I know two chapters in one week, what can I say, except that I am feeling inspired. I also wrote each chapter in the one sitting, so it could be terrible.

I was supposed to be finishing my English homework but I didn't even look at it. Hope you are all feeling special now.

Despite my newly found adulthood, I still don't own the Mortal Instruments or its characters. Only the story is my own.

...

Simon was able to wait until the car before his anger bubbled over. Just. The millisecond that the door clicked shut, he began to say what was on his mind. All of it this time. He refused to be persuaded by tears or the angery replies that would no doubt come from Izzy.

"What is it this time?" Simon questioned, his irritation coming through in his tone.

"I had had enough and..." Izzy began, but was unable to continue before Simon's anger overcome him.

"That is just it! I need to say this again! Really." Simon stated in a rage, his voice bouncing off the walls of the car. "Izzy, I need you to start considering how I feel. What I want or need. No, even better, what we want. What we, together need. We are engaged for whatever reason. I don't know what it is. And neither do you. So, we are stuck in this whether you like it or not. I am not going to spend the rest of my life being walked all over." Simon's face was red with the lack of oxygen and Izzy was taken back with all the pent-up anger Simon had.

"I am still not comfortable talking about our engagement." Izzy said with a sense what of finality in her voice.

Her statement and the tone she used only enraged Simon further.

"Well, maybe it is time that you did. I don't care who it is. Clary, your mum or me. But it needs to be someone and soon. I can live with sharing a house, going to events and even planning a wedding without talking to you." Simon proposed in a tone that told Izzy that he meant no nonsense.

"That is not what I meant." Izzy defended her actions and words. "Clary cornered me before, asking about us, and I just couldn't take it. So, we left."

"I take it that Clary won't be the person that you talk to about all this?" Simon questioned, reinforcing his earlier point.

"I will talk to Clary, but she has enough on her plate at the moment." Izzy started, thinking out loud. "My mum is a part of the reason we are in this mess, and I am still not talking to her yet. I mean I will talk to Clary about it, but that doesn't help you and I now. Why can't we talk openly and honestly about everything?" Izzy suggested earning a shocked look from Simon. Izzy began to recoil, mistaking his shocked look as one of disgust. "Isn't that the point of this whole argument? That I need to start thinking of us as an us?"

Simon exited his shocked state enough to be able to talk. "That is what I want. I just didn't expect you to change your attitude so fast. If we do this it means actually getting to know each other?" Simon questioned Izzy who nodded. "Once you let me in you can't push me out. If I do something that makes you feel awkward or uncomfortable, you have to tell me. You know, that right?" Simon bargained with Izzy.

"Only if you do." Izzy answered simply, almost sounding defeated. If Simon was making these seemingly reasonable conditions, she should make him agree to them too.

...

Clary was exhausted. The engagement party that had started before lunch time, was only just beginning to wind down and now it was well into the night. Jace had barely left her side since Aline's earlier outburst, and the constant acting had become the main cause for her exhaustion.

When only a few people were left, Clary went into the house causing Jace to follow. The question that Izzy had asked her earlier still plaguing her mind. She had to ask, but was slightly afraid of the answer. What if Aline was telling the truth?

"Jace," Clary started hesitantly. "Were you with Aline yesterday? Or any night after our date?"

"Clary, why would you even think that I would do that to you?" Jace stated defensively. "I would never do that to you or anyone else. I may seem like a player or like I was one but I am not one anymore. We are getting married and working towards not pretending anymore. Why would I ruin that?"

"Jace, please lower your voice." Clary pleaded. He hadn't realised that his voice had risen, and there would be very little that the two could do if anyone was to hear this time. "We barely know anything about each other, and we haven't really had the chance to try. We need to get to know each other before we can continue planning this wedding."

"I know that Clary, but you didn't seem to think anything of it when you kissed me." Jace retorted, trying to regain his cool. "And don't tell me that you were just acting!"

"Jace, it started off that way but I swear to you that I wasn't when we got caught up in it all." Clary tried. Finally, it seemed that Jace had cooled of a little. But that didn't mean that Clary was reassured that it wasn't in Jace's character to cheat on her, if anything the speed in which he got defensive confirmed it for Clary. Jace had danced around the issue at hand, but she refused to acknowledge Jace's actions for now.

"I have an idea." Clary stated, breaking the momentary silence that had formed. "We still plan our wedding, just the things like a date and nothing too major. This will let our families know that we love each other and are really getting married. And then we stop the planning and do things to get to know each other more. Go on more dates, do things that are just the two of us, no distractions."

As Clary finished her proposal, Jace already had an answer. "We need to be able to know that despite the show that we put on, we can make this work. Clary, will go come to the park with me soon?"

At this Clary smiled knowing that her answer was a "yes".

...

Clary was tense. She couldn't lie to her best friend all night long. There was only so much that Clary could share with Izzy about Jace. And Izzy knew all of this already. Clary refused to make anything up, so here Jace and Clary sat quizzing each other. They would both rather be anywhere else, but in each other's company.

Things had been tense since their talk yesterday, not staying in the same room as each other when they didn't have any company. And when they did have, Clary and Jace were acting even more than before. Always holding hands, waists or touching in some other way.

The actual relationship was becoming even more forced, almost as if they hated each other. Neither had a clue why or how it had started but it made Clary wonder how much longer she could act. It wasn't an actual question of her ability to continue but rather her willingness.

Jace was unaware of her mind state and continued answering her questions, no matter how unusual they seemed. Or rather how embarrassing his answers.

"What is your worst fear?" Clary questioned half-heartedly. There was no way that she would be able to memorise Jace's answers in the time that it would take for Izzy to arrive.

"You can't laugh okay?" Jace asked as he was trying to answer all her questions honestly. Clary nodded, the life seeming to return to her. "Ducks."

"You're afraid of ducks?" Clary laughed loudly. A big body shaking laugh. It was the first time since she had entered the engagement and consequently their act that she had really laughed. "Seriously, you have to tell me how you came to be afraid of ducks."

"Hey, I wouldn't laugh. One day ducks will use their evil powers take over the world and eat all the bread." Jace beamed as another fit of laughter erupted from Clary, he was glad that everything seemed to return to their normal. When her laughter died down he asked, "What is the next question on your list?"

Clary looked down at the list she had made of every possible question that Izzy could asked, sighing. The list was extensive and they had made little progress.

"Forget it." Clary said, finally voicing her thoughts. "I can't keep pretending like this. We aren't this happy couple that are so in love they need to celebrate it with a wedding. We are two strangers being forced together and someone will see that and soon."

Jace thought for a moment. "We won't have to always pretend. Clare," He started, and stopped momentarily as Jace realised he had given her a nickname that very few people rarely use. "One day and hopefully in the not so distant future we will be the couple that we let others see."

Clary felt an overwhelming urge to kiss Jace forming from his sweet words. So, she did. This one long kiss much like the last quickly consumed the two in an unwavering battle of dominance. Neither one gaining control. All the emotions that coursed through the two were communicated. Each sensation crashing into the last, until there were none left to come. Still the kiss continued.

"Again! Just bang already!" Izzy called, teasingly. "Although not right now! Jace for tonight your wonderful fiancé is all mine. In the nicest way, possible get out!"

"Just let me say goodbye and she is all yours." Jace answered, as he pulled Clary into his arms. He whispered in her ear, "You can do this, and if it becomes too much, text me the rest of your questions."

Without waiting for a response, Jace left the room. Before continuing, out of the house, he was left wondering if Clary will keep up the charade.

...

Will Clary keep up with the show that Clary and Jace are putting on? Will Izzy find out? And what were Simon and Jonathon talking about last chapter?

Just wondering if you have any suggestions as to why Jace, Clary, Simon and Isabelle all have arranged marriages? Would love to hear them as I am still trying to decide.

P.S. Please review.