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CHAPTER SIX:
In Which Nobody Notices the Dying Girl

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I could kiss you all for your wonderful reviews but that'd just be creepy. If I replied, you got close but nobody got the whole enchilada. Also, I apologize to all the ditzy and not-so-ditzy blondes in 38Ds. I love you regardless. As for the "Greedo shot first" reference, you have to be a hardcore Star Wars fan to know what it means. It's not important though. And, since you all seem to love Magnus and Alec so much, I gave you a little insight into their quarrels. Enjoy the chapter.

This chapter's song:Pride by Syntax.

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Clary heard someone whispering behind her in hurried, hushed voices. It was one person but it felt like a crowd to her. Before she knew it, they were racing to catch her before she fell to the floor. And everything went dark.

"Will she be okay?" asked Alec, setting her head down carefully on the tile floor.

Magnus shook his head. "Ja'id Su just put her to sleep but if what you saw is true, we're in deep shit here."

"Should we tell Jace?"

The small tribal man raised his vision towards Alec, tilting his head with curiosity. "That name," he said in a low voice. "She is screaming it into the dark. She mourns him though he has not died, this Jonathan Christopher."

"Jace is her boyfriend. Well, he was up until yesterday."

The man shook his head. "They have bonded. If you want to heal her, I recommend we put them in a room and watch them."

Magnus tried not to burst out laughing. "They'd kill each other."

Alec took his hand firmly and met his eyes. "We have to get them back together. We can't let Clary die."

Something very similar to doubt flashed through Magnus' mind. He'd seen these eyes before. It was usually followed by words like "Jace," "trouble," and "please help." Most importantly, it was Jace's name that seemed to be missing from this equation which usually meant Alec was

"Can't let Clary die?" he whispered, narrowing his cat-like eyes. "Or Jace?"

"What are you talking about?" Alec, the poor sod, honestly had no idea.

"You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you? Even save the woman he loves…" His voice betrayed him at the end. Magnus pushed past him, over Clary's sleeping body on the floor, and into the bedroom. "Fine. Let's do this. Let's get Jace down here and fix this whole fucking mess."

Alec excused himself past the tribal doctor and stood in the doorway. Magnus had begun waving his hands about and the papers with bits of the mysterious city were flying through the air into a neat stack near the window.

He crossed his arms and watched, a smirk on his face. "Magnus, are you jealous? Again? How is it you're allowed to be jealous all you want? When have I ever said anything about the leather-wearing sluts that roam this place like a swarm of flies attacking your corpse every other night? "

He picked up the final paper by hand and Alec knew it meant he was tired. "Oh fuck off, Alexander. I haven't slept in two days and I'm not in the mood. Besides, they don't swarm. They only occasionally crowd."

"Mag, she's sick. It doesn't matter whose girl she is. You said it yourself! She's bleeding energy. One would think that'd be kind of important, considering she's the only Shadowhunter alive capable of creating Runes."

He shrugged. "I said we'd get him down here and fix it, didn't I?"

Alec rolled his eyes and put both hands on his hips like his mother when she got upset, down to the shifted weight and eyebrows. Realizing this, he quickly dropped his arms by his side but it was too late. Magnus had seen. He smirked knowingly and returned his attention to the pieces of paper that had been spread all across his bedroom.

"You're like a freakin' puppy, you know that?" scolded Alec, trying to regain the upper hand. His tone had softened. "How many back rooms and front porches and backseats of motorcycles is it going to take for you to get over this silly inferiority complex?"

"In-In-Inferiority complex?" Magnus spat back, practically sputtering.

He went to continue, raising a finger in the air, when Ja'id Su peeked his small head through the bathroom door. "Uh… I am sorry to interrupt your lovers' quarrel but there is a half-dead girl lying on the floor of your bathroom. Might we move her before you finish this argument?"

Alec sighed and raked his hands through his hair. "Right. Yea. Sure. Whatever," he whispered and turned from Magnus towards the bathroom. Clary was small enough that he could lift her by himself. He set her down on Magnus' bed again before pulling his shiny sleeve down the stairs to the first floor. Ja'id Su remained with her body, chanting God knows what.

When they got downstairs, Alec made sure he had the upper hand again. Before Magnus could even complain, his back was to a wall and Alec was hovering dangerously close. "You've got a mortal to compete with. Boo freakin' hoo. I have to go against supernaturally charged hundred-year-old sexual deviants in glitter… and a whole lot more experience."

Magnus raised his arms over his head, surrendering. They smirked at each other. The positions were usually reversed and, should Alec have been the one against the wall, his shirt would have been off five minutes ago. "I know you hate them," said Magnus sweetly. "But I really like these little bitch fits we throw. They make for good make-up sex."

Alec took a step closer, their lips an inch apart so Magnus could taste the take-out on his breath. "You drive me fucking crazy."

"Says the man who asked me why I hadn't called him back in the middle of the greatest battle between good and evil since the Cookie Monster took on Big Bird."

Alec gave him a quick kiss, amused as always at the incredible simplicity that came with being with Magnus, with letting himself be loved in return. "Shut up, you shiny bastard," he whispered and messed up his purple mane. Nothing killed the mood faster for Magnus than having a half-dead girl in his bed and a messy head of hair.

"You go get Jace. Tell him what you have to. Su knows what he's talking about. The guy reads minds like you read the back of a cereal box," he instructed, his eyes narrowed with slight disdain at his current condition. He sometimes asked himself, especially after watching Alec dress, what he was doing with this swarmy little boy. But, of course, Magnus liked a challenge. He just happened to be head over fucking heels in love with this one which – despite all of Alec's worries about other warlocks – had not happened to him in several hundred years.

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Jace was sitting in Clary's room when Isabelle walked in, her arms bruised and covered in blood though none of it seemed her own. She made her way towards the low, wide window ledge and plopped down beside him.

"You look like shit," she told him, not an ounce of emotion in her raspy voice.

She hadn't talked to anyone since they got back home from the Seelie court two days ago. Though the others were too distracted by their own little romantic games and struggles, Izzy spent most of her days in silence. Her only entertainment was the occasional manga book from Max's old room, which she returned in almost perfect condition to the exact spot she got it from, and these little talks with Jace.

Though she didn't give a rat's ass about Jace and Clary's relationship, she did enjoy giving sisterly advice. After all, Clary was now the youngest one and Isabelle had fallen all too easily into the role of substitute mother whenever Maryse and Robert made their bi-monthly trips to Idris.

Jace barely lifted his eyes off the street below to reply, "You too. Your mom was looking for you."

"Yea, I bet she was. Any word on Clary?" She rested her head back and looked off at nothing in particular. Unlike Jace, she had no one to wait for. No one would be coming down the street for her.

"Alec went to see her a few hours ago."

Curiosity got the better of her and she turned her whole body towards him, lifting her knees up against her chest on the wide ledge. "Have you started missing her yet?"

He sighed and answered simply, "I started missing her two months ago."

She nodded, not really paying much attention to his words, and returned to staring at the street below. A few moments passed though neither was sure how long before a figure broke from the crowd of passersby below and head directly for the Institute's front door. All they saw was a dark head of hair and a figure in a white t-shirt and jeans. It was too dark to make out the rest of him, not properly, but Jace's eyes were ultimately better than most Shadowhunters'.

"Is that—" he began but stopped himself. He and Izzy exchanged looks before they settled on the same conclusion.

"Simon," they said as one and Izzy scurried downstairs to open the door. Her dad, who had been on his way to the kitchen for a midnight snack when the knock sounded, had answered. He caught the stares between Isabelle and Simon and suddenly felt very much like he was out of place. He excused himself and returned, sleepily, on his path back to the kitchen, scratching at his thigh as he went.

"Hey you," Simon greeted cheerfully, his hands lazily in his pockets. "Been out hunting?"

She nodded and continued to stare, her mouth ajar. It took Jace's footsteps behind her to snap her out of her trance. "It's nice to see you."

Simon smiled but, upon locking on Jace's lifeless eyes, it quickly faded. He'd seen this sort of guilt in Isabelle's eyes after Max's death but he'd never seen it in Jace before. After all, there was only one person he ever truly loved enough to forsake his whole world. "Is something wrong? Where are Clary and Alec?"

Izzy looked down in shame. Suddenly, she wished she'd gone after her that night, stood up for her when Jace kicked her out. She had been so preoccupied with Clary's possible betrayal and her brothers' condition that she didn't even realize how much Clary and Simon had become part of the team. Now, having Simon relatively alive and well and standing before her, she felt the pull of family once more.

"Clary's at Magnus'," she answered first. Jace seemed to have gone pale as a sheet. "She's sort of staying there for a few nights since Jocelyn and Luke are still in Idris."

His eyes shot open. "Magnus'? You mean the hellhole where I got turned into a rat and, consequently, a vampire? Why the hell isn't she here at the Institute?"

Isabelle's cheeks turned rosy pink and she looked to Jace as though pointing a finger at the culprit. "It's a long story," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Well," said Simon, crossing his arms. "Turns out I'm immortal so I've got all the time in the world. Spill it."

Jace and Isabelle stepped outside and closed the doors behind them. They shot each other one last look before silently deciding that Jace should just stand back like a good wallflower and avoid getting himself shot, bitten, or punched. A half hour later, a wide-eyed Simon was completely caught up on the last two months he spent in Idris.

He listened quietly, his brow furrowing the more Isabelle spoke. When she finally stopped, he turned towards Jace and, after a ten-second period of contemplation, swung his fist at Jace's jaw. They both tumbled a bit but it was over as soon as it began. Jace didn't want to fight. He knew he was being a douche bag.

"Simon Lewis, you stop that right now!" Isabelle shouted, not at all shy to mimic her mother's stance. "He's gone through enough!"

"And what about Clary?!" he shouted back, a bit more ferociously than he'd intended. Isabelle took a step back, honest fear in her eyes. Her whips, her knives, all of her weapons were inside and Simon was a vampire despite all his freaky tendencies. "I leave for a few months and she's already shacking up with a gay warlock while you're going on suicide hunts – don't even try to deny it because I know you better than that – and Jace looks like someone told him Greedo shot first!"

Jace scoffed and mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms, "Everyone knows Han shot first."

"This is wrong!" he insisted, slamming his fist on the nearest wall behind him. "This is—"

Isabelle, eerie calm, interrupted. "Jace, give us a moment."

Jace didn't complain. He just strolled back inside, in no mood to be around these people.

Clary had once told him of Isabelle and Simon's mysterious night and Simon's obvious lie. He knew Isabelle. He knew she'd needed a distraction. And, for the most part, he was happy it wasn't some faerie or elf or whatever other creature she thought would piss off her parents. It was just plain ol' Simon who, according to Clary, had a big enough heart to soothe any wild beast. Jace just happened to know it wasn't his heart that was doing the soothing, and he respected Simon for keeping it quiet.

Isabelle watched Jace go and shot him an apologetic, thankful stare until he turned around to shut the Institute doors. Then, she and Simon were alone. Again, for the first time in months. She couldn't help herself. She looked to his chest below his ridiculous t-shirt with those logos and sayings she never understood and her hands moved of their own accord. They slowly rounded his waist until her head could easily rest on his chest.

He wasn't sure what was going on because his mind was still on his best friend being off somewhere, heartbroken and miserable, but he understood what Isabelle needed. There was something there that he couldn't deny, something in the way she smelled even whilst covered in demon blood. Now more than ever, he wanted her.

"I've missed you," she whispered and he began to feel his shirt moisten under her tears.

He believed her. His arms, once resting by his sides, slowly moved to hug her closer and the memory of Clary was swept away for half a glorious second. He missed having someone to comfort now that she had a life of her own. Hell, he even missed Isabelle.

"I've missed you too," he replied lamely. Suddenly, he smelled someone drawing closer to the Institute. They smelled like… well, they smelled like Magnus in polyester, and it quickly made sense because Magnus would never wear polyester. It could only be Alec. "Your brother's almost here. We shouldn't let him catch us."

She nodded and pushed off from his chest, turning towards the street to receive Alec. But, he didn't even notice them, storming right past her.

"Alec!" shouted Izzy after him, desperate for news. She gave Simon a look that told him in no uncertain terms to wait there while she chased down her brother. "Alec, stop!"

"No!" he shouted back, blazing into the old church gracelessly. He searched the rooms, opening and closing the doors like a storm trooper. "I have to find Jace!"

She stopped for a moment to contemplate the circumstances then scurried to catch up to him. "Has something happened?" she squeaked.

He opened the door to the greenhouse and was about to move on to the next room when he noticed a figure in black in the distance. He stopped and shut the door behind him so Izzy couldn't follow. She got the hint and waited patiently outside.

"Jace?" Alec called softly. His determination quickly dwindled when he saw the look on Jace's face. He looked… just like Clary? There were purple bruises under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks, not days, and the black sweater he wore made him look sickly gray. "Is that you?"

Jace didn't lift his eyes at first. There was a large, white flower in his hands which seemed to draw all of his attention. "What is it, Alec?" he asked finally.

"It's Clary," he said without an ounce of delicacy or tact, unaware of the pain it caused Jace to hear her name. "She's sick, Jace."

His eyes flew to Alec. "What?"

Alec took in a deep breath and finally let out all he'd been holding onto. "She was never cheating on you, Jace!" he blurted out first. "She's sick, has been since she got back from Idris. She never wanted you to know because she thought she'd get better but she's not. She's dying, Jace. And she needs you."

There was a moment of silence and, for an instant, Alec wondered if it was too late for them. Had Jace been hurt too much to care? Did he really stop loving her?

"Where is she?" he asked in the same dead voice.

"At Magnus'. He brought someone to help her but she's asking for you. And Jace, we think it's something demonic."

He nodded and stood on unsteady feet. Alec tried to remember the boy he knew for years, the indelible boy he loved, but he was gone. He'd been stolen by this girl and brought back broken and aged by wicked love. Still, he knew he would not change a thing. None of them would. A broken Jace was better than no Jace at all and, despite all the pain, the intermittent moments of happiness more than made up for everything.

"Are you coming?" asked Jace drowsily, halfway to the door.

Alec nodded and hurried to catch up. Isabelle saw their determined faces as they exited the greenhouse and followed, snatching Simon's hand on the way out the front doors. The others walked ahead, towards the subway. Nobody else noticed that Isabelle had yet to let go of Simon's hand, not even him. And, when he did, he liked the warmth of her hand too much to pull away. Even as Clary died away in a strange bed in Brooklyn, Simon was too caught up in Isabelle's sudden closeness and the way it made him feel alive again.

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They were all supposed to be apart for longer but I couldn't help myself. Two chapters are enough. Anyone starting to see the love triangle brewing? Hee. More tension next chapter!

Reviews are better than make-up sex.