Taki's was the same as ever as the three of us walked inside. We were a bit hungrier than we were when we left the Institute, Izzy making us stop at a convenience store so she could buy a prepaid phone. Asking her mother back for hers was most likely a bad idea.

"Isabelle!" A faerie exclaimed as the three of us sat in a booth, My Parabatai and I facing Ashton. It was Kaelie, a regular waitress. "And Clary and...Ashton?" He nodded in confirmation. "Is your ridiculous downworlder ban over?"

"No," Izzy said. "We just don't feel inclined to follow it."

Kaelie laughed. "Alright then, what'll you be having?" We ordered and she drifted off to take it to the kitchen. A dark figure loomed over our table.

"Simon!" Izzy squealed as she jumped up, throwing her arms around the vampire's neck. Apparently that's what she wanted the phone for. "My mother knows about us and wants you over for dinner."

Simon seemed to turn even paler than he already was. "Wait, what?"

She let out a laugh. "I'm only kidding. About the dinner part, anyway. I did tell her and..." she trailed off as she lead Simon away into a booth of their own. I didn't miss Izzy's glance at me that said have fun, however. I wanted to silverware on the table at her but resisted.

When I turned back to Ashton I saw his head was resting on the table. "I got used to the gnawing hunger in my gut. Sleep sounds like a wonderful option now."

"Give me your arm," I told him as I took out my stele from my pocket. He slid it out towards me willingly. I drew a quick endurance rune on it. As my stele left his skin, Ashton lifted his head up, already looking more energized.

"Thank you, Clary. Do you want me to draw one for you?" I shook my head. As drained as I was I wasn't going to fall asleep. I had sent a fire message to Silent City on our way here and I was expecting a return. I was hoping that in his time there Sebastian had shown some improvement.

My hand was still half-way across the table and Ashton took that as a sign to brush his fingers against mine softly. "I know what you're thinking about."

"Y-you do?" I hated that I stuttered. Pull it together, Clary.

"Jonathan, Jace, everything that happened today; probably your brother too." Relief flushed through me as he spoke. If only he knew what I had really been thinking about when he touched my hand.

"Oh, yeah," I said quickly. "I just don't know what we're going to do."

"We'll figure it out, together." He smiled at me and the butterflies in my stomach started flapping their wings faster.

As Kaelie arrived back with our drinks I felt my phone buzz. Looking down in my lap at it I found a text from Izzy: how's your date?

Simon and her were sitting in a booth behind Ashton. She was grinning widely at me. Shut up, I texted her, moving my attention back to the boy across from me. He was practically inhaling his soda.

Ashton caught me staring at him. "Is something wrong?"

"I've never done this before," I admitted. I had never been on a date before. Even with Jace, that didn't count. We had never gone out, just kissed a few times before he turned to the dark side.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious," Ashton laughed. I gawked at him. Was it that obvious? Had he noticed how much of a bumbling idiot I felt like?

He reached across the table and took the straw out of my drink that I had just put in. "The bendy side of the straw doesn't go into the drink. That's where you drink out of." He turned my straw over and placed it back in my drink.

"Oh...right." I hadn't even noticed it was a bendy straw but that hadn't been what I was talking about. My phone buzzed again. Izzy. What is he doing with your drink? Oh wait! Are you two lovebirds sharing?

I wanted to tell her if she wanted to know what was going on to come back over here but I didn't. I texted her something else instead. He doesn't think this is a date.

I didn't have to look at Izzy to know she was probably keeled over in laughter. I felt it through our Parabatai bond. Oh Clary, sweet Clary, you're an idiot.

I shot daggers at her with my eyes before turning off my phone. Ashton finally looked behind him, probably trying to see who I kept trying to kill with a look.

"Izzy was being incredibly affectionate with Simon," I made up a lie on the spot. "It was nauseating. I was trying to get her to stop, or go somewhere else."

"I think it's kind of romantic," Ashton told me. "The two of them, I mean. Defying the odds to be together and all that."

Our conversation stopped when Kaelie returned with our food. There was no time for words as we stuffed our faces. I had been hungry but I hadn't realized how hungry I had been. I guess nearly dying and going on a date-that's-not-a-date with a guy would do that to a girl.

•••

That night I had planned to stay up and wait for a reply from Silent City. However, as soon as my head had hit the pillow I was out like a light.

When I awoke the next morning, or afternoon as it was nearly 1 o'clock, I attempted to shield myself from the sun's rays as they shined through the window.

I turned and noticed a note on my bedside table. I was instantly awake.

Clarissa,
I regret to inform you that your brother's condition has not improved. We are doing everything that we can do please remain hopeful,
Brother Zachariah

Sebastian wasn't getting any better. I don't know why I thought he would. They told me there was a slim chance in the first place they could make it better. I didn't know why I let myself hope.

My door opened slowly. "Clary...?" Izzy ventured as she appeared in my room.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I pushed the blankets off of me. I crumpled the note up and threw it into the trash bin.

"I wasn't sure if Ashton was in here with you." She was holding a box. I ignored it for a second.

"Raziel, Izzy, no." I got out of my bed. Ashton and I had gone straight to our separate rooms when we returned to the Institute. Izzy hadn't been with us, she had left with Simon.

"What? Why do you seem so mortified by the idea of having sex with him? I mean if I wasn't with Simon I would-"

"Izzy!" I cut her off.

"Oh, wait I get it. It's your first time, that's why your nervous and-"

"Isabelle Lightwood!" I shouted. "What do you want?"

She laughed. "Get dressed. We're going to bring Alec some of his stuff." See, when you're Parabatai you don't get asked to go places. You just go.

"Give me a minute. I need to shower."

"Don't take too long," Izzy said as she left my room. "I can't wait to see Alec finally out of the closet."