Hello again!

Wow, two chapters in two days, I must be on a roll.

Thank you so much for all the reviews! They are what motivated me to write another chapter today!

Anyway, so we meet Dexter in this chapter! It's a long one too. 8 whole pages on word.

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Nope... still not Cassie Clare... what a shame...

456 Salga Rd was not what Jace had expected. In fact, he wasn't really sure what he had expected. He hadn't given much thought as to what the house would look like at all, really. But if he thought about it now, he would have expected something a bit more... normal.

It wasn't that the house wasn't normal, exactly. The house, at first glance, looked like many other houses in the street. Two story, weatherboard with red brick foundation, slightly run down, what used to be white but was now more of a cream coloured paint faded and peeling in some places, an old, denim blue Mustang Convertible sitting in the cement driveway.

What made the house stand out to Jace was probably the fact that everything seemed so... mismatched. Like it didn't really belong there. But the strange thing about that was that everything kind of did belong. Like the pieces of an obscure puzzle, fitting together to make a perfect picture.

What was so obscure about this house? Maybe it was the burnt honey coloured Golden Retriever sleeping on the ping pong table under the tree in the front yard, or maybe it was the double length skipping rope tied between the two posts on the front porch, to be used as a clothes line. This, and a million other factors all fit together to make a sort of messiness that, apart from making Jace want to grind his teeth together, seemed perfectly right.

Jace looked at Clary, his eyebrows raised. She just shrugged.

"College students." She said, as if this explained everything. Jace didn't understand how this explained anything.

As they approached the house, Jace's heart began to race. He had been trying very hard that morning not to think too much about what was about to happen, but he knew that he now had to face the inevitable. He had no idea what he was going to say to this Dexter character. How would he explain this whole mess? Did he know about the Shadow hunters? Did he even know he was adopted? Jace had to assume that he knew about the Downworld. He had the Sight, after all. If he had been living with Valentine for two years, then Dexter would have had to have the sight. Valentine would have made sure of it.

As they crossed the road and approached the house, Jace started to hear music coming from inside. He was didn't know if Clary could hear it yet, but Jace could just make out a line or so of lyrics.

...I never take advice from my, friends in very high places...

As they walked through the front yard, the grass of which was surprisingly well kept, the music grew louder and louder and he could hear a muffle of voices, mixed in with laughter, coming from the back of the house. The dog on the ping pong table's head jerked up as they crossed onto the cement path, leading from the driveway to the porch steps. It looked at the curiously, with big, round, innocent eyes, before letting out a single yelp. It jumped off the table and trotted over to the couple, tail wagging furiously. Jace crouched down, rubbing the dogs head and scratching behind its ears as it moaned in delight.

He smiled. Jace had always had a soft spot for dogs. As a child, he would secretly hope for one on each birthday, but alas, he never did receive. He was always too scared to ask Valentine, for fear of being seen as weak. He never really received any gifts from Valentine for anything other than training, apart from books. The only pet he ever had was a training eagle, and that had ended very badly for him and the poor bird. But still, the wish for a companion such as a dog had always lingered in the back of his mind.

"Hey there buddy." Clary said leaning down to pat the dog, which seemed overjoyed by the attention it was being given, its tongue lolling out to the side of its mouth, "Who's a good puppy? Who is it? Yeah that's right, it's you isn't it? Yeah it is, you know it." Jace smiled at the way his girlfriends voice went high and breathy, as it always did when she was presented with some sort of soft, adorable animal.

Clary straightened her back and watched the two for a few moments.

"Come on, Jace," She said after about a minute, "You're stalling."

He sighed, "I know, I know."

He gave the Golden Retriever won last pat, before standing up again. Clary took his hand and together, they made their way up wooden porch steps. They stopped in front of the front door, which appeared to have recently received a brand new coat of wood varnish. From what he could see through the dappled glass window in the top of the door, it led to a thin, brightly lit hallway. But it was too blurry to be able to tell anything else.

"Are you ready for this?" Clary asked, sounding slightly breathless.

Jace looked at her,

"Nope."He said, and thudded on the door three times.

For a second it was completely silent, before Clary heard the music that had been playing from somewhere towards the back of the house die down and a female voice call from inside;

"Coming!"

There was a light patter of feet before she heard someone twist the doorknob. It opened with a click, and there in the doorway stood a small girl, about Clary's age and height.

As Clary observed the girl, she couldn't help but think that she was the type of person that Jocelyn had spent sixteen years making sure Clary didn't associate with. She had straight hair the colour of dark honey, which ribboned down her back and over her shoulders, down to her waist. Just behind her side fringe was a streak of ultra violet, which stretched the full length of her hair. Her clear, solid, olive green eyes were framed by thick, dark eyelashes. Her skin was slightly tanned and she sported a nose piercing, just a small, silver stud. But her eyes held an almost mischievous playfulness to them, and Jocelyn had always steered Clary far away from people who sported any kind of unnatural hair colours or piercing that wasn't in the ears.

Clary had always thought this a little hypocritical. Jocelyn was an artist, and had always encouraged her to express herself and be her own person, and she always saw dying your hair colourfully or getting a piercing or a tattoo as a form of expressing yourself. Although now Clary suspected that this protectiveness had something to do with the fact that downworlders tended to lean towards this style. And after all, Jocelyn had done everything possible to keep her in the dark.

Now, the girl standing in the doorway smiled at them, a one dimpled smile.

"Hey there." She said. Jace coughed, beside Clary.

"Ugh, hi." He sounded slightly nervous, but if she had been anyone else, she probably wouldn't have noticed. "Um, my name is Jace Lightwood, err, this is Clary Fray. We're looking for a Dexter Fletcher?" It came out as a question rather than a statement.

"Oh," She smiled again. "Sure sure, come in. I'll let him know you're here."

They stepped inside the hallway, looking around, and the music and she noticed that the music and chatter she had heard before started up again. The hallway was painted a friendly, soft yellow, as was the dining room to the right, and the TV room to her right. Several jackets and coats hung on the wall next to them, but other than that the hallway was empty, save the staircase at the end.

"I'm Annabelle, by the way," The girl with the nose piercing said as she turned closed the door behind them, "But you can just call me Anny." She smiled.

Clary couldn't help but grin back. There was just something about Anny that made you... happy. She was one of those people whose mood was contagious.

"Well it's really great to meet you, Anny." Clary said, meaning every word.

"You too, you too. Hey, did you guys just wanna wait at the dining table?" She said, referring to the rectangle, pine table in the room to their right, "I would invite you into the kitchen, but Jessie and Scott are having one of their debates," She swallowed, "and I wouldn't want to scare you off."

"Don't you think we can handle it?" Jace said, smirking, "Or do you think we will run screaming from the house in fear?"

"Well," She seemed to think about this, "I don't know. But I'd rather not take my chances. It's a rather messy thing to witness."

"Oh yes," Jace's voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Sounds dangerous." Anny just shrugged.

"I'll be back in a tick." She said. She hesitated, her green eyes scanning Jace's body, finally resting on his eyes. She frowned, before disappearing up the wooden staircase.

Clary glared at the tall blonde, before walking huffily to the table. Jace followed, eyebrows raised.

"Is something bothering you, Clary?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

She groaned into her hands, leaning her elbows on the dented wood in front of her.

"Why, Jace? Why must you always be a jerk to every single person we meet?"

"I wasn't that bad." He sniffed, "Plus, she didn't seem that bothered."

"She was being nice to us. And I don't care if it bothered her or not, that's not the point."

"Okay then, Ginger." Clary growled, he knew that she hated those types of nicknames, "Tell me. What is the point?"

"The point," Clary said, her voice tight but hushed as she leaned closer to him, so she was no longer in the chair, "Is that everywhere you go, you always, and I mean always, find a way to-"

She was interrupted by someone clearing their throat in the doorway. She looked up in surprise to see a tall boy, about Jace's age, leaning on the door frame.

"I'm sorry," He said, "I can come back in a minute if you two want to finish..." He trailed off, his eyes locked on Jace.

And suddenly she realised; this was Dexter. He had to be. And she could guess by the way Jace was looking at him, mouth partly open, that he realised this too. She looked at Dexter, as he stared at Jace in surprise. It was almost comical, looking at them, gaping at each other.

Clary was not sure what she had expected Dexter to look like. She supposed she had envisioned him to look skinny and lanky, compared to Jace. But now she guessed that she had been wrong.

At first she could only see the similarities; the same long, lean body, the same deep, gold eyes, and the same high cheek boned, strongly set face. They looked so similar. Like brothers. This, she supposed, is exactly what they were.

But there were the differences too. Dexter was well built, but he lacked Jace's years of training. Although, she suspected he had played sport or at least done some heavy lifting. His hair was a dark chocolate brown and it was long and shaggy, his fringe falling into his glasses covered eyes. His skinned was lightly browned, his cheeks spattered lightly with freckles. His right hand was stuck into his pocket, although she could tell from his left hand that he and Jace shared the same long pianist fingers, although his were less marked than Jaces, having been spared the years of training and runes. He was in cargo pants and a black tee shirt which bore the words; God save the teenagers of America.

Jace looked at Clary, his eyes asking her for help on what to do. But she didn't know what to say. She was speechless. Luckily, she didn't have to say anything.

"We need to talk, don't we." Dexter said. It wasn't a question.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and sat down across from them. Just then, Anny appeared at the door, looking concerned.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, her eyes flicking from Dexter to Clary and Jace.

"Um, Anny, do you mind if we speak to him in private, please?" Jace asked, at least attempting civility.

She opened her mouth, as if to reply, but was cut off by Dexter.

"No, no it's okay." He reached beside him, pulling out a chair at the head of the table next to his, "There's nothing that you can say to me that you can't say in front of her."

Anny but her lip and sat on the chair, glancing from Dexter to Jace, and back again. Dexter turned to them again.

"So... go ahead." He gestured for them to start.

"Okay, I guess the first thing would be whether or not you know about the Shadow and Downworld." Clary started, not knowing what else to ask.

"Oh, yeah." Anny said, "We're all over that, baby."

"Sure are." Dexter confirmed.

"You're a downworlder?" Jace asked her.

"No," Anny shook her head, "Not a Shadowhunter either."

"A mundane with the sight then." Jace sounded surprised, "Haven't seen one of you in years."

"Aren't they very common?" Clary asked.

Jace shook his head, "Not necessarily. You just used to see them more because they were required by Clave law to assist the Nephilim. You know; maids, stable hands, butlers. That kind of thing."

"But now they don't have to?"

"They have their own rights; have for about one hundred years."

"And thank God for that." Anny crossed her legs under the table, "Or else I'd be stuck washing floors for some pretentious douche bag, or something equally horrific." She looked at Jace, and added as an afterthought;

"No offense."

Clary couldn't help but notice that they were getting off topic. Before she could direct them back, there was a loud bang from the kitchen, along with a collection of irritated moans and complaints. Anny sighed.

"I'll go." And she pushed out her chair, going to investigate.

"So... where were we?" Dexter asked, remembering that there was a reason that he was sitting at the dining room table, talking to a short redhead and a stranger that somehow had his face.

"Have you always known you were a Shadowhunter?" Jace suddenly felt tired. He needed to get this out.

"Um well," Dexter pulled his right hand out from under the table, holding it so they could clearly see the back of his hand. Displayed there was a black tattoo of an eye, the same eye that every Shadowhunter received on their sixth birthday, as Jace had told her. Its lines were thick, and the darkest black.

"When did you get that?" Jace asked quickly.

Dexter blinked, "I don't know. it's always been there."

Jace nodded, as if this made all the sense in the world.

"Do you mind if I look?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Sure." Dexter copied Jace's movements, giving him a clear view of the mark. Clary leaned forward also. She remembered Jace telling her once that every mark was different, even if they are drawn identically, that they change and morph themselves slowly over time, to match the personality of the bearer. Clary, however, had never been able to establish the differences. "They aren't really noticeable" Jace had told her "you can barely see them. But they are there."

Dexter's mark looked exactly like her and Jace's, but Jace seemed to notice the difference. He nodded again before leaning back in his chair.

"Have you always known you we're adopted?" Jace asked, a bit more hesitant this time.

Dexter, who had been leaning on the back legs of his chair (The way they always told you off for in school), and picking at the edge of the already chipped table, sat upright suddenly. His mouth dropped open, a look blatant horror on his face.

"I'm adopted?" He sputtered eyes wide, "How come no-one told me?" His shoulders slump as he shook his head, muttering regretful things under his breath.

Clary gasped, "Look what you've done now!" She yelled at Jace, hitting him in the arm. Jace opened his mouth as if to protest, but he was interrupted by Annabelle's return.

"He's screwing with you," She told them, before turning to Dexter. " Dude? Seriously? Have you no shame?"

Dexter was grinning, leaning back in his chair. She wacked him on the side of the head, grabbing a fistful of hair and pulling his head back to look up at her.

"Stop being an assehole," She said, enunciating every syllable, as if speaking to a child. She let go of him and sat back down, looking up at Clary, who was still feeling a bit flustered, and Jace, who just looked pissed.

"He thinks he's hilarious." Her eyes were apologetic, "But he really isn't."

"You like it," Dexter was still smiling, "I know you do." Annabelle just rolled her eyes

"She likes it," He said again, this time to Clary. Clary laughed, shaking her head.

"So," Jace seemed to have calmed down a bit, "You do know you're adopted?"

"Yes." Annabelle and Dexter answered in unison.

"Well okay then," Jace straightened in his seat, "At least, that'll make this a bit simpler."

And so they told them everything. They told them, about Valentine and the Mortal Instruments and Stephen Herondale and the Uprising. Some things he knew a bit about;

"Downworlder gossip," He had proclaimed, "Is a beautiful thing."

They told him about the battle Brocelinds Plain, about the Alliance rune. They explained about Jonathan and his demon blood and everything. Clary had braced herself for the point in which they would have to tell him about the Angel blood. He didn't say much, just nodded in understanding. She was struck by how long it took, Just to tell a story that she already knew off by heart, having experienced it firsthand.

Two hours later, after they had gone into every detail possible they finally stopped. It was late, she realised. The sun was already setting over the city. It had to be at least five o clock, a fact that was confirmed by a low rumble in her stomach.

"Wow." Dexter said, sounding breathless.

"I Know." Annabelle didn't sound any better.

"That was confusing."

"Tell me about it," Jace grumbled, slumping in his chair.

"I think I get it, though," Dexter said, shifting restlessly.

'Are you sure?" Annabelle looked doubtful, "You did get confused while watching Inception."

"Everybody got confused watching that movie!" He exclaimed, "You got confused watching that movie."

She shrugged, "I'm just saying."

There was a pause, in which nobody said a word. They just let everything that had happened in the past three hours wash over them.

"So basically," Dexter said slowly, "What you're saying is that you are my brother." Jace nodded slowly.

"And I was raised for two years by a psychopathic Shadowhunter named Valentine..." He paused, and Clary and Jace nodded again, confirming this.

"Who was actually... you," He pointed to Clary, "Clary, you're father. But then he decided that he didn't like me so he abandoned me on my second birthday." Everyone nodded again.

"Some birthday present."

"I wish there was a nicer way of putting it," Jace, to Clary's surprise, sounded sincere, "But there isn't. You should feel lucky though, I doubt you would've enjoyed growing up in the Wayland Manor. I didn't"

"Well," He smiled, "I guess I hit a stroke of good luck then, didn't I?"

Just then a small blonde guy about their age burst into the room, holding a stack of disposable plastic cups in one hand and a packet of pasta in the other. He was incredibly short, smaller than Clary, and his hair was think and curly all over his head, contrasting with his deep brown eyes.

"We," He announced, holding the stack of cups in the air like a lantern "Are having a shindig."

Silence.

"A shindig?" Dexter stood up, "Seriously?"

"I never kid." The boy grinned.

"I aint cooking, Scott. If that's what you're asking." Anny's tone was final.

"Fine," Scott said, "But you have to help carry out the couches."

"Fine, but you have to cook." Scott poked his tongue out at her before running after Dexter, who had already left the room.

"Hey," Anny said, turning around, "You guys should stay for dinner."

Clary was hesitant, "We don't want to intrude or anything..."

"Don't be silly. But you have to help me move the couch out to the back veranda. I can't do it myself." She grinned at them, before turning on her heel rushing out of the room, calling out to someone, her tone joking.

Clary looked at Jace, who was tugging at the neck of his light grey tee shirt.

"We don't have to stay," She told him, "If you don't want to."

"You know what?" He said, getting to his feet, pulling her up with him, "I think we should stay. It is, after all, rude to accept such an invitation."

She smiled, stretching up to kiss his lips. He bent down, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips against hers. He put his hands in her soft hair, and her heart race quickened. She thought again about how lucky she was, to have Jace, and she wondered how thing would go with these new additions to their lives. She hoped that it would work out, in the end.

She went to deepen the kiss, but was interrupted by a presence at the door. She broke away from Jace, and they both looked to see who was there. It was Dexter, of course, the dog they had been with before, panting at his feet.

"Hi, um, sorry to interrupt," He suppressed a smile, causing dimples o show up on his cheeks, "But Anny says you're staying for diner?"

Jace smirked, "Sure. Why not?"

"Great. In which case you have to come help set up. Sorry," He grinned as he started to walk out of the room, "It's mandatory for everybody."

Clary smiled and laughed as she made her way to the living room, pulling Jace along with her. She had a feeling it was going to be a very interesting night.

So there you go!

I hope you guys like Dexter and Anny and Scott, although you don't really get to know them very much in this chapter, so don't be too hard on them yet. I hope you will like them though, because I do.

Review please! I love it when you guys review. It gives me motivation to keep on writing

If you review, I will give you six bucks and a Dr Pepper.

Love,
Beth.