Would it help that I say that I am really really sorry for missing last week's deadline?


Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series.


"Clary honey, breakfast" her mother called from downstairs and Clary strutted out of her room, casting herself one last look in the mirror before descending down the stairs. As she entered the kitchen she could see the plates of waffles and pancakes overlapping the table with delicious sweets, she felt instant regret.

"Oh shoot, I forgot to tell you" Clary said biting her lower lip in anxiousness and guilt, "I'm heading out early, I have no time for breakfast".

She had totally forgot to tell her mother she was going out early and has no time for breakfast and now she feels bad because her mother worked hard to put good breakfast on the table. Miranda, however felt shocked more than annoyed, evident by how her brows furrowed into a line in confusion, "What? Honey, you always make time for breakfast".

"I know but I really have to head out, working on a project and I need to talk to my science teacher before school starts about using the lab" Clary said with obvious guilt in her tone, she and her mother have always had breakfast together, everday for the last eight years but today was different, she had no time today, she was in a rush.

Miranda nodded as she already started fumbling with the work tag over her coat that had her name and picture on it, the worker id in the hospital, on it and reaching for the bowl that stood on the counter by the door that they kept their keys in, "Okay, let me just put my shoes on and we'll head out".

"No need actually, Jace is picking me up" Clary said.

"Jace is what?" Miranda asked, shock evident on her face.

"Yeah Jace is picking me up" Clary said with a shrug as if it was no big deal, her phone then buzzed in her hand and she casted it a quick look before returning to her mother with a smile, "He's right outside actually".

"I don't know how I feel about a boy giving you a ride to school" Miranda said as she bit her lower lip, horrible scenarios going through her brain at lightning speed as any mother would. She shook her head, trying to shake off those thoughts from her head, looking back at Clary, who took her by the shoulders.

"I'll tell you how you feel, you feel ecstatic at the idea of someone taking me out of your hands and having some time for yourself" Clary said, seeing the nervous look in her mother's eyes was not wavering, she rolled her eyes, "Relax, what's the worse that could happen?"

"You could die?" her mother suggested, only half joking.

Maybe only quarter joking.

Clary rolled her eyes again, "Stop being so dramatic, that's my thing, if you take that, what do I bring to this relationship?"

"Your excellent wit and fine sense of humor" her mother said in a dry tone making Clary laugh, "Well maybe Jace could come in for a bite to eat?" Miranda suggested.

"We have to go but actually that is not a bad idea" Clary said as she entered the kitchen, fumbling for a plastic plate in the drawers by the fridge and piling up waffles and pancakes to go, "Did you make coffee?"

"Yes but-"

"Great thanks" Clary interrupted as she got two plastic cups, pouring coffee in them, and trying to balance the plate and the cups together without tipping over "Could you open the door for me?"

"Sure but-" Miranda said as she opened the door for her, seeing a car in her driveway and golden head floating outside, leaning on the car, a smile on his face as he saw the door open. He waved for them as Clary headed out and Miranda gave a slight nervous hand wave for them. She saw who she assumed was Jace open the car door for Clary and her muttering something at him that looked almost teasing.

"Good morning, Mrs Fray" Jace had said.

Miranda forced a tight smile as she said, "Good morning, Jace, please be careful while driving, don't use your phones or get distracted".

"Sure Mrs Fray, I promise if I crash the car off the side of the road, it won't be because of the phone" Jace said with a smirk as he plopped on his own seat and Miranda could see Clary giving him a light slap on the shoulder.

"That doesn't make me any less worried" Miranda called out.

Clary rolled her window down and said with an eye roll, "I'll be okay mom, love you".

"Love you, too" Miranda said with a heavy heart as she saw the car drive off she let out a breath as she prayed the Angel to keep her safe. Kids will never know how much you worry for them, they never know that every second of every day is constant thoughts and worry for their wellbeing, Clary will never know she is all she thinks about, morning and night.

Letting Clary go with Jace was like freeing a bird into the wild and hoping that when it comes back at the end of the day, it's wasn't almost eaten by other ferocious angry birds or like a lion or something.

Well she was being dramatic.

But that's what Jace looked like to her a lion, a beautiful lion, a charmer, the only problem was that he was still a lion, dangerous and wild, you would never know when its true nature will come out.

She herself was dealt a bad blow or two from that, she will not make that mistake again and she will not let Clary fall for that mistake too.

She jumped back startled as realization struck her, that's why she was so worried about Jace, he reminds her so much of Va- him. It was so scary, now that she realized that, seeing how much they had in common. He was also very handsome when he was young, a charmer, a speaker, he could make you fall in love with his words, you had no choice but to fall for him as well.

She rushed to wash her face, brushing away the bad memories, the hurt and the pain. No! Va- He was sick, twisted and messed up, that doesn't mean- no it can't mean that, she can't keep seeing him at every turn, she needs to be stronger than that, if not for herself, for Clary.

Thoughts of Clary enveloped her mind, as she looked over the breakfast table with a sigh.

She was disappointed Clary had almost ran away from her, it seems lately like she has been growing attached to her friends and Jace, too attatched, which admittedly isn't a bad thing, not necessarily.

She seems.. happier, more at ease.

And Clary deserves that happiness after everything she's been through. Everything he put her through.

Sometimes she would look at Clary and wonder how she could manage it, such a little girl, fragile and small and helpless she was and yet out of all the bad that life has put her through, she still stood strong. She was what gave Jocelyn strength, if she had ever held a brave face it was only ever for Clary, and Jonathan.

Her heart clenched at the thought of her beautiful boy.

So beautiful and strong and so young forevermore, forevermore in her mind he will be young as the day she saw him list barely a fourteen year old boy, yet so wise and mature for his age. She used to think what he would look like now, if he were still... alive, he would be so handsome, a heartbreaker for sure but with a good heart. Now she can't think of that, because the image in her head just deepened the never healing wound, the realization that her son is gone and he will never return, she will never see him grow up, he is gone and he left a hole the size of the world in her heart.

She hadn't realized she was crying until she touched her cheeks and felt them wet and hot to the touch, she whiped away at them furiously.

Be stronger, she chided herself, for Clary.

There was a soft knock on the door then and Miranda jumped up in shock, "Clary?" she asked hesitant.

"No it's Luke... are you.. are you crying?"

She cursed herself, of course Luke who knows her like the back of his hand would know she was crying without seeing her face but she still felt inclined to answer "No" through the door.

"Miranda" Luke said in a tone that awaited no nonesense and she sighed opening the door.

One look at her and Luke's expression had turned as he looked her over in concern, "What happened? Are you hurt? Is Clary?"

"No" Miranda rushed to assure, "I was just thinking".

"Well that's not such a good idea" Luke said and Miranda let out a small smile as she opened the door further for him to enter, he hugged her and she wrapped her arms around his strong torso with a heavy sigh, Luke always knew what she needed.

"You want to talk about it?" she heard Luke ask as he rested his chin on her head.

Miranda took a deep breath as she thought it over, Luke would always understand her decisions and would never judge, "In a minute" she answered burying her head in his chest, "For now just... hold me" she asked shyly.

"Always" Luke answered her as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.


"Be careful"

"I am careful" Clary said with a roll of her eyes at Jace as she took a sip of her coffee, careful not to spill and stain the seats because as he said like five billion times already, 'His baby means everything to him, he can't have his baby ruined' and by baby he was referring to his car. They had stopped the car in the parking lot to Pandemonium, which was totally empty now and closed as it was the early hours of the morning.

"All that time we were trying to save, I think that went away now that we stopped to eat" Jace said as he took a bite out of his waffles, continuing with a mouthful of waffles "Not that I am complaining, your mother makes great breakfast".

Clary just smiled taking a sip of her coffee, they had parked the car in front of the field in the parking lot, the place looked very different in the morning sunlight, for one thing she could actually see her surroundings and not just a flashing blinker light. She could see it was on a very high hill, the mountain range up ahead at the distance looked almost dark blue from here and covered with white tops, snow she guessed, as it was the beginning of winter. Switzerland, Jace told her, those mountains are in Switzerland.

She would like to visit Switzerland actually, for a ski trip or something, maybe she could suggest the idea to Izzy.

They had parked over fifteen minutes ago and started eating, even though they agreed they would be here early so they can save time as they began to work on Clary's driving, but in actuality they had been talking, eating and wasting all the time they had saved.

But Clary didn't mind that at all, she was sitting cross legged over the chair, her sneakers taken off long ago and munching down on her pancakes, she and Jace had been talking about nothings and everything at the same time and she couldn't help but think that this is how it was supposed to be.

"Mmhmm" Clary agreed with a nod.

"You should taste Maryse's pancakes, they're delicious too" Jace said.

"Maryse is a good chef?" Clary asked hiding her mouth behind her hand, "How come Izzy-"

"Can't boil water to save her life? I have no idea" Jace joked.

"Don't be mean" Clary chidded teasingly.

"Fine, can't boil water right to save her life" Jace corrected with a shrug and a roll of his eyes.

"You're still being mean but you're more accurate now" Clary said with a nod of her head in defeat and they chuckled.

"Wouldn't want to be inaccurate about Iz's cooking skills" Jace said, "What about you? Can you cook? And to be clear I am not counting throwing food ingredients at people as cooking".

He gave her a teasing grin and Clary groaned as she remembered their food fight the night she slept over at their house, "The worst thing is that no, excluding my amazing food fighting skills, I don't do cooking".

"I wouldn't call it amazing" Jace said.

"I would" Clary protested, "I won, didn't I?"

"I hardly think there were any winners in that situation" Jace said remembering they had both ended up, soaked in milk, egg and flour, definitely no winners there. He took a sip of his coffee.

"That's what someone who lost would say" Clary muttered, her words only slightly muffled by the waffles as she took a bite.

"What did you say?" Jace asked, having heard her muttering.

"I said nice weather we have today" Clary said louder with an evil glint in her eyes and an adorable evil smile.

Jace shook his head, "You are so lucky you are holding liquid in my car right now, if you weren't..."

Clary, as if she wanted to challenge him, put the cup down in one of the cup holders and placed the plastic plate over the dashboard and opened her arms wide, "What would you do now?"

Kiss you, he wanted to say as he looked at her, he wanted to grab her and kiss her but he shook the thought away, placing his cup in the second cup holder and getting out of the car, he could see Clary's confused expression as he came to her side and opened the door, which turned to concerned.

Good she should be concerned.


"Isabelle" Sebastian said in a whispered hushed tone as he leaned over his bed, over where the sleeping beauty lay in it, he almost felt bad about waking her up, she looked so peaceful and gorgeous in his sheets, he ran his fingers over her nose, under her eyes and over her cheek, admiring the soft skin under his touch.

"No" Isabelle whimpered softly and shortly, a defiant finality to her tone.

"Yes" Sebastian said.

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Come on Iz, we're gonna be late and you made me promise I won't let you be late" Sebastian pleaded.

"That was late night Isabelle, and she has higher expectations for morning Isabelle that I am capable of, her fault, take it up with late night Isabelle" Isabelle muttered before throwing her face into the pillow. Sebastian chuckled, actually he would love to discuss things with late night Isabelle, late night Isabelle was more honest and vulnerable, it was Isabelle without the facade she puts on for the rest of the world.

Also it didn't hurt that late night Isabelle was horny a lot.

Sebastian looked over Isabelle's sleeping form, no it didn't hurt at all.

He sighed as he gently brushed his fingers through the hair covering her neck to reveal the skin there, he kissed softly the right spot under her ear, she loved to be kissed there, and he was rewarded with a soft moan from Isabelle. He peppered her neck with soft kisses before biting into the skin there harshly.

Isabelle gasped as she felt his teeth sink in but as quickly as they came, they were gone and replaced with his tongue which swirled around, sending shivers on her neck as the now sensitive skin from his bite relaxed and she realized it would leave a hickey, that made her moan again.

Before she realized what was happening, two strong arms wrapped around her, one under her legs and the other behind her back, securing her in. Her eyes opened with a gasp as she quickly held on to Sebastian's neck for support as he got to his full length -and what a length it was-, and he was walking now.

Isabelle realized too late what he was doing, "No Seb, please I am up, I am up".

"No I think you need more of a... jolt to wake you up" Sebastian said walking into his bathroom and ignoring Isabelle's protests jumped in the shower, opening the freezing water on them both. Isabelle scratched and smack at him in protest until he let her go and she got to her feet.

When she stood to her length, she brushed the hair sticking to her neck and face away before smacking against Sebastian's chest, once, twice, three times before he held her wrists firmly in his hands, stopping her vicious attacks, "I should kill you for this" Isabelle said.

Sebastian laughed, he couldn't help it, she looked cute, hair and eyelashes wet, angry and frantic but so beautiful. She narrowed her eyes angered at his reaction, she fisted at his semi wet shirt, pulling him to her. Their faces were suddenly so close, Sebastian stopped laughing as he looked over the beautiful creature he has been in love with since he realized what love was.

She was here in front of him, beautiful and strong, less than an inch between their bodies, she was so close and yet so far, he brushed wet strands away from her face as her expression softened, her hands let go of his shirt gradually and slipped to lock behind his neck.

Sebastian wasn't sure who moved first, if he brought his lips down on hers first or if she pulled him down to her by his neck, but he didn't care, he was kissing her again. Their lips met in a passionate embrace, hungry and wild, sighting for dominance and control. A fire built inside of her with every second their lips touched, she wanted to bring him closer but she wasn't sure if they could be any closer.

His arms slipping to her waist brought shivers in their wake and she moaned into his mouth, suddenly his hands were at her hips and then brushing against her thighs, making circular motions, each touch of his driving her wild. She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking them behind his back as his hands secured her legs, grabbing at her thights.

This was closer, better. Isabelle thought.

Sebastian was driven mad by that move and in a moment he had Isabelle against the tiled wall of his bathroom, how can one woman drive him this crazy? Her lips were soft and hard against his own at the same time, his tongue explored her mouth before his lips lowered to spread kisses at her chin and neck and the collarbone of her chest and she moaned that heavenly sound in his ears as her hands fisted in his hair pulling him closer to her.

Yes closer, better. Sebastian thought.

"If you thought this will make sure we get out early" Isabelle said breathless between kisses, "You're gravely mistaken".

But that was okay, suddenly, he didn't care if they were late.

Or if they were suspended.

Or if the whole world caught on fire.


"No stop it, stop it" Clary cried out as Jace continued his torure on her.

"You asked for it" Jace said with a smirk as he tickled her more, "What's the matter? You're not so tough anymore?"

"No" Clary cried out between gasps of breath and laughter, the wind was knocked out of her as Jace continued his assault, she kicked and screamed as much as she could while Jace only laughed, poking at her sides.

"Jeez, anyone walking by would think I am murdering you" Jace joked.

"Isn't that... AH.. what.. haha.. you're do-.. AH haha.. doing?" Clary squealed.

"You are so dramatic" Jace said with a roll of his eyes, Clary went in for a kick to his side but he captured it in his arm, Clary in frustration and in anguish tried desperately for a punch on the shoulder but Jace was faster than her and took her wrist in his other hand and he pulled at her, bringing her closer to him.

Suddenly, with Jace's hands not tickling her anymore, her laughter died down and a sworming intensity replaced the light fun air that was before, suddenly she was very aware Jace was between her legs and their bodies were so close, her eyes raked over his features, from his lips, his teeth softly biting his lower lip to his perfect featured jaw to the golden orbs of his eyes, staring at her with a sort of heat and intensity that overwhelmed her.

She was aware her lips were parted softly and their eyes were held in a gaze, she could see the passion in his eyes and feel the heat roll from his body, his touch on her sending shivers up her spine and sending shots of a fluttering feeling to the bottom of her stomach, and despite the overwhelming feeling taking over her, she couldn't break her gaze away from him.

It was a few moments later when Jace looked away, coughing and clearing his throat as he stood back to his full length out of the car. Clary looked him over with a moment of disappointment that she quickly -and forcefully- brushed aside, the feeling of where his hands just were on her skin, still hot and tingling in their wake.

"We should get started, take the wheel" Jace said, growing serious.

Clary sobered instantly as she remembered why she was here, Jace was going to teach her how to drive, a momentary stab of guilt hit her at the reminder that she was lying to her mother but only to be replaced with anxiety. She had never driven a car before, never once stood behind a wheel. What if she crashed and killed them both? What if she wrecked the car? What if she sucked? Now knowing that all of her friends are not only drivers but also racers, it made her grow more worried.

Jace, Jace who was instantly good at everything, what if she failed in front of him, would he laugh at her?

"No, stop that" Jace said as he lowered himself down, proping his elbows on his knees and his weight on the front half of his feet, now eye level to her, a knowing look on his face, "You can't drive a car if you are afraid of it".

"I'm not afraid of it" Clary protested defiantly.

"Good" Jace said simply, "Then get out and let's start driving".

Clary looked over the wide empty parking lot one more time, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea".

Jace looked her over one more time smirking annoyingly, "And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything".

"I'm not" Clary insisted, growing annoyed.

"Doesn't seem like it to me" Jace said, crossing his arms as he got to his full length and leaned across the open car door of the passanger's side. "Are you afraid of the car or are you afraid of failing?"

"Neither" Clary replied instantly. Anger rolling out of her in waves, she was not afraid of anything, she wasn't weak, she couldn't be, he made sure of it. She was not weak, she was not afraid of anything.

"Prove it" Jace said with a smirk knowing he got to her.

Clary knew he was baiting her and it was damn well working and if she wasn't so livid maybe she would have stayed in her seat just to prove that she had nothing to prove to him, but she didn't. She stepped out of the car and stomped over to the other side, siting down at the driver's seat, all the while feeling Jace's gaze on her as he stepped into the passenger's seat.

"Ouch" Jace said.

Clary looked over and saw him holding his knee in agony as he sat beside her, "Why is the seat so close to the dashboard? Are you a smurf or something?"

Clary looked over with a grin at his obvious pain, "Compared to you, I'd bet. How are your legs so long? I can't even reach the pedals".

"Can you see over the wheel at least?" Jace asked with a teasing grin and Clary lightly slapped his shoulder as he chuckled uncontrollably, "Fine let's start with how you adjust your seat to the right distance".

"Good thing I came prepared" Jace said. Clary saw as Jace swung his body around and took a bag, resting on the backseat from before, she wondered what that was before. Jace took out of the bag a -

"You're not serious" Clary said with wide eyes as she looked over the item.

"I am actually" Jace said with a grin, "Wear it".

"I really hate you right about now" Clary said as she reached for the bicycle helmet in Jace's hand nonetheless and strapped it in.

"I'll live" Jace said reaching for another one and strapping it to his head.

"I can't believe you don't trust me, this is an insult" Clary said.

"Hey, I'm the real victim here, do you know how much this helmet will ruin my hair?" Jace joked, "This is just for protection, this however is an insult and a sign I don't trust you".

Clary looked as Jace took out a pillow from the bag and threw the bag in the back, he placed the pillow over his chest and put the seatbelt on over the pillow and took the car hand holder in his grip, "I'm ready".

"Jace" Clary whined.

"Yes?" He looked over at her innocently with a teasing gleam in his eyes, daring her to protest.

"I really hate you" Clary said in a whine as she slammed her head down on the wheel then jumping back when it honked loudly in her ear and Jace laughed hystrically.

"Let's do this"

Clary listened as Jace explained a lot about the car to her, the gear shift, the pedals and the radio system, it was sometime before he asked Clary to start driving. "What?" she asked unsure.

"You heard me, start driving" Jace said.

Clary took deep breaths as she looked over, from the wheel to the pedal, unsure and hesitant, anxious when a hand wrapped around her own, that was resting against the gear shift, "Relax" said Jace's soft soothing voice, "I'm here".

Clary nodded, she remembered what Jace instructed and took the car out of parking mode, "Good girl, now let's slowly raise our foot from the brake and slowly give the gas pedal a feather like nudge- I said nudge, easy".

Clary raised her foot from the gas pedal as the car leaped forward with light speed hit the brakes, roughly so the car screeched to a halt. She took a breath and tried again, this time when the car leaped forward she pressed lightly on the brakes and then tried again with a lighter nudge to the gas pedal.

"There, that's it" Jace said encouragingly as the car started moving slowly, Clary gave it a little harder nudge and the car moved a bit faster. "Try turning right".

Clary used the wheel and effectively turned right, "I'm doing it" Clary said excitedly.

"Now stop but slowly" Jace said and Clary followed his instructions smiling when he nodded she had done it right. Clary started driving again, going right and left when Jace instructed.

"Let's try hitting the road" Jace suggested and Clary carefully drove out of the parking lot, "Now you have to be very careful, do exactly what I tell you and when I tell you".

"That sounds like something I should protest to" Clary said.

"Will you? Protest that is?" Jace asked smirking.

"Not momentarily , but I reserve the right to change my mind" Clary said smirking, though she didn't plan on it, if Jace told her to stop in the middle of the road she was planning on stopping in the middle of the road.

"I'm doing it" Clary said as she drove along the lines on the streets.

"You are" Jace said and even though she didn't turn to look at him, she knew he was smiling at her, "How does it feel?"

"Honestly? Anti-climactic, I thought I was going to crash the car and end up with both of us tragically injured" Clary said grinning.

"There's still time" Jace argued.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Clary snipped with sarcasm.

"I do have confidence in you, I trusted you with my car, didn't I?" Jace said. Clary thought about it and yes, Jace was surprisingly very sweet when it came to helping her. She had noticed often that he was very sweet when it came to her, it was a side of him he didn't like showing to everyone, she noticed.

"Great so now can we please take off our helmets?" Clary asked.

"Nope"

"Will you at least put the pillow down?"

"Not a chance"


Maia strutted out of her house, a hand raking through her curls as she caught sight of Jordan, leaning over his jeep on the street in front of her house. A smile stretched on her face as she caught sight of him, "What's this?"

"Just wanted to see you" Jordan said, "Is that so bad?"

Maia reached him and immediately he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek, she pouted teasingly disappointed and he chuckled as he kissed her lips again, "Hmm no. Not bad at all" Maia teased.

"Good, I wouldn't want to miss being the first person to wish you a happy birthday" Jordan said kissing her again.

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow" Maia reminded.

"So I will definitely be the first" Jordan said grinning, "I'm kidding but because I know your friends are probably gonna take you away from me tomorrow, I thought maybe we could celebrate today. Dinner maybe?"

"Actually if I know Izzy, she's gonna plan me the most non-surprising surprise birthday party ever" Maia said, she looked him over nervously before she suggested, "Maybe you would like to come to meet my friends?"

Jordan grew nervous, he knew how much Maia's friends meant to her, there was no doubt they were some of the most important people in her life, and the thought of meeting them made him nervous and yet what he said was "Sure, I'd love to".

Maia beamed happily, "Great, oh and we can definitely still have that dinner tonight... alone" she stretched the last word in a soft whispered tone as she kissed her way from his jaw to his ear.

"That- that- that does sound good" Jordan stuttered and Maia chuckled letting him go and getting in the car. She saw the baffled look on his face and that it took him a couple of seconds to focus again before he casted her a teasing glare.


Clary pulled the car into a stop in one of the signed parking spaces in front of the school, put the gear in park and turned it off. She stepped out of the car when Jace did and she looked back at him grinning, waiting for him to comment something about her driving.

"That was great and it only took us like half the day, if you start driving now, I'll make it home just in time for dinner" Jace teased with a grin.

Clary pouted as she looked back at Jace, startled and disappointed, she hadn't thought she was going that slow. Was she? She thought her speed was right, the road was very bendy and filled with turns that revolted around mountains and it was her first time driving.

"I'm kidding, don't pout" Jace said, his face breaking off into a smirk, "I'm kidding you were great, we need to work on your speed a bit, but you were great".

"I was?" Clary asked, hesitant and unsure of showing too much excitement, just in case Jace was kidding again.

"You were" Jace said with a nod".

"Yay" Clary jumped up excitedly, as she cheered happily, and in her excitement she jumped at Jace, throwing her body against him as she wrapped her arms behind his neck. There was barely a moment of hesitation before his arms wrapped around the small of her waist and she could feel him grinning into her hair. Jace then pulled Clary off the ground and swung her around in a circle as she cried out, chuckling "Put me down, you'll drop me".

"Is that an insult to your weight or my strength? Because both are unacceptable" Jace said, but he put her down nonetheless and Clary only rolled her eyes, not providing him with an answer.

The two began to ascend the stairs when Clary caught sight of a mass of blonde hair, looking at her from the top of the stairs, no not looking, but boaring into her. Kaelie. Blue eyes flashed in her head filled with shock and a bit of hurt, little rinklets by her eyes almost made it seem like she was crying but Clary wasn't sure, the girl turned around and left before she could be certain.

Clary almost felt bad for the poor girl, even though there was nothing for her to feel bad about, it wasn't like she was dating Jace or anything, and even if she was, it wouldn't be her business. From what little intel she gathered from Isabelle -without asking any questions as to not seem suspicious- Jace and Kaelie's relationship -if you can even call it that- was brief and casual and it ended as soon as it began, just like many of Jace's relationships.

Oh great, she couldn't help but to think sarcastically. Like she didn't have enough on her plate, Kaelie will no doubt make today impossible for her. She will make sure to avoid her at any cost.

Thoughts of Kaelie were pulled out of her head when she heard her phone buzz and Jace's as well. They looked at each other with confused expressions before they each pulled out their phones. Clary could see Isabelle had invited her to a group chat called Maia's birthday and several messages from Isabelle dividing tasks and assigning people to bring what things.

"It's Maia's birthday tomorrow?" Clary asked looking up at Jace.

He nodded and then grinned, "Watch Isabelle at lunch trying and failing to keep it a secret".

"Isabelle is bad at keeping secrets?" Clary asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, secrets she can keep. Surprise parties, that's a whole other ordeal" Jace said.

Clary chuckled, "That seems more like her anyways".

A sudden question popped into her head, she couldn't believe she never asked it before, "Hey Jace, when's your birthday?"

"January 18th. When's yours?" Jace asked.

January, that not too far in the future, she wondered if Isabelle would throw him a party as well and if she did what she would bring him. She then thought wondering what she would bring to Maia as a birthday present and a sudden panic boared into her as she realized she has no clue what to get the girl. "August 23rd" she said.

She briefly wondered if this time she will spend her birthday with her friends, her current friends, here in Idris or will she have already packed her bags and left for some other country? It's been so long that she hasn't wondered what place she'll be at next. She has grown very comfortable here in Idris and almost had a routine now. It was so weird, for so many years, at every place she visited she never felt like she belonged, she was always worrying about when she'll pack up and leave, never knowing if she'll be there tomorrow.

A stab of pain errupted in her chest at the thought of leaving this place, it hurt too much, she had grown accustomed to having these people in her life, she couldn't imagine her life without them.

"You coming?" Jace asked.

Guess she'll cross that bridge when she comes to it.

"Coming" Clary said.


A/N: So hope you guys like it and I'll see you in the next chapter.