A/N: thanks so much to my Beta reader TheEternalDaylightingRanger! Also thanks to all of you who reviewed my last chapter it was great reading them. Anyways, here is the next chapter!

The floor felt as if it had just collapsed under Clary's feet. She stared dumbly at the two house guests for a few seconds, brain trying to process who was in the room with her.

"I-I'm not...feeling well." Clary whirled around and practically sprinted to her room, shutting the door behind her. Jace? Had he been working with Jonathan all this time?She remembered how Jace had followed her halfway to Central Park before he got a phone call from someone and left. Oh, crap no.

A soft knock sounded on Clary's door, followed by a white-blonde head. Jonathan stepped into the room, walking close to Clary, who glared daggers at him. He brushed her hostility off, sitting across from the one Clary was currently occupying.

"Look, Birdy. I know it must be a shock for you to find out Jace and I are on the same side-"

"And whose side is that?"

Jonathan hesitated. "For now, Valentine's." For now?

Shaking her head, Clary stood up, hands on hips, to face Jonathan. "Look, Jona-"

"Sebastian. Please call me Sebastian." The blonde stood up, which forced Clary to tilt her head upwards.

"Why."

"Because that's what Valentine calls me."

Exasperated, Clary looked her brother straight in the eye. "I thought you were on 'his side'."

Jonathan avoided Clary's 'sides' comment entirely. "We have minor disagreements on many topics." His charcoal eyes softened. "Sebastian was the name of a very close, childhood friend of mine."

Curiosity sparked. "What happened to him?"

All softness gone, Jonathan replied flatly, "He died." Business-like, he stood up."Please come join us for dinner. Nothing formal. Food, TV and video games. Just so you may get to know Kaelie and Jace."

"No."

"Clary, if you don't want your mother hurt, you will come join us."

The redhead stormed after Jona-Sebastian, and into the luxurious living room. Jace and the blonde girl-Kaelie?- were practically sitting on top of each other as they laughed and talked quietly. Feeling as if she was intruding on a private event, Clary fought the urge to flee back to her room.

"Carry, you came back." Kaelie drawled, then drew a long, judgmental look over Clary.

"My name is Clary." Clary responded stiffly, making her way to a low, leather armchair. Sebastian joined the blondes on the couch. Blonde squad. Clary thought absently.

Sebastian handed Clary a slice of pizza, oozing with cheese. Clary accepted, but simply nibbled on the end. Finished their food, Kaelie and Jace commenced to play Mario Kart. After finishing her pizza, Clary sat stiffly for a half hour, mind wandering.

I wonder what everyone at the institute did when they found out I was gone. Crap! I know what I forgot...In her rush to leave the institute, Clary had forgotten to write a note telling everyone where she was going. Not that she would say where, but just so that they would not launch a search party or something. They probably wouldn't do something like that, I was only there for two days. Clary worriedly tugged on a cinnamon curl.

"Hey, Shorty, I bet you can't beat me." Jace's smug challenge drew Clary from her thoughts.

"Hm?" She raised her head to glare at the cocky golden boy.

"At Mario Kart." He grinned as Clary got up and sat between him and Sebastian.

"Game on." She smirked as Jace set up their players and such. What he didn't know, was that Clary and Simon had spent many afternoons versing each other in various video games. Mario Kart had always been Clary's best game.

"Let's do mirror." Jace cast a skeptical look at Clary, but complied to her request.

Two hours, fifty Mario rounds and a game of Halo later, Jace sat back, seeming slightly mind-blown.

"Geez, Shorty, your vicious."

"Thanks." Clary smiled genuinely, before the thoughts of why she was so good deflated her good mood.

Kaelie huffed beside Jace, then checked her phone. Whilst Jace and Clary had been versing each other, Sebastian and Kaelie had been engrossed in a long conversation, before Kaelie came back to sit by Jace. Well, practically on him. Again.

"I have to go. Things to do, places to be." Kaelie stood up to leave, Jace following. Then Kaelie turned around and pressed her lips against Jace, the two of them indulging in a small make-out session.

Clary blushed furiously, turning her head away. For some odd reason, she had to fight the urge to tear them apart and kiss Jace herself. Wait-What?No. You just found Jace is your enemy. You cannot think things like that. Ever. Clary chided herself.

The two blondes finally broke apart and Kaelie turned to leave.

"Hey, don't I get a kiss goodnight?" Sebastian feigned hurt. Kaelie rolled her eyes and pecked him on the cheek. Sebastian grinned.

Kaelie sauntered towards the door, hips swaying. She turned and winked at Jace, ignoring Clary completely. Without the hype of video games, a tsunami of tiredness overwhelmed Clary. Grouchy again, she turned towards her room.

Jace caught Clary's arm. "Hey, Shorty do y-"

"You've got lipstick on you." Clary gestured sourly the red stain at the corner of his mouth, before pulling away from his grip.

Clary sorted skeptically through the nightclothes available. Most were items worn by a runway model: silky, lacey and barely there. At the bottom of the draw, Clary discovered a dark green silk nightgown with fell mid thigh. Sighing, Clary donned the garment, heading to the washroom to see if there was a bathrobe.

A ridiculously fluffy white bathrobe hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Wrapping the robe around her, Clary found a toothbrush, toothpaste and a washcloth. After washing her face of the little makeup she had worn, Clary stood in front of the large bathroom mirror, brushing her teeth.

After she had finished, she lay in the large bed, room dark except for a bedside lamp pooling warm light. Absently sketching, her mind started to wander. How is this all going to unfold? Clary wondered, sleep starting to claim her, scattering her thoughts. How did Sebastian know what kind of clothes looked good on me? Well Valentine built this place and he probably bought all of this stuff. It was probably meant for mom. Maybe...was this supposed to be Mom and Valentine's room? Clary shivered.

Tilting her head down, Clary observed what she had drawn. A redhead and a white-blonde boy. The two of them children, smiling as they swung on playground swings. High in the clouds, no speck of ground in sight. Just the blue sky, white clouds...and red sun. It's Sebastian and I. Clary crumpled up the drawing and threw it under the bed.

Checking the time on her phone, Clary sighed as she read the screen. 2:57AM. Although her body and mind were exhausted, she could not fall asleep. Closing sore eyes, she rolled around the bed until she couldn't stand it anymore. Bolting up, Clary wrapped the bathrobe around her and padded out of her door.

Feeling the desire to soften her foul mood, Clary wish she had access to a gym; as tired as she was, the need to blow off some steam was greater. Now where is the weapons room...Do they even have one?

Listening before she cautiously opened each door, Clary's eyes burned from exhaustion. She hadn't checked the second floor yet, so she headed up the glass stairs. Jace and Sebastian's rooms are upstairs. Got to be careful. Clary tip-toed around, still not able to find a room resembling a training or weapons room.

Three more doors. One was Sebastian's, she knew that for sure. The other two were a mystery. Turning the knob slowly, Clary found the first door locked. That must be it. Clary fumbled for her Stele, ready to draw a rune to help her bust through the door. Oh, right. I don't have one. Clary remembered bitterly.

Turning towards the last door, she still couldn't fathom Jace's betrayal. Telling herself she hadn't felt drawn to him would be a lie. Still, she could feel a subtle tug. Forcibly buried. Exhausted and deafened by her thoughts, Clary didn't hear the footsteps behind her until a voice whispered in her ear.

"What are you doing, sneaking into my room?" Shivers danced up and down Clary's spine as she whirled to face the figure behind her. Jace. Of course. Anger boiled inside Clary. So much for blowing off steam.

"I was not sneaking into your room." She snapped.

Jace gestured towards the door Clary had been opening. "That's my room, Shorty."

"Well, I didn't know that."

Jace's golden eyes met Clary's solemnly. "Clary, I want you to know that Sebastian and I aren't really...buddies. I know you must hate me right now, but I'm doing this for everyone else. Izzy, Alec, Max. All of them."

"Damn, right I hate you. You betrayed everyone."

Jace shook his head. "I promise everything will make sense in time. And I'm sorry for Kaelie earlier-"

"It's really none of my business, I barely know you." It struck the redhead just how little she knew about this blonde boy.

"Clary." Jace sounded exasperated. "She shouldn't have done that it was rude."

"I. Don't. Care."

"It's quite obvious that you do. And, there' someone else that I would rather kiss." Mischief and something deeper sparkled in Jace's eyes.

"Then go ahead Jace, kiss whoever you want to kiss because it had nothing to do with me." Why am I getting so worked up? Okay, Clary, calm down.

Clary glared at Jace, who was smirking at her. "So, you say I may kiss the person I want to?"

"Yes. I don't see why you are asking my permission, Jace. It's none of my buis-"

Jace cut Clary off, pressing his lips to hers in a soft, quick kiss. Warmth bloomed throughout Clary, mingling with surprise. Then he pulled away, smiling a crookedly at her for a minute.

"I promise you, I am not working for Sebastian. Just be patient and trust me."

Clary stood stunned, all logical thoughts gone as she watched, mouth agape as Jace slipped into his room; the click of his door shutting bringing her back to reality. Thoroughly confused, Clary made her way back to her room and under her covers, switching out the light.

Almost asleep, Clary touched her fingertips to her lips, still buzzing from Jace's kiss. A wonderfully blissful feeling swelled in Clary, lulling her into darkness.

A/N: thanks so much for reading:) review and favorite:)

-Elle