones I wished I could bring back were his letters. I didn't need objects to remind me of what he'd meant to me, I just needed him. Just like you don't need that necklace anymore. I see the way you cling to it, as if it's the only thing you've got left to hang on to, but that's not true. You're strong, Tessa. You don't need a sentimental trinket to remind you of him. I'm not saying you should get rid of it. Quite the opposite, actually. But I think it would do you some good to have something take its place, something that won't bring you as much pain as it does comfort. Something entirely yours."

Once again, her throat felt dry. Will was still looking at her with that intensity and she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"So…what? You're going to buy me another necklace?"

"Me?" He scoffed and just like that, he was back to normal. Light and cheery and carefree. "No chance, love. I'm broke. You're buying yourself a necklace."

"Wait," she held up a hand. "Let me get this straight. You've dragged me half the way across London to buy myself a necklace that I don't even think I need?"

"Pretty much," he grinned. "But it wouldn't make sense for me to do it. If I bought you one, you'd associate it with me. The whole point of this is so you'll stop relying on other people and realise that you need no one but yourself. And besides, I did pay for the taxi."

"Will…"

"Just have a look," he insisted, hands out. "If you don't like any of them, no harm done. But if you do…"

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, trudging back to the stall. "I'll have a look." Nigel hadn't moved an inch.

She told herself she was only doing this to humour him, but as she passed her gaze over the assortment of chains and pendants dangling from the trees, she couldn't help but hold her breath. They were magnificent. Not one necklace looked like another and each of them felt as if they had their own story, some epic journey that they'd been on to sit in front of her today.

And then on the highest branch, she saw the most magnificent one of all.

It gleamed in the light of the sun, the bronze wings outstretched to reveal the complex working of cogs beneath. She knew it couldn't have been the one she'd dreamed of: the one her mother used to wear. No, that one had been lost in the accident that had killed her parents. But it looked so similar.

She glanced at her side to find Will smirking at her and realised that she'd been gaping at it in awe.

"So," Nigel looked up. "Anything take your fancy?"

Tessa ignored Will's triumphant grin as she focused her attention on the vendor. "The clockwork angel," she asked. "How much is it?"

Nigel pursed his lips and named his price. Tessa tried to hide her disappointment. She wasn't even carrying half that amount on her.

"Say, Nigel," Will stepped forward. "Perhaps we could do some sort of deal?"

"I'm listening…"

"How about I play you for it?"

"Will, you don't need to…" Tessa began, but he cut her off.

"He owes me, don't you Nigel? Do you remember that game of poker we played at the Devil's Tavern?"

Nigel's mouth dropped open and he looked incredibly uncomfortable. Tessa felt much the same way. She mentally added gambling to the list of Will's other vices.

"I wasn't cheating…"

"So you say," Will smirked. "But I covered for you anyway, didn't I? So how about it? You name the manner of play then, if I win, we take the necklace, free of charge. If you win, I never hold this over your head again."

Nigel stared at him, fiddling with the many rings on his fingers. Six fingers, she noted.

"Alright," he sighed, pulling out a deck of cards. He spread it out in front of him. "Let's keep this simple. Highest card wins."

"Deal." Will leaned forward, inspecting the pile. Then as if given some otherworldly cue, he slapped his hand down on a card a third of the way from the right and snatched it up, keeping it close to his chest. Nigel did the same, taking far longer than Will had done as he scanned the downturned deck.

When both of them had their respective cards, Nigel placed his on the table. He grinned. "Jack of Clubs."

Tessa stiffened. She didn't play cards much, but she was pretty sure that would be hard to beat.

Will didn't hesitate as he threw his own card down. "I win," he said, indicating towards the Ace of Spades.

"You do not!" Nigel stood up abruptly, his head in line with their waists. "The Ace is the lowest card. It goes Ace, Two, Three."

"Not by my reckoning," Will shook his head, hands braced on the table so he could look Nigel in the eye. "It's Jack, Queen, King, Ace."

"Don't think you can fool me, William Herondale. I know your ways."

"Then you should know that there's no way I'm leaving here without that necklace. Hand it over, Nigel."

"Never."

"I'll settle this," Tessa said, to both her surprise and theirs. She hated gambling, absolutely detested it, but she knew all too well that if she didn't intervene soon, things could go horribly awry. And heavens, how she needed that necklace. "I'll pick the next card. If it's a King or Queen, we win. No contest."

"Tess…"

"Is that fair, Nigel?" She ignored Will, turning to the dwarf.

Nigel growled at Will, but eventually conceded. He knew their chances were slim. "Okay, King or Queen you win. But any other card, and you pay me twice the price of the necklace."

"That wasn't the deal," Will stepped to block her from the table. "We're not doing it."

"Then you lose," he shrugged, sitting back down on his stool.

"Fine, we lose." Will took Tessa by the arm and started to lead her away, but she stopped him.

"Deal," she said instead, facing down Nigel.

Will's eyes bugged. "Tessa, are you insane?"

"Maybe," she whispered, but that didn't stop her from reaching down and selecting a card from the deck. She had no idea what was making her so reckless, but there was something about that necklace. Something that told her she had to have it, no matter what. She didn't have the money on her right now, but she had other things she could trade in the meantime.

"Go on then, girl." Nigel sneered at her, his mouth lifting in a feral grin. "Let's see what you've got."

Tessa hadn't even checked what the card was herself, but she threw it down in front of her. She wouldn't fail. She couldn't fail.

Nigel hissed and she knew she'd been right. She'd already begun smiling before she saw it - the Queen of Hearts.

-o-O-o-

Clary hadn't even realised she'd been holding her breath until she spied the half-empty theatre, the row she usually occupied completely devoid of that dreaded blonde hair. She did a quick check to make sure he hadn't decided to sit elsewhere, but again, nothing.

Jace hadn't turned up.

Malcolm Fade waved at her as she made her way up the steps, feeling ten times lighter than she had this morning. She knew she probably couldn't avoid him forever and to be honest, she really did want to know exactly what had happened between them, but it could wait for another day. One where she didn't feel quite as hung over.

If anything, it was nothing short of a miracle that she'd been able to reach the university in one piece and even now her head throbbed as she struggled to pay attention to Malcolm's lecture. Tessa's breakfast had helped somewhat, but after the brisk walk to campus she just felt empty now. Empty and slightly nauseous.

Clary bent her head down, focusing on the notebook in front of her as she attempted to compose herself. Why hadn't she thought to bring something to drink with her?

As if by divine intervention, she suddenly found a bottle of water to her left.

"Go on," he whispered to her. "Have some."

Her head snapped up a little too fast and her mind spun for a second, but it was definitely Jace who was sitting next to her now.

"Where did you come from?"

"I had something to take care of," he smirked. "I don't think Malcolm's noticed yet."

Sure enough, their eccentric professor was still darting across the stage as normal, completely oblivious to Jace's late entrance.

Having to look down made her feel woozy again and she clutched the side of her chair to steady herself. Jace nudged the water closer and she didn't think twice before unscrewing the cap and guzzling it down. She'd drunk almost half of it before she set the bottle back on the desk, wiping at her mouth.

"Thanks," she mumbled, colour rushing to her cheeks.

Jace merely chuckled at her.

"It's okay, I had a feeling you might be worse for the wear this morning."

"Right…" She concentrated on inhaling and exhaling as the awkwardness scale suddenly got ramped up. He was so casual when he mentioned it that she almost believed all of her fears had been for nothing at all, but then she caught that look in his eye and knew he was hiding something.

Later, she told herself. She'd have to talk to him later. Her stomach was fragile enough already and she didn't feel like puking up her guts in front of all her classmates. Jace seemed to take the hint and didn't say another word to her until the lecture was over and the theatre had been vacated.

"Something wrong, you two?" Malcolm called up, about to dim the lights when he suddenly noticed they were still there.

"Nothing, Sir," Jace called down. "Clary just wanted some help with the assignment so I thought I'd stay behind and explain it to her." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that.

"Anything I can help with?"

"It's okay, Sir. We wouldn't want to keep you. I've got it covered."

"Of course you do," Malcolm laughed, wagging his finger at him. "Just don't go getting any ideas about taking my job, Mr Herondale."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Professor," Jace grinned back and then Malcolm winked before leaving them completely alone.

The two of them sat facing the front, waiting until the sounds of his footsteps had retreated down the hallway.

Jace cleared his throat.

"Before you say anything," Clary interrupted, forcing herself to look at him. "Just answer me this - am I going to regret what I'm about to hear?"

Jace shifted uneasily. "You really don't remember a thing?"

"Not after you left me in the kitchen."

"Seriously?" His eyebrows flew up. "Nothing at all?"

"I don't like the way you're saying that…" Clary cringed, imagining the worst. What on earth had she done last night? "Fine, just say yes or no. Were you drunk too?"

"No," he shook his head, completely earnest. Okay, that was good.

"Did you take me home?"

"Yes."

"Did we go back to my room?"

He took longer to reply this time, but he answered in the affirmative.

"Did we…" Her voice faltered and she knew how pitiful she must have looked when she stared at him.

"No," he said and she slumped against the back of her chair in relief. Sweet, sweet relief. "At least," he added after a moment. "Not that."

"What do you mean 'at least'?" She raised her eyes to him slowly, her heart freezing in her chest. This was what she'd been dreading to hear. She already had a pretty good idea that they hadn't gone all the way last night, but it was the rest of it that she wasn't sure of. All of her worst nightmares seemed to come to life as he frowned at her, his body tense.

"Just…don't freak out, okay?"

"What?" Her voice rose a couple of octaves as she turned to face him. "You can't say something like that and then expect me not to freak out!"

Jace winced at her tone. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"Obviously it is or you wouldn't be telling me not to freak out!"

"Clary, calm down or I'm not telling you."

"Fine!" She snapped, closing her eyes as she took deep breaths. She was much quieter when she spoke again, trained on Jace's golden gaze. "Fine. Just tell me."

She heard him inhale, the air stilling around them.

"You kissed me, Clary," Jace whispered and she felt herself shatter inside. Clary buried her head in her hands, her elbows hitting the desk painfully.

"Oh god," she groaned. "No. Oh god."

"It was really brief," he said, trying to pry her hands away from her face. "Like, literally a second. I stopped it as soon as I could." She didn't doubt he was telling the truth, but it didn't stop the mortification that poured through her. What must he have been thinking? Hell, what was she thinking!?

"What did I do?" She mumbled, her voice muffled by her hands. "What did I do afterwards?"

"You took off your dress."

The sound Clary let out at that was completely unintelligible. She curled up on the seat, her head on her knees, that high-pitched keening rocking her body.

"And then?" She thought she should probably stop asking, but some masochistic part of her wanted to know all of it. Know whatever she'd done and burn in the shame of it all.

"Then you fell asleep," he laughed. "You said 'suit yourself, Blondie,' then something like 'wait till Valentine's' and then you passed out."

Clary was past words yet again, her cheeks burning. It could have been worse, she knew that. It could have been so much worse, but she'd still kissed him and that's what upset her the most.

They'd had their first kiss, something she'd been dreaming about – sleep was the only time she wasn't aware of being mad at him – and yet she couldn't remember it. After the spectacle she'd made of herself, she didn't think she'd ever get the chance again.

"Hey," he nudged her after a while. "You okay?"

"Nope."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed at. Okay, fine," he added after she snorted at him. "Nothing to be that embarrassed at. I've said and done far worse when I've been intoxicated. All I'm going to say is, Bristol high street and completely starkers."

"Seriously?" Clary asked, despite herself.

"That's not even the best part. Someone took pictures and sent them to my grandmother."

"Wow."

"Exactly." He tugged at her hands again, trying to get her to look at him. She tried to resist but eventually he managed to wrestle her fingers from her eyes. Jace grinned at her. "See, not so bad, right?"

"Only by your definition of bad."

"Fair point," he shrugged. "But for what it's worth, I think you handled yourself rather gracefully."

"Really?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Did I now?"

"Yeah, you really did. Most girls throw epic tantrums when I turn them down. You did strip, but then you fell asleep. It could have been a lot worse."

"I suppose."

"So why are you actually upset?" Jace cocked his head, fixing her with those brilliant eyes. She tried to turn away but her wrists were still manacled within his hands, holding her to him. "And don't lie to me this time."

He was talking about their fight in the bookstore. She'd told him that she had no feelings for him whatsoever but obviously last night had effectively disproven that.

Clary took a deep breath before she told him the truth. "Because I can't remember it," she whispered. "I can't remember."

He nodded in understanding, seeming to know exactly which part she was talking about. Of course she wouldn't want to remember the stripping or the falling asleep in front of him. There was only one thing she wished she hadn't forgotten.

"Then remember this," he said and before she could protest, he'd pulled her towards him and pressed his lips to hers.

And just like that she was melting.

His lips were soft, so unbearably soft and once she'd overcome the shock of what was happening she leaned into the kiss, relishing the feel of him against her. He released her wrists and let her wrap her arms around his neck, moving his own hands to her waist. Closer. They had to get closer. She was breathless and she could tell Jace was starting to lose his own semblance of control but still they sat there, wrapped up in each other as if the rest of the world had faded away leaving nothing but them. Nothing but that kiss.

And oh, was it glorious.

All traces of the haze that was upon her mind this morning had disappeared and she suddenly felt as if she'd never been more awake. Coffee and toast had been a decent remedy for her hangover at the time, but Jace was something else altogether. She realised he must have been telling the truth because there was no way their kiss last night could have been anything but fleeting and for her not to have remembered it. She didn't think it was even possible to forget the taste of him. Mint and apple and something else, something entirely Jace.

His cheeks were flushed when they finally pulled apart, his eyes wide and shining and Clary found herself struggling to breathe yet again. Perhaps even more so.

But their small moment of bliss could only last for so long because then he asked her: "So what's all this about Valentine's Day?"

Well, bonjour to the Clace.

For now.

Was that how you expected it to be? The last cliffhanger definitely irked a lot of you and I kind of had to hold back from unleashing a manic, evil laugh anytime someone made a threat about one of the possibilities.

So she did fall asleep, but not straight away. I guess the main point I wanted to make was that people definitely overestimate their ability to drink and I've seen crazy scenarios in fics where the protagonist downs like three bottles of vodka and only then begins to feel the effects of it. Clary's pretty tame as far as freshers go - I've seen awful things in my time (happen to other people, of course) - but I've also seen people fall asleep after just one glass of wine, so it's definitely possible. And the whole drinking water in between thing to get rid of a hangover is a myth. It can lessen the effects, but some people just don't metabolise the alcohol well enough in the first place. So basically, be responsible. Jace not being a complete arsehole also helped somewhat. Not everyone will be so friendly.

Also while we're on a serious note, there's a hoax account called Champ1gnon that's been messaging some people, so if you get something from them - IGNORE it. Add them to your blocked users list just in case too and spread the word if you're an author yourself.

Finally, to end on something nicer, I moved back into my flat last week and found out WE HAVE NEW NEIGHBOURS! I haven't met them yet - though I intend on fixing that soon - and don't know much other than they like to play music at night with a pretty loud bass, but I have to admit, every time I've walked past their door I've sort of been like...what if? Obviously I'm sad to see the others go, but the possibilities are just too great. This fic is ruining my life. I'll keep you guys updated on the whole thing ;)

Till the next time...

smim xx