Chapter 7:

Jace was halfway out the door by the time the sentence escaped Alaska's mouth. She barely noticed him grab her hand as they raced to the front door. "Where are you kids headed? Dinner's almost read-" They didn't get to hear the end of that sentence, but Alaska could only imagine what she said.

Their steps slowed down as they ran as they noticed that the stele didn't have legs and couldn't walk on it's own. Also that a mundane wouldn't even know the weapon for what it was and leave it on the ground.

"Thanks, for coming with me." She said as she picked it up, wiping it on her jeans. Jace stared at her in amazement. Everything she did, everything she said- Jace couldn't even begin to explain what it did to him. He had never had such an urge to kiss someone. Never in his life.

"Alaska?" she spun around at the mention of her name. "Yeah?" They didn't talk for a bit, just stared.

Neither one of them knew how to break the silence, yet neither one of them wanted to. Neither one of them noticed their foreheads colliding softly, for they were lost in each other's eyes. Neither one of them made a sound. Neither one of them made a move, until Jace bravely was about to press his lips against Alaska's when-

"Maryse said something about dinner being soon-" Her warm breath hit his lips making Jace want to kiss her more.

"I could care less." He responded, Alaska turned her head so he kissed her cheek. "I hate it when people say that, because that means that you do care, at least a little and-" This time, Jace successfully planted his lips against her soft pink ones. This time, Alaska didn't dare say a word letting her actions speak for themselves.

Jace lifted her body and placed her on the wooden crates he had put her on earlier when she was injured. He somehow managed to give her goose bumps as he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist as they both gasped for air.

Jace was about to kiss her again before she interrupted him. "Dinner." Jace nodded and smiled at her, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Alaska noticed and softly pressed a small kiss to his lips for reassurance. "We should go." He said, it was getting dark and Manhattan wasn't the safest place to be at night. He helped her hop off the crate.

Jace was about to begin walking when- "Jacey?" she asked cutely. Jace smiled and turned around. "Yes?" Alaska pouted. "Piggyback ride?" He chuckled and allowed her to jump on his back. They laughed and joked the entire way back to the institute. Alaska had almost forgotten that she almost lost one of the only things she had left of her mother.

Jace put Alaska down before he opened the doors of the institute. "Oh you guys are back?" asked a very awake Isabelle. She didn't seem like she was injured a full thirty minutes ago. "Dinners ready." She said before walking away, giving Alaska a wink.

Jace and Alaska exchanged strange looks and blushed when their eyes met. Well, Alaska did. Jace Wayland doesn't blush. Or so he says. Instead, he his lips pursed and his eyes widened.

Jace and Alaska continued to walk towards the dining hall next to the kitchen where a table was set very nicely. There were black and white place mats with round clay plates on each one. The utensils were set very neatly next to each plate, the spoons, forks and knives all in their respective places.

"What's the big occasion?" asked Alaska. Max replied quietly, but since he was so small and his mouth was so far away from Alaska's ears, his answer was barely audible. The only words Alaska could make out were the words 'dad' and 'dinner'.

She assumed their father, Robert would be back from Idris today meaning that Alaska could maybe have a proper conversation with him. Alaska had only met Robert once or twice before, and she had barely spoken a word to him. She hoped she would get along with all of the Lightwoods, and to do that she had to get along with him.

"You guys have forty minutes before dinner, I suggest you take a shower," said Maryse as she walked into the dining hall from the kitchen through the small door the connected the two. After taking a quick sniff of the air around her, she gagged and added, "Actually, I require it. You two will not eat until you clean up."

Jace and Alaska both laughed and walked up the stairs while making stupid jokes and references to the one's they laughed about earlier.

"Shower." Said Alaska awkwardly, using her thumbs to point at her bedroom door as they there. "Mind if I join you?" asked Jace cheekily, showing signs of already knowing the answer as he twisted the knob of his bedroom door. "In your dreams." Laughed Alaska closing the door behind her.

Alaska turned on the shower and stripped off her clothes, letting the hot water hit her back as she cleansed herself. The water pressure made the scratches she got that day at the park hurt even more and she winced in pain. She didn't feel it before. After shaving, washing her hair, body and so forth, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She grabbed her mother's stele, which she thankfully still had and traced a rune on the scratches on her arms and legs, but she couldn't quite reach her back.

She sighed and tried to ignore it and let it heal the mortal way, but it hurt every time she moved. Alaska groaned as she slipped on her pants and bra, every move she made hurting her.

She groaned yet again once she realized what she had to do. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it tightly around her. She poked her head out of the door and called for Isabelle.

"Can you shut up, please?" asked Jace opening his door after the fifth time Alaska called Izzy. His eyes widened once he realized that she was partially nude. Or somewhat.

"Is there a particular reason why you are half naked?" he said. His smirk where it always was; plastered on his lips. "There is. And I need Isabelle to help me."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why do you need to disturb Izzy when I'm right here?" Alaska rolled her eyes. "Can you get her for me?" she asked. He shook his head. "As much as I'd love to, I can't."

"Can't or won't?" she asked. "Both. Izzy's out on some errands with Alec. They left while you were in the shower."

"But I'm sure I cant help you pick out your outfit." Joked Jace pushing past her and flopping face first into her bed. "That's not exactly my problem." She answered. "Then what is?" he asked, flipping over.

Alaska sighed before dropping her towel and turning around. At first, Jace was surprised but then he saw the scratches on her back. He sucked some air in through his teeth and quickly grabbed his stele on instinct. He scrambled over to her and pushed her hair to the side before tracing a healing rune across her back. Alaska winced as he did this but sucked it up.

When he was finished, he pressed a light kiss to her temple. Alaska turned around and looked him in the eyes, of course she had to look up in order to see him properly. He leaned in to kiss her, but Alaska moved away. "Jace, I can't-"

"Can't or won't?" he quoted. "Both." She answered. "And why not?" Jace asked, his sad eyes making her feel guilty. To be honest, she thought. It would be weird. Alaska had never been in a relationship. Ever.

Actually, she had once. But she was 8, so it didn't count. "Give me one-" he stumbled. "One good reason. And I'll leave you alone, Ally." Alaska didn't have one, but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. She couldn't explain why, but she just had this feeling that something would go wrong. She had no idea how right she was.

Jace stared at her for a moment before letting out a shaky laugh and walking away. It was only then that Alaska realized she hadn't been wearing a shirt. No wonder she felt so naked, so exposed.

She bit her lip and slipped on her red buttoned down shirt before drying out her wet hair with a towel and heading downstairs. "What's wrong?" whispered Izzy to Alaska when she go to the bottom of the marble staircase.

"I thought you were running some errands." Said Alaska, confused. Isabelle shook her head. "No, I was here the whole time." Alaska let out a laugh at Jace's cheekiness before realizing that he was mad at her.

Izzy raised an eyebrow and led Alaska to the kitchen and through the door leading to the dining hall. There, Alec and Jace were in a deep discussion and all Alaska could make out was, 'for real?' and 'you're not serious'.

They quickly shut up as Izzy and Alaska took their seats. Izzy and Alaska both sent each other weird looks and sat quietly until Max, Maryse, and a man Alaska recognized as Robert walked in. The children greeted their father before Alaska was left to greet him herself.

"Hello, Mr. Lightwood." She said, holding out her hand. "I'm-"

"Alaska. I know." He said with a smile. "It's a hard name to forget. Robert, nice to meet you."

"You as well."

He smiled before they all sat down. To make things more awkward, Alaska and Jace had to sit across from each other. Alaska kept looking over at Jace and he kept catching her and vice versa.

Even Isabelle started to notice, Max too. "Oh my god. Just kiss already." He said. It took a while before Alaska and Jace realized little Max was talking about them. Before then, Alaska had never seen Jace blush, but there was something about being demanded to kiss the girl you're fighting with by a five year old boy in front of your whole family that could cause all the blood in your body to rush to your cheeks.

Alec didn't notice either until Jace's cheeks turned beet red. He sent a glare Alaska's way that only Max noticed, but he didn't say anything. That time.

"Excuse me? What's going on here?" asked Maryse. "Nothing." Said Jace. "Absolutely nothing." Agreed Alaska.

Jace and Alaska's eyes met before Alaska dropped her gaze quickly. Jace sighed and excused himself as soon as the last person eating took their last bite. Now it was Alaska's turn to sigh.

"Nice to meet you, Robert." Said Alaska before she got up and ran after Jace. "Jace!" she yelled picking up her speed as she walked. "Jace!" she yelled again. "Jace Wayland, you stop right there!"

He stopped walking right in front of the staircase. "What?" he asked turning around. "Are you going to reject me again?" Alaska shook her head.

"Then what?" he yelled. Alaska didn't think twice before crashing her lips on to his.