Clary stood by the bar at Pandemonium. The Institute had been shorthanded so Alec had been forced to take her and Izzy off their mundane tasks and put them back on the list for missions. They still weren't part of the patrol schedule but Clary was pleased that she would be able to see some action. There was only so much scrubbing floors and organizing the library that she could take. Of course, all the busy work had had it's uses. She had devised a plan for getting Simon back, one that the vampires would be helpless against. While she had been organizing the library, she had discovered an old book on vampires and some experiments that a Shadowhunter had done. The Shadowhunter had found that vampires could become addicted to Oleanders if the flowers were crushed into a powder and mixed with their blood. It didn't take long for them to get addicted either, just one or two doses and Simon would be hooked. She had already found an Oleander bush in one of the greenhouses that lined the back of the Institute, now she just needed to get the powder into Simon's blood without the rest of the stupid vampires finding out. A solution to that problem had already presented itself in the form of a pretty Seelie girl who worked the bar at Pandemonium. In using this girl Clary would be able to deny her involvement if anyone caught on and still remain in control of Simon. She knew the Dumort Clan often visited Pandemonium on the weekends.
"Any sign of the demon?" Jace's voice broke Clary out of her head and she turned to face him with a grimace
"No. Any luck on your end?" She asked with a friendly smile. Jace didn't return it, instead simply shook his head and headed back out onto the dance floor. Clary frowned. That was going to be a problem, Jace had been cold with her since his return, since before his return. She wasn't sure what he thought she had done but he was hers and she wouldn't let him get away from her that easy. Now that she knew he wasn't her brother things should have been easier, he should have been happy to get together with her. Clary hadn't cared if they were really related anyways, she would have just made sure that she didn't get pregnant and everything would have been fine. It was the others in the Institute that would have freaked about their relationship and she hadn't wanted to deal with that. Not that it mattered anyways because he wasn't her brother and they could have a normal relationship. She was sure that it was the fact that he had been suspended from the Shadow World that had caused the coldness, he wasn't sure his place anymore but once she made it clear that she was still interested then he would be happy to start their inevitable relationship. Clary smiled to herself, things were moving along smoothly.
Simon sat in the kitchen with his laptop in front of him. He was currently looking through several online stores for the perfect present for Lily's birthday. It was only two weeks away and he wanted to get her something unique. He knew she was particularly fond of nail polish and had a secret love for frogs. He was contemplating buying a set of jade frog figures for her since they were rather pretty and still within his price range.
"What are you doing up at three in the afternoon Bebè?" Raphael's voice sounded from behind Simon who turned to see the vampire leader standing in the doorway looking sexy in a pair of low riding black sleep pants.
"I'm looking for something for Lily's birthday. It's in two weeks and with the way time has been for me I didn't want to forget and not have anything for her." Simon said turning back to his computer. He felt more than heard Raphael come up behind him and look over his shoulder at the figurines
"She'd like those. You should get them." He said and Simon couldn't help the wave of happiness that washed over him. Raphael shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out a regular blood packet. Simon started entering his information so that he could order the present and missed the worried look that Raphael sent his way
"You didn't explain why you are up at three in the afternoon Cariño. You need your sleep, you're only a fledgling." Raphael said and Simon felt something inside him snap
"I'm fine." He said, voice cold. Why wouldn't anyone ever leave him alone? They were always worried about him when there was nothing to be worried about. He had taken care of himself for close to six months on the street, he didn't need them babying him!
"Simon." Raphael said and Simon could hear the astonishment that lined his voice. Simon felt the fight slip from between his fingers and he slumped
"Sorry, you're right. I'm just tired of my dreams." Simon said scrubbing at his face with his hands. Raphael didn't move from across the island but Simon could see how Raphael wanted to comfort him. He just didn't know how and Simon was to tired to try and help him figure it out.
"Tomorrow's Friday. Why don't we go to Pandemonium and unwind? It'll be a clan outing." Raphael said and Simon smiled. He liked going out with the clan.
"Sounds good. I'd better get to bed then." Simon said shutting his computer and standing. He stretched, feeling his bones pop, before ambling out of the kitchen towards the stairs. He knew Raphael would check on him later and insist that he sleep in. Simon didn't mind. He was tired. It was just…whenever he shut his eyes he got visions of a garden filled with bushes teaming with little pink and red flowers. He had of course done his research on them and found that they were Oleanders, a flower that was toxic to Mundanes but mostly grew in warmer climates. Simon wasn't sure why he was dreaming of being lost in a garden of this particular plant. He wanted to believe that it wasn't anything, just a dream that his mind had made up based on his fear of being trapped. Simon wasn't good at blindly believing in anything anymore though.
Raphael watched Simon smile at the pretty fey girl who was tending the bar at Pandemonium. Magnus was yammering away about Alec and how pretty Alec had looked the night before for their date or something of that nature. Raphael wasn't really listening too closely. It seemed the bartender was flirting with Simon who didn't seem to be too fond of her advances. Raphael was just about to intervene when he saw the tension in Simon's shoulders relax and the bartender slip him a drink before heading to the other end of the bar. Simon took the drink and started towards the VIP section where Magnus and Raphael were.
"Everything okay with Autumn?" Magnus asked when Simon sat down beside Raphael. Simon spluttered
"Uh, yeah. She was flirting heavily, I mean, but I think she realized that I wasn't interested and gave me a drink for free after apologizing so it's fine." He said before taking another sip of the drink. Raphael rolled his eyes. Of course, the bartender would flirt with Simon. Raphael was sure that others had also flirted with the oblivious fledgling and Bebè just hadn't noticed. Simon looked like sex on legs. He was thin but not as thin as he had once been. There wasn't a trace of fat on Simon's body anymore, his body was lean and eventually Simon would learn to move with grace. His hair was longer too, curling in what could only be considered after sex hair. All in all, Simon had turned from the awkward human who rambled into a sensual vampire who looked like he had a tragic past. And Simon did in a way. Magnus jumped to his feet suddenly and Raphael realized that Lily had joined them at some point. Lily sent him a pointed look, obviously having caught him staring at Simon. Raphael raised an eyebrow, daring her to call him out on it. She huffed and engaged Simon into a conversation about the music that was playing allowing Raphael to go back to his staring. Simon seemed happy at the moment. Raphael hoped it lasted, Simon was without a doubt the brightest person that Raphael had ever met. He didn't want that to ever change.
