New Halloween edition chapter (okay its after Halloween but this chap is long.) There was an amount of time that passed between this chapter and the previous one. Finally props to my beta! R&R and enjoy!

"Hold still!" cries Magnus for the hundredth time. Alec sits in front of a face paint wielding boyfriend.

"My make-up looked fine!" states Alec.

"It's Halloween and you are going to look outstanding." Alec lets out a sigh. Jace comes out from our room. He wears swim trunks and an opened Hawaiian shirt. There is a lei around his neck. His eyes catch mine.

"Like what you see?"

"Maybe." I flirt back. Jace saunts over to where I sit.

"You sure you don't want to come?" He asks. Jace, Alec, Magnus, Izzy and Simon are all going to a huge Halloween party.

"Nope." I was going to spend the night at my parents, who insisted I come and visit them.

"Are you done?" asks Alec to Magnus.

"One sec…" Magnus presses the brush to Alec's forehead.

"I didn't know a vampire slayer required this much make-up." Magnus just turns away and mumbles something about Buffy. His wizard robes make a swishing noise behind him. I time-check my phone.

"Simon should be here in 5 minutes." I say. I get up and grab my coat from the coat hook and slip it on.

We stand waiting on the curb for our ride. I huddle close to Jace in an attempt to steal his body heat. When a known van rolls up we pile in. "Nice elf costume, Suzanne." Snickers Magnus to a Hobbitized Simon.

"I'm a Hobbit." Counters Simon.

"Credit, I thought you were an elf too." Says Alec.

"Well, I not."

"The ears are elfish," starts Jace who stops after I give him a look.

The crowded van rolls up to Luke's books store. I hop out. Jace pokes his head out the door and pecks my cheek. "You'll miss me."

"You sure?" I joke pecking him back.

"Positive."

"You two want a room or something?" cries Isabelle. We both turn to her, giving "the look".

"I'll see you later." I say.

"You bet. Bye." Jace sits back and I close the door. The van drives off. I walk toward the back of the bookshop, The door is open and I walk into the living room.

"Hello?" I ask out.

"Hey Clary?" says my mom's voice. There is the sound of growing footsteps. Soon enough she appears. Instantaneously she has her arms clasped around my back. "It's so good to see you."

"You too, Mom. Where's Luke?"

"He had to go buy candy."

"You forgot."

"Just procrastinated." We sit down on the couch. The living room looks the same as it always had. A wooden coffee table placed before a well-worn brown couch. There are shelves of books and a TV. "You look great." She says. She's lying. I look like a mess. Jeans that don't really fit anymore. The bulge on my sleeve where my import in located. My eyes are sunken. My hair is missing. I have changed much since she last saw me. Tossing those thoughts aside I simply say, "Thanks."

"How's everything going?" There is concern in her voice, a tight worry.

"Fine. It's all fine." There are heavy footsteps outside and seconds later Luke emerges from the door.

"I'd be late to my own funeral." He mumbles before speaking up, "Hey Clary. " He kicks the door closed with his foot and sets a Walgreens bag down on the coffee table. His back straightens and he stands with his arms open waiting for a hug. I oblige. His head bends to my height. "It's so nice to see you," he whispers," your mom's been worried sick." I nod slightly as if to say I get it. Luke pulls back and pushed down the Walgreens bag. "Why type of candy do you like? I think I got everything." There are three multi-candy bags. I pluck a 3 Musketeer Mini from the already opened bag.

"We should go get ready. People will start showing up."

Luke brings 3 chairs to the front of his bookshop and plucks the door open. Candy is removed from the bags and placed into a bowl. I sit between the two of them. "What's new with you two?" I ask.

"Nothing much." Speaks Luke, "your mom sold a painting."

"That's nice." I turn to look at her. "What'd it look like?"

"The farmhouse." She says at first, " I was thinking we should go up there."

"That would be nice."

"You want to go?" she asks almost indigently.

"Yeah."

The first set of trick or treaters comes up, a princess and a Jedi. I pass them candy and they head off.

Around 8 o'clock the trick or teaters stop and we pack up shop. Luke puts the chairs back and I manage the candy. "I think AMC has a Friday the 13th marathon." Says Mom. I follow her to the couch and push myself up against the armrest.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch because the next morning I wake in my old bed with no recollection of walking here. There is a comforter tossed over me. I kick it off ignoring the slight pressure in my head as I do so. There is the sound of voices drifting through the house and the smell of chocolate chip pancakes. I was still in my clothes from last night. Looking around my room I notice my knit cap which I pluck from the pillow.

Mom and Luke stand next to each other on the counter. They turn around when I say hi.

"Did you sleep well?" Mom asks.

"Fine, I guess." Reason why I can't stay here, always being asked if I'm okay or feeling well. "Pancakes?"

"Uh-huh." Luke swings a plate onto the table. The chocolate is almost in large chunks and I notice the candy wrappers on the counter.

"Did you use leftover Halloween candy for the pancakes?" I ask.

"Had no more chocolate chips." He says shrugging and taking one from the stack. I place one on the plate in front of me a butter it. Mom joins Luke and I at the table.

"How's chemo going?" inquires Mom. I glance away to my plate.

"It's going." A breath goes in and out of my chest. "I might need a bone marrow transplant." It was true. The doctors think the chemo is doing as well as they expected.

"You'll be fine, kiddo." Says Luke. I play with my pancake avoiding the omnipresent looks of pity. I fold the food around my fork and shove it in my mouth. I try to change to topic to the exceptional weather, but neither bite.

Simon comes to get not that long after breakfast. "How was the party?" asks I.

"Alright," he starts, "No one knew what I was. Next time I'm hanging with you."

"Seriously, no one knew who Bilbo was?"

"Nope, those uncultured swine."

0.o.0

I walk into the apartment. The remains of Halloween are tossed over the living room. "Hello?"

"Hey!" cries Jace, "you're back!"

"I went to Brooklyn not Canada."

"Same difference." He walks out of the bathroom.

"I guess. How was the party?"

"Okay." He says.

"Just okay?"

"Yeah, you weren't there." He lifts his arm and coughs into his sleeve.

"You're not sick are you?" I ask quickly.

"Yeah, I guess." He says

I sigh out, "Jesus."

"What? Why?"

"I can't get sick." I say almost defeated. "At all, like we have to stay apart until your better."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I'll go back to my parents, I guess."

"You don't want to stay here? I could crash at my parents." Jace offers.

"Nah, I'll just go get my stuff." I walk by him, no touching, not nothing. In the bedroom I grab a duffle bag from under the bed and start shoving clothes into it. I call my mom and explain everything that's happening. She explains that she will come and pick me up. When I walk out to leave. I turn to Jace, "I'll call you."

"If I don't first," he counters, "suppose I can't kiss you goodbye."

"Sorry."

"This sucks."

"It does. Just get well soon. Start taking advil or something."

"I will."

"Love you," I say walking to the door.

"I love you too." Jace speaks. I walk out and close the door behind me. This sucks. All I want to do is go in there and tell him everything will be fine. I never got to telling him about the idea that I might need to get a bone marrow transplant. I was walking to the elevator when my phone goes off.

"Hello?" I answer into the device not looking at caller idea.

"Hey, it's me." Says Jace's voice.

"Missing me already?" I joke.

"Maybe, let's hope I have just a stomach bug and not the flu or something."

"I hope. My mom will be here soon."

"Alright. I'll see you soon."

"You too." The line drops dead. When my mom pulls up I hop in.

"Sorry about all this." She says as if she could control it.

"It's not your fault. Anyway, he'll get better."

"That's true," speaks mom, "it'll be fine."

She asks about getting lunch and I respond saying I'm not hungry. Her eyes catch mine for a second.

0.o.O

I spend much of the next day in bed, talking to Jace. He convinced Alec to nurse him back to health. I used my mom's laptop to pull him up on Skype. "You look horrible," I say when his face pulls up.

"Thanks. That's helpful." He says back smirking.

"How's Alec putting up with you?"

"That sneaky bastard fled to Magnus." He jokes. "I wish you were here to nurse me back to health."

"Yeah, but then I'd get sick and we'd be in trouble.

"True. Just promise me you'll stay healthy."

"I'll try."

"Okay." He breaks out into a hacking cough. "Your parents aren't driving you crazy though. Are they?"

"Not really. Someone just comes in my room every 20 minutes."

"That's good. I guess I should go."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." He says.

"Bye." I say.