So it looks like the last time I post will be Christmas eve. Awesome!

Chapter 28! I hope you like it!

Thanks to all the amazing reviews from my lovely readers! OMG I love you all!

P.S. I'm on pacific time. Just thought that was worth mentioning since I have readers from all over the world :D


"Can I ask you something?" Asked Isabelle.

"Sure," said Jonathan. "Shoot."

Jonathan and Isabelle were in the Institute's courtyard, laying out in the snow.

"How many girlfriends have you had before me?"

Jonathan looked over at her. "Girlfriends?"

"Yeah."

Jonathan looked back at the sky. "I didn't really have any girlfriends before you, though I have gone out with a few."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. When my parents took Clary and I to Idris, I would go out with girls. We never made anything of it. I did kiss most of them, but that's about it."

Isabelle giggled. "You sound just like me," he turned to look at her. She was already looking at him.

He rolled over and put his hands into the snow on either side of her head.

Isabelle wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her, then kissed him.

Jonathan ran his hands slowly down the side of her body and stopped at her hips.

He felt Isabelle grab a handful of his hair. He pulled away for a second. "Isabelle?"

White puffs of air came from her mouth. "Yeah?"

"... Why don't we ever say it?"

Isabelle frowned. "Say what?"

"Why don't we ever say 'I love you'?"

Isabelle's mouth closed.

"... Do you not...?"

"That's not it," she said hastily. "Its just... It's kind of a new thing- me being in love. I'm not used to it, and it's... A little scary."

Jonathan didn't think he'd ever heard Isabelle say anything like that before.

"I... I love you," she said. It sounded so beautiful in her voice.

"I love you, too," He touched his lips to hers again.


Clary woke up from someone knocking on her door.

"Clary?" Said Maryse. "Wake up, it's ten."

Clary sat up. "I'm up!"

"Okay, see you at breakfast."

Clary stripped off her pajamas and checked her arms- her runes weren't gone. She dressed in a white, long sleeved top with dark blue sweats. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, then went to the dining room.

Jace looked over at her. "Morning. How'd you sleep?"

Clary sat next to him. "Well," she looked around. "Where are Jonathan and Isabelle?"

Jace shrugged.

"They were here earlier," said Alec. "But they left together."

Jace glanced at her, his lip up at the corner.

Clary pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

"Should I look for them?" Asked Maryse.

"No," said Jace, a little too quickly. "They should be fine."

Maryse eyed him suspiciously.

Jace turned his attention back to his waffles.

Clary stuffed one into her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.

"Anyway," said Maryse. "Alec, your father is coming back here with Max in a couple days."

"Oh. That's good," said Alec.

"Yes," Maryse agreed. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

Clary couldn't help it. She coughed out a laugh and the water she was drinking spilled onto the front of her shirt. She set the glass down and coughed into her elbow.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "You alright?"

Clary nodded.

Jace's eyes lowered and Clary looked down at her shirt. The water made the white see through. Clary blushed and stood up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to change."

When Clary got back to her room, the went to the mirror to see how bad it was. Clary breath stopped when she saw it wasn't that bad, except for the runes that were very obviously no longer concealed.


Jocelyn shut her eyes and stepped through the portal. When she opened them, she was in New York. The portal closed behind her and she shivered. She pulled up her black hood and began to walk down the road she knew lead to the Institute.

She walked up to the gate and froze. She stared- wide eyed- at what looked like Jonathan and Isabelle in the snow.

"Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern!"

Jonathan shot away from Isabelle. "Mom?!"

Jocelyn opened the gate and came in.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Jonathan. His face was red.

"Nice to see you, too," she looked at Isabelle- who was blushing, too. "Isabelle," she nodded.

Isabelle nodded right back. "Jocelyn."

Jocelyn looked back at Jonathan. "I came to see Maryse. Can you bring me to her?"

Jonathan stood up. "Sure," he helped Isabelle up, too, then they lead her inside.

When the elevator doors opened, everyone stepped out. A gray cat waited for them.

"Church, where's mom?" Said Isabelle.

The cat looked at Jocelyn, then began walking down the hall. They followed it in awkward silence, and Jocelyn was looking back and forth between Jonathan and Isabelle.

"Aren't you two supposed to stay inside?" She asked.

"We were just in the courtyard," said Jonathan.

Jocelyn shook her head. "Don't leave the Institute without an adult."

Jonathan looked at her. "Seriously? What are we, eight?"

"You and your sister were both taken in one night by one girl. Plus, if you were eight, you two wouldn't have been doing what you were doing."

Jocelyn saw them both turn red out of the corner of her eye.

The cat stopped in front of a pair of double doors. Jonathan gestured to them. "Library."

Jocelyn pushed the door open.

Maryse looked up from her desk in surprise. "Jocelyn?"

"Hello, Maryse."


Clary came into the training room. Jace and Alec were in a training duel. Jace knocked Alec back and put his sword to his chest, then looked over and smiled. "Clary. You want to go next?"

Clary nodded and walked over. Jace helped Alec up and Clary picked up the training sword.

Alec retreated to the other side of the room.

"Guess who's here?" Said Jonathan, entering the training room, Isabelle behind him.

Clary wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Who?"

"Magnus?" said Alec.

"Nope," Jonathan's tone conveyed that he was pissed.

"I give up," said Clary.

"Your mother," said Isabelle.

Clary's eyes widened. "Oh."

"She'd meeting Maryse right now," said Jonathan. "She'll come by to say 'hi' when she'd done."

"Why are you not happy to see her?" Asked Jace.

Jonathan didn't answer, which made Clary suspicious.

"Clary! Good to see you," said Jocelyn from the doorway.

Clary turned from her duel with Jonathan. While she was distracted, she slid the training blade across her stomach. She laughed- it tickled.

Jocelyn's tense expression softened as she laughed.

Clary went up to her and embraced her. "Why didn't you say that you were coming?"

"I'm not staying, but I had something I needed to discuss with Maryse in person."

Clary pulled away. "What about?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "It's good to see you," she smiled. She tugged the end of one of Clary's curls. "Your hair's getting longer."

Clary felt at it. "Is it?"

Jocelyn smiled. "Well, I should really get going. It was nice to see all of you again."

"You, too," said Jace.


Jocelyn walked out of the Institute into the snow. She did up the buttons on her coat then pulled up her hood.

She walked out of the gates and started down the road.

"Jocelyn?"

She turned and her eyes widened. "Lucian!" She ran up to him and embraced him- her hood falling off as she did so. "Oh my goodness, how are you?" She pulled back to look at his face- he looked tired.

"I'm well. And yourself?"

"Well," she grinned. "What are you doing here?"

He scratched the back of his head. "I- um... I was just..."

Jocelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Long story..."


Clary spotted Simon in front of Taki's- where they'd agreed to meet. "Hey."

Simon looked over at her. "Hey."

"Sorry I'm late."

Simon shook his head. "Not at all."

They started walking down the sidewalk.

"So... Your roommate- is that Jordan?" Asked Clary.

"Yeah."

"Are Maia and Jordan together?"

Simon eyed her suspiciously. "Yes... Why?"

Clary shook her head. "No. Jordan's cute, but I'm not interested. I've got a boyfriend. I was just curious, that's all."

Simon raised his eyebrows. "You've got a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, I do," Clary smiled just thinking about him. His jacket smelled like him, too.

"Is it that blonde guy from... Last time I saw you? Well, the time before that."

Clary's eyes widened. "Oh, god no! That's my brother."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's the other blonde boy," Clary laughed.

"Oh, okay," Simon nodded.

"What about you?" Asked Clary. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Simon shook his head. "Nope."

"Really?"

He shook his head. "No. The closest thing I ever had to a girlfriend was..." He trailed off and looked straight ahead.

"... Was... Who?" Clary asked curiously.

Simon shook his head.

"Oh, come on," Clary teased. "I won't make fun."

Simon looked at her slowly. "... She was a fan girl- I'm in a band- and she always said she was my girlfriend..."

Clary gave him an encouraging look.

"... Maureen."

Clary smile dropped. "Wait, what?"

Simon looked back ahead. "... She used to be human..."

Clary looked ahead- remembering Maureen. Her teeth, her hateful eyes, her bloodthirsty eyes... She shuddered.

"Sorry," said Simon. "I shouldn't have told you."

Clary took a deep breath, looked at him, then changed the subject. "What books do you like?"

"Um..." He thought for a second. "Fullmetal Alchemist, Black butler... You wouldn't know them, they're a kind of Japanese comic called-"

"Manga!" Clary exclaimed. "I love manga. Especially Fullmetal Alchemist."

Simon's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's awesome!"

They talked about Manga for awhile- laughing, and talking about their favorites.

They talked about Simon's band, his friend's terrible poetry, and Clary told stories about demon hunting trips, and tales from her childhood.

Clary noticed Simon kept glancing behind him. She frowned. "What are you doing?"

Simon looked back at her. "Don't look now, but I think we're being followed."

Clary sucked in a breath. "Are you sure?"

Simon nodded. "They've been following us for about five minutes. And they look suspicious."

Clary swallowed and looked forward. "We'll have to lose him, then," she grabbed the sleeve of Simon's red sweatshirt and began weaving through the crowd. "Is he still following us?" Clary asked.

Simon glanced over his shoulder. "He is," he turned to Clary. "What should we do?"

Clary bit her lip. "We run."

They dashed through the street- busy with cars- then through another crowd of people.

Clary pulled her hood further over her face. "Did we lose the, yet?"

Simon looked around. "I think so."

Clary let out a breath of relief and giggled. "That was a close-"

Someone grabbed Clary's shoulder and pulled her into an alley.

Clary screamed.


"Are you sure?" Asked Maryse.

"Afraid so," said Jocelyn. "Ragnor confirmed it."

Maryse sat down in her desk chair. "Shouldn't you tell Clary?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "I'll leave that to you. Tell her later, though, after I go back to Idris."

Maryse nodded, not looking at Jocelyn. "Alright. I will."


Lol. Sorry, major cliffhanger, I know. You must hate me!

Next chapter will be posted Wednesday. Can't wait to hear your reviews, guys!

Thanks!

Wisterian Princess