"Do you know how to drive?" Jace's voice was muted, but his eyes were bright as he lay in bed facing Clary.

"What?" Clary asked, crinkling her brow as she opened her eyes. She lifted her head to look at the clock that read five thirty behind Jace. Sleep was still heavy on her eyelids, but Jace had clearly been awake for some time.

"I'm going to teach you how to drive today." He declared, rolling to his back and resting his head in his folded arms.

"Mmm." Clary affirmed sleepily, closing her eyes and pressing closer to Jace.

"No, it's going to happen, Red." Jace turned to speak against her temple. "It's a valuable life skill that every functional person needs."

"I live in New York. If I need to get somewhere, I walk."

"And if it's late at night?" Jace contested.

"I take the Metro." She muttered against his arm.

"Train stops running at eleven." Jace grunted as he rolled over, taking her with him by flipping her onto her back.

"Cabs go twenty-four-seven."

"Your purse got stolen. No cab fair." His lips were moving against her neck.

"Then I wouldn't have car keys either." Clary returned. "Ooh, right there," she moaned as his lips attached to a sensitive spot on her neck. "Or a car."

"Whatever," Jace answered. "But I'm still teaching you how to drive. You should learn just in case.

"Fine, but afterwards," Clary whispered.

"After what?" Jace asked innocently, making her look up at him coquettishly and roll them both over again.

…

…

…

"Jace, I'm not learning how to drive in your Aston Martin."

Clary looked at him incredulously.

"Why not? It's what I learned in." Jace looked at her and held the keys out again.

"Because that is a one hundred and twenty thousand dollar car, that's why. That thing is worth more than me!" Clary hissed through her teeth, pushing the keys back at Jace.

"Okay, the car is not worth more than you, especially not to me." He looked at her sternly. "What kind of car do you think is appropriate to learn in then?"

Clary sighed. "I don't know, like a beat up old Jeep or something."

"Fine, let's go buy one." Jace snatched the keys up and picked Matthew up off the couch, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"What?" Clary deadpanned, confused and slightly appalled.

"Yeah, if you're going to throw a fit about learning to drive in my car, I'm going to go buy you one of your own." Both of the boys looked at her, Jace with a dare, and Matthew with hope. He had wanted a car of his own for a long time.

"You aren't going to buy me a car, Jonathan."

"If you continue to fight me on this, yes, I will just to spite you, Clarissa."

"Jace," Clary warned, a no nonsense edge leaking into her voice.

"Then just take these keys," Jace teased. "It's that simple."

"I'll just stay here and watch TV all day, dummy. I don't need to learn how to drive." Clary looked smug, but she should have known better.

Jace and Matthew looked at each other, and in silent agreement, they nodded. Clary's eyes flicked back and forth between them as Jace lowered the little boy to the ground, who then shouted, "Get her!" Her eyes widened as she stumbled backward, being hit first by her son who clung to her legs while Jace scooped her up, carrying her bridal style.

"Mattie, get her purse and jacket."

"Matthew, don't you dare." Clary warned, and the little boy stopped in his tracks, looking guiltily at his mother.

"Mattie, do it. Your mom needs to learn how to drive." Jace rolled his eyes and encouraged. Matthew did not move, uncertain in the wrath of his mother's glare, but still half hoping that Jace would save him.

"Matthew Ryan Fray, do not get my stuff."

"It's fine if she doesn't want her coat, Mattie, she can freeze." Jace was nonchalant as he turned towards the door and kicked the kid's shoes towards him. "Put your shoes on and let's go."

"Jace, come on," Clary sighed, adapting to the situation and adding a pleading note to her voice. "Please, I don't want to learn how to drive. I don't need to drive."

"Clary, everyone needs to learn how to drive. It's important. You never know," Jace started, but was interrupted by Clary slapping at his back.

"Jace, put me down!" Clary shrieked.

Jace just smiled and carried her out the door.

…

…

…

"Okay, so now what do you do?" Jace's voice was steady and calm as he spoke, unbetraying of the impatience that was boiling beneath his skin.

"Um, I put it in gear?" Clary asked hesitantly.

"Very good, go ahead." Jace smiled at her and looked over his shoulder to where Matthew sat, quietly observing all. "You paying attention bud? You're next." Jace wiggled his eyebrows at the little boy, whose eyes went wide as he clapped and smiled and cheered.

"You're going to give me premature gray hairs if you keep talking like that." Clary groaned as she reached for the shifter and slipped it into first.

"Hush, focus on the road." Jace teased as he reached for her hand.

"No, don't," Clary quipped, "You wouldn't want to distract me."

Jace rolled his eyes. "I guess I'll wait to really distract you until later."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Matthew asked from his position in the backseat, hearing all that the adults were saying.

"Nothing!" Both of them chorused in unison, Clary spearing Jace with a look so cold it could freeze fire. Matthew frowned, but did not push the issue.

"Alright, now give it a little gas," Jace said, trying to curb the edge in his voice.

Clary tapped the pedal, then jerked upright when the car surged forward. "What did I do?" She cried, releasing the wheel and sitting back in the seat.

"Shh, it's alright, you just have to be a little more consistent. Gently press your foot against the pedal and just…" Jace trailed off and motioned at the windshield with his hand, "Go."

"Thank you, driving guru." Clary snarked.

"Hey now," Jace grinned. Clary rolled her eyes and put her hands back on the wheel, resolving to get it right this time. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, her grip tightening as she pushed the gas pedal slowly. This time the car accelerated smoothly and a bright, beautiful smile broke on her face.

"I'm doing it," She laughed incredulously. Jace just sat back and watched her happily. It had taken almost two hours of coaxing and cajoling and instructing, but the look of joy on Clary's face was worth the aggravation and frustration he had felt. Clary had hemmed and hawed, resisting and putting up a fight when he was showing her all of the different aspects of driving.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, curving his lips against her temple as he whispered, "Now maybe we can try going a little faster than fifteen miles an hour?"

She giggled and elbowed him, knocking him back into his seat. Both of them breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The tension in the car had broken. The first hour and a half had been tense and uncomfortable, Jace reacting harshly when Clary had been petulant about learning about the car, Clary retaliating with nasty words that had her promising Matthew that she would put a few dollars in the swear jar when they got home.

Clary stole a glance at Jace from the corner of her eye, still pressing down on the accelerator as she cut the wheel in the abandoned parking lot. He was relaxed against the seat, his head propped on his hand against the window, but his face was still tight. Clary shook her head and turned back to the wheel.

"Faster, Mama!" Matthew cheered from his seat, and Clary glanced up at him in the rearview mirror.

Smiling, she said, "Maybe Mama shouldn't go faster until she has a lot more practice, okay Bud?"

Matthew groaned and shook his head as the adults in the front seat chuckled at his antics.

…

…

…

Clary couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. It tugged at the back of her mind, a little voice inside nagging that something was wrong. She tried to dismiss the thought, but was unable to completely shake it off. Since the night of the party, something had seemed off in her relationship with Jace, and though they had gotten back to joking and touching and being comfortable around each other, thoughts of the unwanted driving lesson yesterday afternoon had irritation clamping in her chest. Clary could not put her finger on exactly what was going on. Something in her gut was telling her that this was the calm before the storm.

She was sitting with him, snuggled up against his side while Matthew was asleep for the night. Clary had the next day off, and since her son would be in school, she and Jace were making plans for a "date day."

"Clary, we can do anything you want to do. I don't care." Jace was murmuring, eyes closed, head lolling against the back of the couch, falling asleep with an arm around her and an ice pack on his other shoulder. He'd spent most of the day at the gym with his shooting coach, showing up at Clary's door with a pained expression and an inability to lift his right arm.

"Hey Jace," Clary said slowly, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Jace said, still not lifting his head from the back of the couch. "Actually, no, don't shoot." He groaned. "I don't want to hear, see, or even think about that word."

She hesitated, but kept her nerve. "Where's your family?" Jace pulled up and looked at her sharply. "It's just," she added quickly, sitting up and turning towards him, "You never talk about them. Like, are they, you know," she blushed furiously, trying to avoid his eyes, "gone? Or…" She trailed off. "It's just," she began again with renewed vigor, "You're always either here or at your apartment, not that I mind you being here, in fact, I love it, but I don't even know if you have brothers or sisters or anything. I don't even actually know what you're studying in college. Like, you told me pre-med once, but I really don't believe that." She was rambling, she knew, but she needed to clear her mind.

Jace reached out and put a hand over her mouth gently, not smiling, but not looking angry anymore. If anything, he appeared distant as he pulled his arm away from her.

"It's just," Clary said, "You know everything about me now, and I feel like I don't know anything about you."

Jace settled back against the couch, not looking at her, but at his hands. Clary looked away as well, but wouldn't back down from the question and waited expectantly.

"I don't get along with my dad, and my mom," he hesitated and looked up at the opposite wall, "She isn't here anymore. Hasn't been for a while." Clary reached for his hand, but he pulled back slightly, and she dropped her hand. He wouldn't look at her. "You're right, I'm not pre-med. I'm a Public Relations major. That's what my dad wanted. The whole point in me going to college was to take over his firm when he dies." He still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Clary offered timidly. Though he hid from the world behind a blank, emotionless mask, she had become better at picking out cracks in the façade. He was hurt and embarrassed, though she didn't know by what.

"Not your fault." He stated flatly. "Why do people apologize when it isn't their fault?" He looked up at her, an anger in his eyes that she was unaccustomed to seeing, especially directed at her.

"Jace," she murmured, holding her hands up relentingly.

"No, don't." He stood and turned to face her, throwing the ice pack on the coffee table. "Isn't there anything else from my personal life you want to pry from me?" His voice was raised, and Clary motioned for him to be quieter as she too stood up.

"First of all, lower your voice. I don't want Matthew to wake up. Second of all, I didn't pry anything from you. I asked about your family." Clary was heated now. "I haven't held back with you at all, the absolute freaking least you could tell me about yourself is whether you have a freaking sibling or not!" Her voice had grown in volume as well, and she paused to take a deep breath and collect herself.

"It's none of your damn business, Clary." Jace hissed at her. "I don't need my girlfriend digging around in my life."

Her eyes widened at his accusation. "Jace, I'm your girlfriend! We've been dating for seven months. If you seriously think that I'm prying into your private affairs from some weird, underhanded purpose, you really need to reevaluate what's going on here." Clary's voice was spitting fire, her hands gesturing wildly.

"Save it," Jace growled. "My family isn't your damn business."

"Jace," Clary shrieked, "I'm asking because I love you! I want to make your business my business because I love you." She froze a second after the words had bubbled to the surface. Jace looked at her dumbly, pale and shocked and still. They stood, unblinkingly staring at each other for what felt like an eternity before Jace moved.

"Decide what you want to do tomorrow. I'll pick you up at nine." He turned on his heel and walked out.

"Don't bother," Clary shot at him as he slammed the door behind him.

She took a deep, shuddering breath as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. She angrily brushed it away, turning and stalking towards the bathroom, mechanically going through the motions of getting ready for bed. She brushed her teeth. She tamed her curls into a ponytail. She changed her clothes and finally fell into bed.

She did not sleep well, tossing and turning in light of the argument with Jace. She didn't understand his reluctance to share details about his personal life. It was the first time she had asked about it, and she wanted nothing more than to get to know him on a deeper level.

Turning over, she closed her eyes and drifted into a fitful sleep.

…

…

…

Sort of short chapter, but the next two will make up for it, I promise.