Jace P.O.V.

"Choose me."

I woke from a dream, startled. The words had been on my own lips, as I hung from a cliff with one arm, the other useless and dangling at my side. Before me, on solid ground, there was an overwhelming range of fire. Unstoppable, eating everything at its path. But it had a heart, I knew because I could feel it's beating resounding in my own chest. It was wild and vengeful, yet steady. I knew the fire had made some kind of decision, but couldn't decide what it was.

It didn't seem good. I didn't know what choices the fire had been forced to look between, and somehow, I found myself muttering, "Choose me."

I wondered what I had meant by that, as I set up in bed. As if the fire had chosen between me and something else. Or the lack thereof. And I would be left falling to my death because I just couldn't hold on any longer. I dragged a hand over my face and tried not to think of the deadly accuracy, the way book characters do, avoiding reality, in a way that makes you want to grab them by the shirt collar and shake them.

Anyway, my dream was ridiculous. Fire didn't have a heart.

"Jace!" It was Clary, nearly breaking down the door with her knocking. I squinted and the light streaming through my window. I wondered how late I'd slept, which was unusual, considering I normally woke at hellish hours of the day. But hell, nothing in my life was exactly normal, per say, so why would my sleep schedule be?

"Get the hell up! I found a lead on my mother!"

"Coming," I groaned, waving a dismissive hand—which she couldn't see—at the door. I shook my head and took a few more seconds to place my head in my hands and wipe the already fading dream from my mind before I sprang up to start the day.

No, fire didn't have a heart. But knew a heart that had plenty of fire.

Clary P.O.V.

"Well, you see, it started when Alec called me 'Biscuit'."

I was in the middle of explaining how I had discovered my mother's location to Jace as we walked down the hall toward the library.

Jace smirked. "When a story starts like that, it can only end with 'and then I killed him.'" He chuckled at his own joke, teeth flashing.

I held in a smile but hesitated, making a face. "I didn't kill him…"

Jace's face fell and he stumbled over his feet, turning to face me. I dragged him along by the elbow and Jace continued gawking at me. "I was kidding!"

"He's fine, I'll just have to pull him back out," I chuckled.

"You'll have to do what?"

"Calm down, you buffoon," and I pulled him to a stop where Isabelle was glaring with rage—and a hint of amusement—at one certain painting on the walls.

"Magnus is on his way," she growled without looking away from the painting.

"I still don't understand," Jace babbled.

I only laughed in response, even managing to crack a smile from Izzy. I noticed one pointed, shocked glare from Jace in my direction, feeling the absolute awe and wonder in his gaze. But when he finally looked back to the painting, all of it disappeared again.

There, surrounded by crushed plants and absolutely drenched in water, was a seething Alec. He wasn't moving, but there was so much untamed hate in his eyes that I couldn't help but laugh again.

Jace's mouth gaped open. "What."

That was it. I burst out laughing, shortly followed by Izzy, and even earning a confused but toothy smile from Jace. It took me a few moments to collect myself, and even then I was still sniggering. Then I began to explain the whole story.

"I was on my way back to my room with chocolate chip waffles that I made, when Alec comes up and just takes one! Straight off my plate. And then he says, 'Thanks, Biscuit,' like Magnus does. And I let Magnus do it because he practically raised me. Anyway, I made a face because I would take almost anything over biscuit. Apparently he recognizes this so he starts calling me anything else. Cinnamon, Apple Pie, Hot Pepper, you get the deal. I pushed him, and he just—went into the painting."

I hadn't really known I could do that. The first time had been not long after the roof incident when I had gotten frustrated in my lessons with Magnus and had pushed my Seraph blade straight into the training mat he'd installed in his apartment.

"I only have one question," Jace mumbled under his breath. "Where the hell did you find ingredients for chocolate chip waffles?"

It's like I just couldn't stop smiling. But Magnus walked in soon after that an answered him, "She sent me a fire message to portal them to her. I'll have to start charging you, biscuit."

"Careful," Izzy warned, and I rolled my eyes.

"I told you, it's only fine when he does it," I joked.

"What about me?" Jace asked innocently, waggling his eyebrows sarcastically.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You do realize you're literally leaning against a painting of seven naked, fat men sitting around a table covered in vegetables? And I have the power to put you there and never let me out?"

"Jace had the decency to look scared and stand a few feet farther away, but he added, "Now that's one way to take care of Valentine, idn't it?"

"Enough flirting," Izzy cut in, and both Jace and I pointedly ignored her word choice. "My brother's stuck in a painting and he fell into Idris' poisonous waters, so let's…get him out?"

"How?" Magnus asked. "I figured out that this is a gift rarely given to Shadowhunters with heavy talent for artistry, and you certainly fit the card."

"I'm pretty sure I can just…grab him out," I supplied.

"How sure?" Now Izzy looked just a tad panicked.

"Very. Iz, I can get him out. I just need to concentrate."

"Well start concentrating," Jace said. "Because he won't be able to stand much more of the lake's waters running through his veins."

I nodded and stepped toward the painting, trying not to look the frozen Alec in the eye so I wouldn't laugh too much and distract myself. The first time I touched the painting, I just…touched it. Nothing went through. Izzy let out an extremely soft whimper behind me. All I did was hold up one finger: hold on.

Then I reached inside the painting, grabbed Alec by the collar, and yanked him out.

Alec's yowling was impressive as he crashed to the floor, especially from someone who'd been suffering from poisoned water inhalation for the past half hour.

"Excuse you," he choked, on hands and knees on the floor. "That…was rude."

"You look absolutely fine for having choked on gallons of Lake Lyn," Magnus echoed my thoughts as he helped Alec cough up the said lake water.

"I suppose if he was frozen, his bodily functions could've been too," I suggested.

"They were," Alec said. "How long exactly did you leave me in there? It felt like only a second to me."

No one spoke. "No—yeah, it was just a second for us too," I stumbled, coughing a bit to try and cover the smile rising on my lips.

Alec clamped his lips together and glared. It was perhaps two full minutes before Magnus—Angel bless him—broke the silence.

"I brought more waffle ingredients, if anyone's interested…"

Izzy immediately piped up, her smile brightening. "Yes! I'll make them."

She was met with a chorus of staggered yet urgent "no's" and instantly frowned.

"My treat," I hurriedly cut in. "We can talk about how this help's my mother over breakfast."

"It's almost twelve," came Alec's stubborn response.

I answered without paying any attention to Alec or even glancing at him. "Then we'll make it brunch."

. . .

Izzy ran ahead to try to get to the kitchen first so she could make the waffles; honestly, the girl was just like her brother. Alec chased her, shouting "No!" down the echoing halls of the Institute, and Magnus simply portaled himself to kitchen.

That's how Jace and I found ourselves alone together, braced against a wall laughing.

It had been a while since I'd been this way with anyone, especially the Lightwoods. Laughing so hard it hurt in my stomach and the corners of my mouth. I couldn't tell exactly when the change had snapped into place, but some part of me was glad. There was still lingering doubt about Jace's actions, and his motives, and the way he accomplished things, but I suspected they might always be here.

But not now. Now I could just let everything fly away until we were two normal teenagers nearly dying of laughter. The life I always wanted and believed I should've had.

I was starting to see that last part was nowhere near true.

When Jace and I finally began walking again, he didn't take his eyes off me. I thought it would feel uncomfortable, the way he stared at me, but it was quite natural. So familiar.

"What?" I finally asked him.

Jace shook his head softly. "I forgot," he simply said.

"Forgot what?"

Another subtle shake of the head. He looked anywhere but my eyes for a few moments, until he finally looked me in the eye. There was no hint of lingering laughter there. Only seriousness. Security. Sincerity.

"How beautiful you look when you laugh."

There, a fun, happy chapter for you. Also just a hint? Could it be? Well, I'm a sucker for happy endings. But a writer should always try new things…

Guess you'll have to wait and see.