A/N: I know you all probably want to kill me right now. I'M SORRY. I kept you guys waiting so long! Blame school, I beg you. I hate it, but I need my diploma so I guess it doesnt matter what I hate, right? But here's chapter 9 (finally!). Please review and give me feed back. I love opening my e-mail and finding that every 23 e-mails I have are all from fanfiction. It brightens my day. And for Taking It Slow, I'm writing a new chapter now. Be patient with me? I have midterms coming up and I really wouldnt want to fall them. Considering if I do, I get my privlegdes taken away. A.K.A. my cell, iPod AND computer. And THAT wouldn't be good. But review! I love you guys.


It had been a week. A week at Clary had found out she was a Shadowhunter. Since then, her life had changed. She wasn't the same girl she was a month ago. She might have looked the same on the outside, but in the inside she surely wasn't. It felt so weird. Why was she figuring this out now?

Everything was so much harder now. School work. Relationships. It seemed like everything in her life had a new weight on it, stressing her out even more. Not to mention she had new school work due to the order of some guy in the Council. She didn't want to get involved. She felt it was easier to do it then to just argue about it.

Why couldn't this happen after she graduated high school? It was only a year away. It would have been so much easier. She wouldn't have school stressing her out as much. She could have spent all her time on this, the Shadowhunter stuff.

Clary pulled the shirt over her head and walked into the bathroom. She picked up the brush to brush her hair into soft curls.

Plus with all this, she was still missing home. She had spoken to her mother two days ago after school. Her mother explained another story to her which had confused her even more.

Clary sighed and once finished, put the brush down. She walked out of the bathroom, staring out the window of her bedroom. She grinned.

Standing outside was Jace. He was grinning as well. His golden hair was softly blowing in the wind. He was moving his hand, as of to rush her. Clary quietly mouthed, hold on, and rushed to get her sneakers on.

She had seen Jace the other day in English class. After all, they sat next to each other. But since last week, when they had almost kissed, they had spent more and more time with each other. Though they hadn't talked about what almost happened.

Whenever they couldn't be together though, he would call or text her. It made her feel important. But now, with all this happening, she didn't think she was ready for a relationship. Plus Jace was still a player. He had to do something to prove he wasn't anymore to her.

Grabbing her cell phone and keys off the dresser, she rushed out of her room and out the building. Jace was waiting for her outside the door. He greeted her with a hug.

"Hey you" He said, while they hugged.

She grinned, her arms around his neck. "Hey" she said quietly.

He leaned back to see her face, his arms still around her waist. They weren't together. She knew that. He knew that. Many people had asked them when they were either walking around together or individually. They had always said no. But both teenagers knew they wanted that to be.

"Ready?" He asked, smiling. She nodded feeling a sudden breeze, shivering. Why hadn't she checked the temperature outside before leaving? Even though it was the beginning of May, it was still a little cold. Especially for a short sleeve shirt.

"Are you cold?" Jace asked.

Clary nodded again. "Yeah, let me go inside real quick to get a jacket."

Jace was going to offer his. Something he had seen in the movies a million of times before. It seemed every time the guy in the movie had done it, he always got the girl in the end.

"Okay, I'll go with you." He said, instead. He didn't want to push. They were such good friends now. He didn't want to wreck it.

She opened the door to the building, Jace following. They walked in silence until she reached her door. She took her key out, unlocking the door, and opening it.

Jace looked around as they both walked in. Jace hadn't remembered ever being in her room. Maybe he had and just didn't remember. It was so neat and clean, except for Isabelle's side, of course. On her side, there were clothes on her bed and desk chair; shoes falling out of the closet. On Clary's side, there was nothing but cleanliness. So like Clary, Jace thought. Her bed was made, pillows nice and neat. Closet door was closed, but even in there it was probably spotless. Her desk was even neat, her books on top of each other. Jace shook his head in disbelief as he sat down on her bed.

"Did a hurricane hit just Isabelle's side of the room or do you just have OCD?"

Clary smiled, walking over to her closet and opening it. Jace was right. Spotless. "Oh both," she said, grabbing a gray jacket from Hollister off its hanger. "But mostly the hurricane theory. Isabelle is so lazy when it comes to cleaning her side of the room."

Jace knew quite well Isabelle hated cleaning unless she was in the mood. It was actually funny when they were back at home at the Institute. Isabelle would wine and groan when her mother had told her it was time to clean up her room.

He chuckled slightly, watching Clary close her closet door. She shrugged on the jacket and zipped it up half way. She looked at Jace, a little confused. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing that jacket looks familiar for some reason."

Clary shrugged. "Well Hollister is pretty popular. You've probably seen it on one of your ex's." Clary smiled. She loved teasing him about his ex's.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Are you ready?" He asked impatiently.

"Stop being impatient," She snapped, smiling. She walked over to him. "So what are we doing today anyways?"

Jace shrugged. "Whatever you want"

"Oh, lay the responsibility on me why don't you?" Clary said, dramatically.

He grinned. "Well I surely don't want that responsibility."

"Obviously," She said. She looked to the door. "What to get going?"

"If you want to" Jace aid, shrugging.

"Then get off your lazy butt so we can go." She said smiling. Jace did as she ordered, towering over her. She walked towards the door, opening it. "So Isabelle told me about this place on campus that's really cool. Want to go?"

She looked back at him. He was staring at her. "Jace?"

He moved his head slightly, surprised and just a bit embarrassed. "What happened…?"

Clary shook her head, smiling. "Let's go."


"You know, now that I look back, I guess I always suspected it."

Jace looked up at her from his food. That was usually a miracle for Jace. "What do you mean?"

Clary shrugged, her mouth full. She swallowed before speaking. "Like this whole shadow hunter thing," She said quietly. "I knew I wasn't normal. I always felt I wasn't like the other girls and now I know why." She picked up a fry off her plate and dipped it in ketchup.

"I know what you mean," Jace said. "Well sort of. My parents always told me I was special."

"Well so have mine but I didn't think they meant it as 'oh you're a shadow hunter' kind of special" Clary said. She ate a fry and looked at Jace. He was staring outside the window next to them. She looked out to see what he was staring at and found a group of girls, giggling and waving. Clary sighed.

"Your fan group is here." She said mumbled.

"I wasn't looking at that." Jace said, looking up at Clary and then outside the window. Clary looked out the window again trying to look at everything besides the group of girls that kept getting bigger every second.

Clary scanned the library and the cafeteria next to it. She scanned the faces of now familiar students. She stopped suddenly. "Nooo" She whispered.

"Well, unless our eyes are deceiving us…" Jace stopped, taking a bite of his burger.

"But—that—When?!" Clary said, pointing outside the window. There, where she was pointing was Sebastian and Isabelle holding hands. "I'm his sister. He should have told me! She would have told me!"

"Yeah and Isabelle's my sister. She obviously didn't tell me." Jace stuffed another fry into his mouth and took out his cell phone. He pressed some buttons on his phone and then put it away.

"What did you just do?"

Jace shrugged not looking at Clary. "Last time I checked, darling, what I do on my phone doesn't concern you."

Clary ignored him and looked out to her brother and her new best friend. Isabelle was looking up at him and grinning. Sebastian was laughing; his eyes close to being closed. They were both holding hands.

Then, like there was a sudden shock going through his body, Sebastian jumped slightly. He detangled his and Isabelle's hands and took out his phone. Clary quickly glanced back at Jace, who was watched as well. Jace, though, was still stuffing his face.

After looking at his phone, Sebastian looked around as if he had missed a turn in walking. Then he looked at the window where Jace and Clary were eating. Sebastian's and Clary's eyes locked for a minute until she turned away back to Jace.

"What did you say to him?" Clary demanded.

"Nothing," Jace said after taking a gulp of brown liquid from his glass. "Boy stuff: girls, condoms, working out, sports, that sort of thing."

Clary rolled her eyes. "You're an ass."

"I've been told many times before yet it still hasn't fazed me." Jace said, stretching his arms up to the ceiling. Clary looked down at her food and made a face of disgust. "Well, I'm going to take it that you're done eating?"

Clary nodded, pushing her plate away from herself. Jace signaled the waitress over and asked for the bill, politely. Clary looked out the window again, not able to find her brother nor her friend. Odd.

"Thank you Ma'am." Jace said, handing her the black pocket folder, inside the bill and cash to pay for it. The middle-aged waitress took it, gladly, saying her thank you's and goodbye's. Jace and Clary got up from the table and walked out of the restaurant into the cool air. "Is it me or did it get colder?" Clary asked shivering.

Jace shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it's the weather, not you."

"Thank you captain obvious."

They walked until they reached Jace's dorm building. They both walked into the warm building and to Jace's room.

"Hey buddy boy" Simon said, looking up from his laptop. He looked surprised to see Clary. "Oh hey Clary,"

She waved at him, smiling. Jace closed the door behind her and shrugged off his jacket, hanging it up in his closet.

"What's up Simon?" Jace said, walking over to his bed and collapsing on top of it. Clary stood there, still with her jacket on.

"Working on my English paper. Fucking Shakespeare. All this guy was about was sex anyways. Why the hell do we have to learn about him and the stories he decided to write one night he was alone and horny?"

Clary smiled. Jace laughed. "Only God knows. But maybe you should take that paper out to the library, huh buddy?"

Simon looked up at Jace. "Why?" Simon then turned his gaze to Clary, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Ohhhh, alright. I'll be leaving now then."

Clary gave Jace a look. Jace looked back at her, grinning, lifting his arms up as of to surrender.

Simon packed his laptop in his book bag, quickly, along with his notebook and a folder. He slinged his bag on his shoulder and looked back at Jace. "Just incase," He said, walking backwards to the door. "Look in my underwear drawer!"

"Oh heavenly Lord" Clary mumbled, taking off her jacket.

"Bye Simon." Jace said, rolling his eyes, smiling.

Simon laughed, closing the door behind him. Clary gave Jace another look of annoyance. Jace grinned innocently. "Time for some learning, yes?"

After an hour or so of some more of the history of Idris and Shadowhunters, Clary sighed, closing her notebook. "I think its time for a break" She announced looking up at Jace.

He looked at her. "Do you think we have time to? You have so much you need to learn still."

Clary sighed, falling back into Jace's pillows. She was lying next to him, their arms almost touching. "But I need a break or my brain won't process everything. That is if you don't give it time to."

Jace looked at her and laughed. "Okay, fine. Break time."

Clary grinned happily. "Finally! This stuff is so boring."

Jace looked over at her again. "Yeah sort of is. But it's interesting too, how we came to be and everything."

This surprised Clary. Jace didn't seem the type to say something like that. She smiled. "If you think about it that way, then yeah, it is."

He smiled at her, quickly and turned away.

Ever since it happened, she had been thinking about the kiss for a week now. She didn't know how to bring it up into conversation, but she wondered if he had done it on purpose. Surprisingly, he hadn't brought it up and she didn't think he was going to any time soon. She needed to know though.

"Jace?"

"Mmm?" He faced her again.

She looked at him closely. His golden eyes were bright and watching her. His blond wavy hair looked as if it had been professionally done. His muscles in his jaw were set firmly, waiting for her to respond. He looked like a model to be in a fashion magazine. Clary blinked once. "Um, I forgot."

Jace grinned. "Did you?"

Clary nodded, like a six year old. "I'll remember, sometime from now."

"Okay" He said, turning back to the book on his lap.

She needed to know if he had feelings for her. She was so confused. It's like middle school all over again.

She opened her mouth and closed it again. She wouldn't have a chance with him anyways. It was probably an accident that some wiz kid could prove was a scientific mistake. The pulls of gravity and…the way their lips touched. For that mere second.

STOP, she told herself. He is sort of a player. Remember that. You don't want that.

She turned back to her notebook, picking it up again along with her pen.

"What are you doing?" He asked, slightly confused. "Didn't you just ask for a break?"

Clary shrugged. "My brain is sort of discombobulated right now…"

"So your going to study some more?" Jace asked. "Does that even make sense?"

Clary laughed. "Wait, that didn't. Sorry. I'm just, my head is so…" She used her hands to gesture her head getting bigger. She sighed, watching Jace smile at her. "I need to lay down."

But before she even could, Jace moved closer to her, grabbing her face, gently. "Maybe this will help?" He whispered. Their lips were literally an inch apart before he crashed his lips into hers. It was slow and sweet, something Clary wouldn't except from Jace. He tasted like… like… candy apples?

Clary combed her fingers into his golden hair as Jace put his left hand on her hip. The kiss quickened and deepened as Jace snaked his other hand around her neck. Clary's heart was racing. It felt as if it were to explode out of her chest any second.

He kissed her slowly now and then broke away. He was grinning like a mad man.

"Oh, wow." He said, regaining his breath.

Well, that sure answered Clary's question.