He said life is made for you to live
The best love is the love that you give
There'll be times when you wanna hold on but you gotta let go
And I live by those words 'cause Grandpa told me so

- Grandpa Told Me So, Kenny Chesney.

Watch your mouth,

yes my gramps was

a backstabbing bastard

but he was also

my gramps.

It wasn't going to be an enjoyable car ride. Jace already knew that. Simon had a lot of questions due to his amnesia, most of them - when asked to Jace- was whether or not and how he joined the Vampire Gang or how they met. Or whether Simon actually took down a whole group of gangster with a single bow and arrow. (Jace suspected he only asked him that because Simon knew it annoyed him to pieces).

He had his answers memorized.

"You joined the Vampire gang by accidently taking down Raphael, the head. The initiation was that you bring blood, and when you took him down you scraped your knee and he got a cut on his hand. You wiped the blood on your knee with your right hand. Then when you helped him up and apologized, explaining how you thought he was pulling out a gun- which he was-, your blood smeared on his cut hand. The blood pack complete, you were made a member. but since you did it during daylight hours, which was only ever done once before since Raphael is always very well-guarded during daylight, you got some rights. Like the freedom to walk under the sun.

You broke free from the Vampire Gang when you made yourself a Shadowhunter. AKA you joined a gang of viliagnets. No, i'm not lying."

"We met when you were trying to confess your feelings to your best friend. Your feelings didn't last long, you developed a crush on Izzy. I was trying to recruit Clary cuz she is always causing trouble with the spray paint and I didn't want to have to bust her. But then shit happened and she ended up joining anyway. And you too."

"And you did take all of them with a single bow and arrow to the ceiling but that was after we had beaten them to the pulp.

"Didn't your grandpa work for the Underground Mafia?"

Not for this question.

Jace swerves the car a bit at the sudden question and gives Simon a murderous look, "Don't you know it's rude to talk about the dead's relation to the mafia?" he demands.

"No, it's not. So... he did?"

"..."

"If he did then why did some of his old pictures have him working for Alicante's Police Force?"

"... He played both sides."

"..."

"..."

"oh, okay. Was he ever discovered?"

"It's complicated."

Simon leans into his seat, scooting as if that will make him more comfortable, "We have 30 minutes."

"Don't remind me" Jace groaned "and i'm not saying shi-" Jace swore colorfully when Simon's truck made some noises Jace wasn't familiar with. He spares Simon a wide-eyed look, "What was that?"

"I think it means that... " he trails off artfully "i'm sorry but I can't think of anything when I'm wondering about your mysterious grandpops."

"Are you shitting me?" Jace demanded "Are we going to die or what?"

"Not immediately.." Simon says vaguely "I'm not sure I can focus with all the questions going on in my head. Like- was he cornered or was he just a traitorous-"

"I get it." Jace kept driving "First off, Hodge isn't biologically related to me. And he was discovered, his loyalty-at first- was to Valentine. Valentine was the head of the mafia at the time, he is also Clary's biological dad. Valentine was a visionary- he had ideas of a new world and he didn't care what it cost him he was just eager to get to the next step. Hodge's station in the Alicante Police Department helped him sneak out the mafia members and sneak them back to the streets- but then he was discovered, isolated locked up and finally placed in house arrest. He- He was a good grandpa. A good man."

Simon stayed quiet but his silence felt judgemental.

Probably thinking, 'What could an ex-mafia member even do?'

"He showed me how to fish, we lived by the lake. I refused to get in the lake at first, I was convinced the garden snakes would bite me if I went outside- but he just told me that 'the snake is just as scared of you as you are of him'. He was right. I was 8 then, I didn't know that grandpa was a backstabbing traitor- that he was in jail at his own house. I just thought... that he didn't like going to the real world. He was my hero, my dad was rarely home so he became my role model."

Jace waited for a snide remark but there was none.

Of course, Simon doesn't remember that he hated his guts. Simon always blamed Jace for putting Clary in danger.

"He read a lot, he knew almost everything- always an answer for my questions. I took everything he said for face value."

"You must miss him."

Shit, Simon was right. Jace did miss him.

"I like to think he died honorably."

"How did he..."

"He was killed by Valentine, after he ratted out Valentine's main base out. Plenty of people got arrested, he brought more people in that night than all of the police officers did in 5 years. Grandpa was the only one in the house. I have no doubt the bastard would kill everyone else too. I was only 16 when he was killed. Don't think I could have taken him."

"That's lucky."

"No, it was strategy. Grandpa bought my parents tickets and insisted I visit Clary and take her out for the drive-in movie, then he called the police and told them to wait on the shadows. They caught Valentine- too late because Hodge already died. A shot in the head."

Simon remained quiet and Jace kept driving.

"He messed up plenty- I know he isn't a good guy. No matter how much he named for his crimes. But I don't think he was evil. He gave me the best advice i've ever received. He took care of me- he wasn't screwing lives over becas he was evil but because he was a rotten coward. It's different."

"..."

"It is."

Simon put his hands in a surrender gesture, "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. He was a terrible police man, a morally greyish-black man...but a good grandfather. Taught me piano, how to ride my bike, how to ride my motorbike- even how to throw a good punch. He... made me promise not to hate him when he told me of his betrayal. I was angry, yeah. But I didn't hate him. Didn't talk to him for a week and then I was back at his feet, asking for advice and more stories."

"That's quite the story" Simon finally said "I assume you want to know- "The car made the growling noise again, "what that noise is."

"Yes," Jace gritted through his teeth- Simon somehow got him to confess his feeling towards Hodge, by what? Being silent? Is this how he got Izzy to confess, just rang at her until she spills what's on her mind? "I do."

"It's not the car."

"What?"

"It's my ringtone, someone keeps texting me."

"Simon," Jace sucks in a deep breath "get out of the car."

"You are driving 50 mph in the middle of nowhere."

"Did I stutter?"

"..."

"..."

"Don't you want to know what Clary was bugging me about."

"Fine."

I AM taking recommendations, just in case it wasn't clear. And...hmm, no ship. I just like the idea of having Simon drive Jace up the wall. :D

Stay safe!

xxx

PS. Shoot me a comment?

PPS. Please check out my Sizzy one-shot, it's "He Wasn't Good Enough For Her, (No. Wait! He Was.)"

And there is a one-shot that follows my music theme, it's called "You Promised"

:D