City of Wayward Sons

by ValykirieRevolution

Set in between 5x04 -5x08 and the beginning of City of Ashes. As Sam, Dean, and Castiel struggle to stop the end of days, Clary and the shadowhunters are at a loss to defeat Valentine. After a chance encounter in NYC team free will and the nephilim are forced to work together to save the world. Various pairings and warnings inside.

23. Hatikva

Disclaimer: The faerie land series, along with supernatural, and the mortal instruments series are all owned by Holly Black, Eric Kripke, and Cassandra Clare respectively. Since I'm none of them, this is just for your funsies.

Warnings: character deaths, higher than typical violence, hating on monsters/non-humans, semi-hate speech, angst, and language.

Word Count: 12,925

AN:I know this is late, I just got back from vacation. Hope you all enjoy this one.

Chapter 23: Hatikva

Bobby's living room was crowded. Jocelyn and Clary shared a couch. Ellen sat at the far end of the couch. Jo perched on the armrest of the couch , hands in her lap. Dean leaned forward, small of his back against Bobby's desk. He crossed his arms as he stared at everyone else. Cas stood across from him by the wall, arms at his sides. Sam brought out some chairs from the kitchen. Chuck fidgeted in his, wood creaking with his weight. Isabelle crossed her legs together in her seat as she tried to keep her face impassive as Sam sat down next to her and kept her face neutral as Gabriel sat down Indian style on Bobby's rug. Bobby himself sat in the chair behind his desk.

"So let's go over this again." Bobby took a sip of his drink. "What kind of spell we talking about?"

Cas moved to the desk, sliding the piece of paper to Bobby. The older man bent forward, trucker cap obscuring his eyes for a minute before he straightened back up. He clicked his tongue.

"This'll be a picnic." Bobby grit out.

Dean nodded and listed off the ingredients. Clary paled, but kept silent as Jo and Ellen glanced at each other. Cas spared a look to Clary but focused his attention back to Dean. Gabriel hummed a little in his throat.

"We can get this stuff easy." Gabriel said.

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Except for the placenta."

Clary shifted in her seat, with only Jocelyn catching the movement. Neither said anything as Bobby snorted in response.

"Sure. Easy as pie." He rolled his eyes. "Tell me, just how were you planning on doing this?"

"Ask politely?" Gabriel said.

Bobby huffed, grumbling as he poured himself another glass of whiskey. Clary rubbed her arms, swallowing hard. Dean's eyes darted to Clary real quick before Sam shot his brother an inquisitive look, gaze following Dean's. His eyes widened as he looked at Clary but he shook his head. Gabriel smirked, ignoring Cas's frown. Silence grew in the room, like a stench rising to the top. It pressed on until Clary cleared her throat.

"Well a please works just fine for me." she said.

Bobby turned to look at her, as Ellen blinked once. Jo caught Dean's eye. He looked away and when she tried to do the same with Cas, the angel rubbed the back of his neck. Jocelyn sucked in a breath. She glowered at Clary.

"Is this-have you-"

Clary sucked in a breath of her own. Pursing her lips, she gave a little nod. Jocelyn, Ellen, and Jo stared back at her, almost more than the men in the room. Jocelyn's gasp, while not being that loud, being the only sound in the room, was a sharp slap of a sound.

"Please tell me you're not."

Clary nodded. "I am." She laughed, feeling braver than she was. "Isn't anyone gonna congratulate me?"

"Congratulations." Cas said.

Clary laughed again, high with a sharp edge. Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes. "I know I know, so not what you pictured for your little girl, is it? Here you can't even remember me and here I am doing the most stereotypical teenager thing of all time."

"Clary..." Her mother sighed. "I'm more worried about-about-" she swallowed, a loud gulping in her mouth. "If he was wanted or...or not." She bit off the rest of her sentence. Jocelyn shuddered. "Who was he?"

Clary closed her eyes, full body shudder racking her frame. She gulped back her nausea, head spinning. Every hair on her body stood on end, as heat flashed through her. Tears glazed over her vision. She tried to take a breath as her lips quivered. Clary choked.

"H-h-he was..." She tried to square her shoulders. "It was Jace."

Jo closed her eyes, Sam choked and hid it behind a cough, Gabriel shrugged as Bobby looked around at everyone else. Ellen fixed Clary with a troubled look, as Cas bowed his head a quick moment. Jocelyn's lips quivered.

"Oh Clary." her breath shuddered. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Clary snapped. "Just what is there to be sorry for?"

Jocelyn paled. "Y-you can't be serious. Jonathan is-is-your-he's a monster."

It was Clary's turn to pale as she clenched her fist. "No. He's. Not."

Jocelyn leaned closer to Clary, hands trembling as she brushed fingers along Clary's cheek. Clary jerked her head away from the touch. Jocelyn flinched, pulling back as her lips twitched and she gave a little nod of her head. Jocelyn cleared her throat, her eyes glassy and bright. Her back straightened as if she were facing down the point of a sword. The room stayed quiet. Clary's eyes had narrowed down to hard chips, almost resembling glittering emeralds. Her face was pinched and pale, almost giving her hard angles that didn't seem to exist before. Jocelyn took another, almost imperceptible suck of air and then her face was impassive as she began to speak.

"Yes he is. I knew him to be a monster the first moment I held him in my arms. For you to suggest otherwise..." She gritted her teeth and whetted her lips as if that would help pry her mouth back open. "I don't know what he's done to you but I will not let it stand."

"He hasn't done anything I didn't want!" Clary shouted back.

Jocelyn paled, voice going even flatter as she entered a kind of scary calm. Clary sucked hard on her teeth. She held her gaze. Jocelyn was the first to look away, eyes darting around the room to the quiet audience.

"We'll talk about this later." Jocelyn said.

The silence grew heavier, weightier as no one met Clary's eyes. Finally Bobby cleared his throat.

"Don't get me wrong, this an illuminating conversation, but how exactly do you plan on getting us this ingredient?"

Dean stared at Clary. "Are you sure?"

She sighed. "It's either me or you do something really creepy to a total stranger." she said.

Dean's lips twitched for a moment. "Ok then. Yours it is. So what about the other ingredients?"

"As Gabriel said, the myrrh and the salt we can get easy." Cas said.

"What about the remains of the fallen warriors?" Sam said. "Maybe a cemetery that has a war memorial?"

"No." Isabelle said. "We need to go to the Silent City. There's a necropolis inside. Every last nephilim buried there was an honorable warrior. There is enough magic on those remains that they'll still fight for the cause."

"Fight for the cause?" Sam asked.

Isabelle continued as though he hadn't said anything. "The nephilim are still in this fight. We still have a responsibility for this world." She lifted her head high.

Jocelyn nodded. "For what it's worth, a nephilim's word is a determined one. There is an entrance in New York City."

"That place again." Jo said. "We're coming with you."

Isabelle pursed her lips. A wistful look ghosted over her face for a moment before hardening into something else. "You know, a year ago I would have said that that would have been impossible for mundanes, but I guess that's over now."

"That may be, but we still need a game plan." Bobby said. "How is getting' all this spell work gonna matter if you boys get into Heaven and lose there?"

Dean scowled. "Oh I'm sure God'll help us out."

Cas glared at Dean. "This is a strategic point, not a philosophical debate." In three quick steps he was at Dean's shoulders, leaning forward. "God may be difficult to find, but his Heaven is easier to navigate."

"Come again?" Bobby asked. "You gotta blueprint of something?"

"We do." Gabriel said. "The Axis Mundi. A road that'll get you wherever you need to go. Now," Gabriel held up his fingers and smoke rose up at his fingertips. Waving his fingers, slender streams of smoke began to move of their own accord to connect with one another until they formed an intricate web. The web expanded until it made itself three dimensional. The web had multibpule layers, many of them circular in direction. "This is the Axis Mundi. Those lower layers you see there are the personal Heavens' of the souls of men and women residing there. Know you don't need to be there, so its a good thing that the array I gave you will take you someplace else entirely."

"Which is where?" Dean asked, voice tight and suspicious. "Where the hell you takin' us?"

Cas and Gabriel exchanged looks, the former's frowned deepened as the latter smirked.

"The sections of Heaven reserved for angels. Namely the angelic prison that is found on the fifth level." Cas pointed to it, the lines in the map shuddering as his finger hovered over the edges of it. "Free the angels imprisoned within the level. They will be our allies."

"Wait, angel prison?" Sam asked. "Ok, so not counting why they're in the first place, how are we gonna pull that off?"

Cas made a sharp noise, like a sigh, deep from his throat. "Not all the angels were put there fairly...as I can attest to. Although it's up to your judgment for which angels you wish to ally with." Cas said.

"Right. So we're not asking for God's help, but other angels instead?" Chuck suddenly piped up from the back of the room. "Is that a good idea?"

"It's the only one we've got." Gabriel put it. "We need allies. I figure we're not the only angels on the block who want to put a stop to end times."

"You just have to avoid the guards and any other angels you might encounter, particularly the head interrogator, Iruel." Cas said.

"Oh, is that all?" Isabelle said. "No challenge at all."

Cas pulled his gaze away from Dean to look at Isabelle. "Due to your angel heritage, I doubt the spell would work."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "If you insist. So then who is going on this mission?"

"I will." Dean said.

"I'll go too." Sam spoke up.

Bobby clicked his tongue. "No surprises there. I'll be on standby," he glowered. "As usual. Ok, then, depending on how many angels we get, we need to ward everything beforehand. Especially, since that sword is such a linchpin."

"We'll ward the sword." Jocelyn said. "You did say that you have a panic room?"

"Yeah, just gotta put heavy duty wards around it. If the upstairs don't know we have it, they wil soon."

"Indeed." Jocelyn said.

"So then we'll have...what 8 months to get these ingredients. I know that angels won't give us that much of a window of time, but how do we hold off the angels in the meantime if we do get that much time left?" Jo asked.

"Ermmm..." Clary did the math in her mind. "Actually, since it's the start of December, it'll be 7 months."

Jo blinked. "Oh, ok then."

"Still, we should get the spell ready asap." Clary said.

"Oh yeah." Jo said. "So if we're going to New York, then I think we should call up Simon for his help."

Clary perked up at that. "So we can bring him back here?" she turned to Bobby. "Right?"

Bobby looked at her for a moment before sighing. "Sure, the more the merrier."

"That begs the question of who is staying here to defend the sword and who is going to get the rest of the spell materials?" Ellen said.

Bobby snorted, gesturing to his wheelchair. "Well I'm gonna hold down the fort. So, how many idjits wanna help me guard the homestead?"

"I'll stay." Jocelyn said. "Clary will too."

Clary raised an eyebrow. "I will?"

Jocelyn held up her hands. "You're pregnant and with a crucial piece of our strategy."

Clary scowled and opened her mouth to retorted when Ellen beat her to it.

"She's right." Ellen said. "Jo and I'll go to the city and bring back Simon for you. Trust us."

"Alright." Clary said.

"Me as well." Isabelle said. "You're going to need a guide to the Silent City."

"Sam and I'll come with you gals." Dean said.

"We'd appreciate it." Ellen said.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Clary said.

SPNTMI

The drive to New York City was lengthy but uneventful. Dean tapped his fingers on his Impala's steering wheel as he sung along to 'Boston' and 'Bob Seger'. Sam hunkered down in the passenger seat, maps spread out over his lap, the paper crinkling as he tried to get in a comfortable position. In the backseat Isabelle sat in between Ellen and Jo. All three women kept their eyes on their surroundings. Isabelle's whip lay coiled around her wrists like a sleeping pet. Ellen looked out the window as Jo flipped open her cell phone the moment they hit town. As Dean drove down the familiar main street, Jo dialed a number and put on speaker phone. A harried voice on the other end picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Simon?" Jo said. "It's us."

"Us?"

"Me, mom, Sam, Dean, and Isabelle."

"They're alive?" Simon whooped. "That's awesome! You guys all ok? How did you make it out?"

"One question at a time." Dean said. "Yeah, it's good to hear you too. I'll skip the details but we need ingredients for a spell, and it's in the Silent City-"

"Clary? Is Clary alive?"

"Yes." Isabelle said. "She is and she wants us to bring you back with us." she cleared her throat. "So what about everyone else? Who is else is still alive?"

"From what Camille told me, Magnus and Alec are still alive. She didn't tell me where they are though."

"What about Jace?"

"No idea."

"We'll rehash later." Dean said. "Where are you, we coming to you?"

Simon rattled off an address. Dean took a sharp turn as he drove down to the upper west side. The Impala rumbled up to an apartment with three stories. An old brownstone building, with a looming gargoyle hunched over the topmost corner of the third floor. A fire escape was directly below it. Jo sucked in a breath as Ellen eyed the building up and down. Dean caught their expressions and frowned.

"Wanna share with the rest of the class?"

"We've been to this apartment before." Ellen said. "A young man named Luis helped us."

"Oh right." Sam said. "Isn't that the name of the guy who woke Jocelyn up?"

"Yes. He's got the sight." Ellen said.

Everyone piled out of the impala and Dean knocked on the door. The door opened a crack. A single dark eye peered through the crack in the door. A hoarse voice.

"What do you want?"

Ellen brushed past Dean to get to the front of the door and stare at the eye.

"Luis, it's Ellen and Jo."

The door shut, the locks' tumblers clicking for a second before the swung open. A dark skinned young man wearing piercings and dreadlocks stood on the threshold. He glared at them with one dark eyes, and the other a cloudy white.

"If I didn't already know that you called Simon, I'd tell you to fuck off." he said.

"Nice." Dean ground out. "You say that to all your customers?"

"Only the risky ones." Luis shot back. "I thought I was done with nephilim."

"Funny, that's what everyone's been saying lately." Isabelle snapped. "Let us in. Now."

Luis scowled. "Yes ma'am I live to serve. I-"

"Are they here-is that them?" Simon called from inside the room.

Luis opened the door wider and waved his arm. Isabelle strode into the room and Luis watched as the rest of the hunters filed in. He peered outside for a second before shutting the door. The interior was sparse, with only a stack of mattresses as a place to truly sit. Piles of old blankets were stacked up in one corner. Thick cables, snaked from corner to corner. A lone trickily chandelier swung from the ceiling, throwing dim light around, despite the much brighter lights already on. A spacious living room, with its carpet wearing holes and revealing warped floorboards. A single linoleum tabletop counter divided the living room and the more meager kitchen.

To Ellen and Jo the only change to the room were the people within it. Simon stood beneath the chandelier. He grinned at them. There were three others within the room. A black boy leaned back onto the pile of blankets. The sudden influx of new people didn't waken from his doze. His tangled dreads brushed along his sunken cheeks. Only Luis glanced back in his direction, shoulders loosing their rigidness after he looked back at the teen. Another young man with a short hair cut, gaped at them, but said nothing. The young woman beside him stared at them without embarrassment. Her green hair was in tangles.

"So what's happening?" Luis said.

"What he said." Dean nodded to Luis. "Enlighten me?"

Simon cleared his throat. "Ok, so me and Luis ended up kinda working together." Simon smiled, a brief flash of teeth before continuing. "Luis has a lot of info on the Seelie Queen. She's really making it hard to live safely here."

"Oh?" Sam asked. "Not that I'm surprised, but how?"

"You know there are two courts right?" Luis said. "The Seelie and Unseelie. Also known as the bright and night courts. Not to mention the exiled fae that are living around the Tristate area. Right now, now that the tithe has passed, so that the fae from neither side got their freedom for seven years." He gave a bitter laugh. "Course, that isn't the fun part."

"What could be more fun?" the other boy muttered, curly hair shuddering as he shook his head.

Luis gave the boy a slight look and the boy flushed. Luis continued speaking as the other boy looked away back to the green haired girl.

"The fun part is that the two courts are at war-one that the Seelie Queen aims to win-"

"Her again?" Dean snorted.

"Oh so you know her?" Luis said. "Then you know that she's hell bent on getting her way. She attacked the Unseelie court by glamouring humans into doing her dirty work with kamikaze style attacks."

"There's more." Simon said. "Central Park has been taken over by fae."

"That's not far from the entrance to the Silent City." Isabelle put in.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "Awesome."

Simon looked in between Isabelle and Dean. "What do you need to go there for?"

"Spell work." Ellen said. She gave him a quick run down on the last few days. "So that's why we're here."

"So we need a plan." Simon said.

"We?" Luis replied. "I case you haven't noticed, I've got a shit storm on my hands."

"Then it's lucky we're in town." Dean said. "So like Simon said, we need a plan."

Luis stared hard at Dean, both eyes locked on the hunter and Dean straightened his back. Luis then regarded Simon for a moment longer.

"Got any ideas?"

"How about we split up?" Simon suggested. "Just for a bit, I mean. Since you guys need those remains, one group goes to get it while another goes to stop the Seelie court from doing anything in the meantime?"

Jo gave a brief smile. "It's almost an even number."

"I'll go to the Silent City, obviously." Isabelle said.

"Jo and I'll go with you." Ellen said.

"Me too." Simon said.

The green haired girl cleared her throat. "So then I'll go to the Seelie court."

Dean turned around to regard her. His eyes looked her up and down. Her tangled green hair tumbled down a leather jacket covered shoulders, a size too big. She had ripped acid wash jeans. Tears revealed purple tights underneath them. A black t-shirt that had a design of a gold lion with a bright shimmer to it. Underneath the lion was a scrawl of Hebrew. Finger-less gloves adorned her hands.

She looked wan, a tightness around the corners of her gray eyes. Her mouth was in a set line, arms crossed. Posture stiff, as though she was trying not to slump over. Her hands were shaking. Dean frowned. This young woman looked ready to fall over, and she was already so slim that she seemed as though she could have been tripped over in the slightest breeze if not for the look in her eyes. She was glaring at them. Her eyes were burning with an intensity that made Dean shiver.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Kaye." she pointed her thumb at the boy beside her. "That's Corny. We need to speak to the Queen. So if you guys are gonna screw her over that's just fine by me."

Corny swallowed. "Uh, Kaye we don't know these guys. No offense."

Sam waved off the comment as Isabelle sniffed, raising her chin.

"We don't really know Luis either. Besides, the enemy of my enemies is my friend." her smile was brittle. "So yes, we need to get to the Seelie Court."

"And I said I would take you there." Luis said.

"I'll come with you guys." Sam said. "I can back you up."

Dean scowled. "What about the Silent City?" he asked. "Ellen and the girls will need you."

Isabelle snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, we can take care of ourselves."

"Humor me. If you don't want the tall brother, then I'll go with you."

"Don't be stubborn Dean." Ellen said. "We've got enough fire power between us to take care of what comes our way. Why don't you help out your brother and the other group." The way she said it, it didn't sound like a suggestion.

With the crowd of the room rounding on him, Dean held up his hands. He traded a look with Sam. The taller man shrugged, with a bit of a pleading look on his face.

"Alright alright. I'll go to the Seelie Court." he said.

"Ok. Thanks." Luis said. "Now what?"

"How about this?" Sam said. "What if we-"

SPNTMI

Castiel blinked as the arid wind ruffled his hair. He shifted his stance as he adjusted his wings. They may not have been visible to the human eye, but they twitched about his back as he hurried to Gabriel's side. The overwhelming smell of salt lured them to the shore. When they finally got close enough for the dark waves to lap at their shoes, did Castiel finally speak.

"Do you suppose that they've got the remains already?" he asked.

Gabriel pushed his way forward into the murky water. Hands disappearing beneath a wave, Gabriel twisted his head around to smirk at Castiel. The angel raised an eyebrow at the mischievous expression. Gabriel didn't quite sober, but he regarded Castiel a moment longer before speaking.

"If anyone can find trouble, its tweedledee and tweedledum." Gabriel frowned. "Buuuut, they can usually wriggle out of it too."

Castiel's smile was brief. "That they do."

Castiel followed Gabriel into the sea, trench coat floating out behind him as he waded forward. The sun beat down on his back, its heat soaking into the fabric of his coat. A sensation of rightness, of a familiar surety of purpose as he gathered salt. Voices of beach-goers drifted from another end of the beach and Castiel's wings twitched in response to their laughter. With the bright sunshine pouring down on him and the water pruning his fingers, he could almost pretend he was human himself.

SPNTMI

Dean turned down the lane, traffic dwindling on this street. He left the impala's radio silent as they approached central park as per Kaye's directions. A steely, overcast sky matched the quiet of the street. He parked, in a sparsely populated lot. Ellen's ford rumbled past them with a single honk of the horn. Dean raised his hand before stepping out of the impala. Everyone else followed suit. Luis scanned the park as Dean opened up the secret compartment of his trunk, pulling weapons out and passing them to Sam.

"Does anyone else want something?" Sam asked.

Dean frowned at his brother but spoke to the others. "It'd help if everyone iron'd up." he held up a slim crowbar.

Kaye flinched back, but then extended a gloved hand. When Sam offered a machete to Luis, he tapped his metal piercings with a wry smile. Corny suddenly flushed, avoiding Luis's gaze as he gestured for the machete. His grin was dark when Sam handed him the blade. The rubber gloves Corny wore cracked as he grasped the handle of the blade. After grabbing a few more items, Dean addressed Luis.

"Lead the way."

Luis nodded. "Yeah."

Luis led them through the park, patches of brambles starting to give way to small bursts of forest. Dean battered aside bare tree branches. Frost crunched underneath their feet as the ground began to slope downward. Mud oozed as the ground evened out into puddles, until they walked to the edges of a man made lake. Sam nudged Dean.

"Isn't this where we went to go to the Seelie court the last time we went?" Sam asked.

"Looks like it."

"Keep a hold of each other." Luis said.

And much like that night, with the moon hung overhead, and illuminated them with ease. The only difference was that it was a colder night. Luis walked into the water until his was up to his waist. Dean watched the young man shiver, arms jittering as he began to recite in Latin. The surface of the water shimmered and began to move around them. Steam rose up around them and Luis called out.

"Now-dunk underwater. Stay close."

Dean waited until Corny and Kaye dissipated before he ducked his head down into the water, alongside Sam. Frigid water enveloped Dean and he did a full body shudder as he outstretched his limbs and moved in a vague downward direction. His lungs burned and just as soon as he shifted, head breaking the surface of the water.

Dean rubbed the water away from his eyes. Pleasant heat blew across his face in a lazy breeze. Songbirds chattered, and if he listened harder, he'd detect the faint sounds of laughter from farther away. Trees thick with green leaves filtered out a buttery yellow sun. He stood up. The water was knee deep, inside a simple stone fountain. It was only about three feet wide. Mossy stones kept a circular design that reminded Dean of those intricate Celtic knots on the covers of folk music records. Water bubbled up from the center of the fountain. Dean reached out to the bubbles in center, hand hovering over the water. A dark shape swam up to the surface.

Sam sputtered back up. Luis, Corny, and Kaye came up in quick succession. Corny pulled off his rubber gloves, dumping the water out of them before putting them back on, their squeaking painfully loud in the relative silence. Kaye pulled sodden clumps of hair away from her face. Luis was already standing, wading out of the fountain. He turned around, extending a hand to Corny, who managed to stand up on his own. Kaye reached for his shoulders, careful not to touch Corny's gloved hands as she steadied herself.

"Welcome to the forever summer country." Luis said.

Luis squeezed the excess water from his shirt, water dripping down onto the grass. Grimacing, the light caught his lip ring, like a shimmer of light about his face. Everyone stood up, trying to dry themselves as best they could, getting out of the fountain. The laughter and birdsong didn't cease. Kaye fidgeted. Her eyes darted all around her. Dean frowned.

"What's the matter kid?"

"Don't call me that." She snapped. "Where's the Queen?"

"Follow the music." Sam said. "Worked for me last time."

Luis jerked his head. "Then this way."

Luis led them through the woods. The leaves rustled but nothing revealed itself. Finally arriving at a clearing. Sam and Corny both sucked in a breath. Faeries. They were everywhere.

SPNTMI

Isabelle led them into Marble Cemetery, straight to the angel statue that opened the entrance to the Silent City. She frowned in the growing gloom of the darkening skies. Red tagging scrawled all over the angel statue. 'neppy fucks' scrawled across the front of the angel's robes. Its left wing was broken in half, the stumps craggy and someone had thrown something brown and foul smelling onto the base of the wings. In it's hands, the cup's rim was now jagged, a near crack in the middle. At the base of the statue trash swirled at the hem of the angel's stone robes. Isabelle's hands shook as she clenched her fists.

"How dare they?! Who did this?"

Ellen stepped forward, hand outstretched but Isabelle straightened her back. Her hands relaxed and when she turned around back to face them, there was a touch of ice in her gaze.

"I need a knife."

Ellen nodded, pulling a knife from her boot and handing it to Isabelle. With one smooth slice, Isabelle cut her palm and her blood splashed into the stone bowl. Before she could recite anything, the statue trembled. Scraping echoed throughout the cemetery as the angel moved backwards to reveal a staircase. Simon and Jo looked around the cemetery. They were still alone. When the angel shuddered to a stop, it wobbled in its tracks, revealing a staircase. The angel statue creaked like a door on its rusty hinges. Isabelle scowled, eyes darkening but she said nothing as she handed Ellen back her knife and pulled a witch stone out from her pocket.

With a jerk of her head, she led them down the staircase. Ellen ushered Jo and Simon in befroe her. Twisting around, she still found no one else but them, and she hurried down the stairs. Their footfalls echoed as the darkness enveloped them. Only the witch stone in Isabelle's hand gave illumination to their surroundings. The stairs evened out and led to a corridor. Simon whistled when the area lit up.

"Welcome to the Silent City." Isabelle said.

"This place is huge." Simon said. "How we gonna find...what we need?"

"Yeah where do we go?" Jo asked.

Isabelle gave a little hum. "There's a lot of levels to this place, but the necropolis is further down."

Isabelle led them past the Speaking Stars, with their sweeping, circular expanse of a room with its raised seats of its auditorium-esque surroundings. The floor was decorated with a design of stars intertwining with one another. Posts of witch light blazed up. When Isabelle got closer to them, the light from the posts grew brighter. It lit up the room, the domed ceiling high above their heads. A design of angels flying overhead decorated the dome. In the far corner of the wall was a long indent where Isabelle knew the Soul Sword used to be. Under the shine of the witch light, the largess of the room shone through. The walls were a kind of off white colors.

Simon gasped, his voice echoed around them. The gasp bounced against the walls. Ellen touched Jo's shoulder. Mother and daughter exchanged looks of wonderment. Isabelle's head jerked and she cleared her throat, pointing at a tucked away corridor.

"This way."

The corridor was so narrow that they had to walk single file. The walls closed in, shoulders brushing against the thick, almost soft quality of the walls. Jo's jacket scraped against the right wall as she stumbled on the new found craggy-ness of the ground. A faint dusting from the walls crumbled onto her jacket. Jo glanced at them and flicked them clear with a quick swipe of her fingers. Together, the four of them into a turn down a spiral staircase. Railing cracked beneath Ellen's fingertips as she tried to put her hands on the bars for balance.

"The railing-"

Ellen cut off as the railing snapped in half when Simon put pressure on it. His hands shot back as if burned. Isabelle coiled her whip around her wrist, keeping it moving as she descended. Ellen was the last to step off the stairs. Jo turned around in time to see the stairs wobble.

The necropolis was vast. The alabaster white of the walls seemed to gleam, despite the faint light. A vaulted ceiling was embedded with witch light stones, pattered in constellations. With just a glance down, there were raised columns of tombs. Row upon row of sarcophagi, each one inscribed in Latin and runes. Isabelle murmured the words of farewell she had been reciting since she was a child. Her fingers hovered over the tombs, jolts of power skittering around her fingertips. Isabelle closed her eyes, letting the little hum settle over her body. Isabelle took in a deep breath from her nose. Once her breathing was even, her shoulders stilled, and her chest was oddly light. Still closing her eyes, she gestured for the others to start. Following her feet, she ducked into an alcove and with one quick turn found herself standing in front of the angel.

Isabelle gasped, eyes flying open. Her hands going to her chest as a memory flashed through her mind. She had read about this. Back when she and Alec were both small enough to study the same subjects. It was said that in the Silent City was the single largest witch stone, carved into a triptych of the angel Raziel with the mortal instruments. Here it was.

It was at least thirty feet tall. Raziel stood proud, feet firmly planted on the ground. He wore only a simple robe, yet runes were transcribed onto the hem. Isabelle could imagine that they still radiated power, despite a stone carving depicting a delicate piece of fabric. Raizel himself was well muscled, but not overly so, tendons only standing out where his muscles were straining. He stood on a mirror. Isabelle bent down, fingers hovering over the witch light that mimicked a mirror's surface. A little ripple in the top right corner of the mirror, like a droplet of water was about to hit Raziel's ankle. In each hand he held up an instrument, the cup in his left and the sword on in his right. The cup was almost bowl-like, with its wide rim and thick stem. Maellartach was as magnificent as she remembered. The winged hilt detailed with each individual feather in its place. As for Raziel's wings, they were wide and sweeping. Two wings, each with a slight curl, as though he was unfurling them and about to take flight.

Isabelle's eyes stung and she wiped them with the back of her hands. Her lips trembled the longer she stared. Here it was, in this expansive hall in the quiet gloom, that this statue resided. Isabelle had a vague recollection of hearing that this statue marked where the Silent Brothers had their living quarters. The stone itself was in the center of the hall, brightly shining on its own. Isabelle could see down the corridor for hundreds of feet with no outside assistance.

Doors were visible, most of them shut with only a few ajar a crack. However, she was rooted to the spot. Isabelle stared into Raziel's eyes. They were wide and calm. Eyelids were a stone sheath, soft looking as they folded above the open eyes to give a piercing gaze. Isabelle trembled, casting her eyes down as she knelt in front of the statue. Fat droplets of tears plopped onto her knees. She did not bother to wipe them away but she stood up. Isabelle stretched out a hand to touch Raziel's face. Her fingers stopped just short of the stone. Isabelle stared at her hand. It was shaking. The longer she looked at it, the harder it shook. It was awash in light and Isabelle snatched her hand back, cradling it to her chest as though burned.

A faint cry. Someone calling her name. Isabelle flinched away from the statue, unable to look at it anymore and went back the way she came.

SPNTMI

Dean scowled as the sweet scent of apple blossoms filled the air. He jerked his head, giving a rapid fire succession of sneezing. He paused for a moment before having another wet burst of a sneezing fit. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Gesundheit." Corny said.

Sniffling, Dean nodded. He fingered the handle of his machete. Sam flicked the safety off his gun as Luis led them down to a clearing full of lounging fey. Phookas, sprites, and hob men chattering amongst the the myriad of creatures. Kaye and Corny pressed themselves closer together as Corny held his gloved hands up to his shoulders to avoid touching her. Dean frowned but said nothing. Faeries gaped at them, whispering and chattering as they moved through the clearing. Luis paused, fists clenched as the faeries continued cavorting. Even so, they seemed to press in.

Hob goblins sat on their haunches, playing a dice game with knuckle bones. Two sprites were in deep conversation. Their wings fluttered, brushing against each other, a faint dusting of colors as they moved. A purple skinned fae with thickly veined wings kept an imp-like creature on a leash, crooning to it as she fed it squirming insects from the palm of her hand. Corny shuddered, a noise of disgust exploding out from his throat.

Pipes and lutes played within the clearing. The musicians sat on plush pillows as they continued harmonizing. Little clusters of faeries turned their heads at the newcomers' approach. Some went back to their pastimes while others openly stared.

"Well well well. Just what has fallen into my court."

Courtiers chattered, voices pitched in happy greetings as the Seelie Queen entered the clearing, a small entourage flanking her. Meliorn was at her right, and his eyes narrowed. He put a hand to the hilt of his sword. He glanced at his queen, taking his eyes off the group as Queen Silarial sauntered forward. Her eyes widened a fraction when she caught sight of Dean and Sam, but then her lips twisted into a smile. Sam shuddered and tightened his grip on the knife hidden in his jacket. Dean's had brushed Sam's jacket before glancing back at Corny and Kaye. The two pressed close together. Corny's gloved hands shaking in the Queen's direction. Kaye stared at the Queen, eyes flattened into hard chips. She was digging her fingers into her skin, as her fists shook. A terrible blanch settled over her skin. Thrums of adrenaline shot through Dean as he gaped at the hatred Kaye leveled at the Queen with her stare.

However, when she cast her gaze on Kaye, her eyes lit up but her lips did no more than twitch. As she locked gazes with Sam and Dean did she laugh out loud. Faeries made way for Silarial as she set down a few pillows before settling down onto them. She leaned back before propping herself up onto her elbows, thickly stitched pillows cradling her joints. Courtiers scrambled to kneel at her side. Pages jostled each other to bring the Queen platters of fruit and sweet meats. Goblets of wine splashed onto the pages holding the cups. The Queen licked her lips and crooked a slim finger. Blood red nails caught the sunlight ans Sam shivered.

"Have you come to say another piece on the benefits of friendship?"

Sam barked out a laugh. "Once upon a time, huh?"

"Indeed." The Queen purred. "Truly, what is it that you want? For I have few uses for you, save as charming distractions."

"We do tend to be distracting." Dean said.

Dean grinned. A quick twist of the mouth, teeth gleamed bright and sharp before hiding behind full lips. The Queen motioned to her left and a page scuttled forward to refill her cup. Red liquid poured down in a small arc. The Queen watched its' flow, speaking up once more.

"I must admit, I find this all passing curious. A changeling, A cursed mortal and another with the sight. A little gathering of hunters who walk with angels. A veritable troupe of humankind. No doubt assembled at the behest of Manhattan's favorite vampire."

Kaye sucked in a breath.

"I can assure you-" Luis began.

The Queen cut him off. "How impatient you must be." She finally looked up to smile at Kaye. "To go through them to speak to me. We have so much to discuss."

The Queen did a few more quick gestures. Another page scuttled forward with a platter of fruit. This time, courtiers clustered closer around her, helping themselves to the spread as they stared hungrily at their guests. One hob in tattered coattails brought forward a young woman with a shock of tuft-y white hair. When her white dress shone under a shaft of sunlight, she looked like the sliver of a cloud. Led to the Queen, she fidgeted and dropped her gaze as her cheeks turned pink.

"Ah Ethine." The Queen smiled. "How you must miss your brother. Tell me, would you like to see him?"

"With all my heart, though I do not know how such a thing is possible."

"Then I think you shall be pleased."

More bustling of movement came from behind the Queen, yet she didn't turn around. A weeping willow's curtain of foliage rippled with the sound of footsteps and flutes before finally parting. An entourage of fae surrounded a man on horseback. Thick hooves pressed deep into the green grass as the rider aside the black mare took in his surroundings. Pewter gray hair fell past his shoulders over his dark leather jacket. He gave one solitary nod to the Queen before he turned his gaze to her audience. His eyes widened and Kaye jerked her head back, avoiding his stare. The Queen's eyes darted back and forth between the two. Crossing her ankles back and forth until he broke the stare to look at Ethine.

"Hello sister."

"Roiben." Ethine nodded her head. "Have you finally come back to us?"

Her mouth trembled as Roiben continued to stay silent, gaze boring into her before his lips twitched briefly and then went back to regarding the Queen. Queen Silarial stared back, leaning forward, craning one long neck up to Roiben. He dismounted and at once a flock of pages dashed to his side. A pixie squire tried to take his horse's reins and another offered a cup of wine. He waved them away, keeping a tight grip on his horse's reins. It trotted behind him, tail swishing as he bowed to the Queen. She extended out her hand and with his free hand, he gripped her wrist tight and placed a slow kiss along her knuckles. He made to let go, but Silarial held fast, grabbing his other hand, fingers working at his grip on the reins. Silarial pushed herself up on her pillows, tugging Roiben down to meet her halfway as she kissed him. Roiben tensed, and he placed his hands on Silarial's shoulders. The kiss got deeper as Roiben leaned farther down to crush her into the pillows. Silarial moaned, eyelashes fluttering in thick dusty sweeps as she shut her eyes. Roiben's eyes stayed open, even as Kaye flinched away from the sight.

The action drew gasps from the crowd. Even Meliorn couldn't tear his gaze away. Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Sam's lips curled back as he turned away to look at his brother. Dean mimed gagging before sobering. He jerked his head in the direction of Roiben and Silarial still entangled together. Sam followed his gaze and twisted his head back to Dean, who patted his pocket. Sam frowned and then after a moment, nodded. Dean's hand snaked into his jacket pocket, fingers sliding beneath the fabric. The familiar click loud to Sam's ears, yet no one else in the clearing reacted. Dean pulled his arm back, slow and sure as he took his hand out of his pocket. Dean's eyes darted around the faeries. Meliorn and his knights still gaping at the scene.

Sam pulled back a little as Dean straightened his arm, gun glinting for a second before being sheltered in the shade. His finger wrapped around the trigger just as Roiben pulled back from Silarial, lips swollen, a little trail of spit beginning to cling to his mouth. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand just as Silarial tossed her head back, eyes fluttering open as Dean took the shot and fired. The bullet hit dead center between her forehead. Silarial's eyes flared wide but she didn't have time to scream before the light dimmed from them. Her body fell back onto her plush pillows, muffling the thump as she hit them.

"Holy shit!" Corny shouted.

Silence. Faeries gaped, until one page found its voice and screamed. One voice that rose in pitch until it was joined by several and the clearing became a flurry of movement. Meliorn unsheathed his sword with a scream. The fae knights charged forward. Courtiers drew back, running to and fro to get out of the clearing. Sam drew his weapons. Both brothers fired their guns. Roiben's horse reared and plunged. Corny screamed as Meliorn raised a blade up to him. Meliorn bellowed, rushing them like a bull, sword waving high above his head. Dean pulled Luis back behind him. It didn't deter the knight in the slightest.

"Corny!" Kaye shrieked. "Run!"

"Kaye!" Roiben's shouted echoed.

Roiben grappled for the reins as another knight tried to take his horse from him. Roiben shoulder checked him to the ground and pulled himself up into the saddle. Ethine's shriek was drowned out as another knight pushed her behind him, blades already drawn as his eyes darted around. Meliorn whirled, shoving Corny to the ground, going for Kaye. Luis darted forward, shoving Meliorn. Meliorn thrust his sword downward, aiming for Luis's collarbone. Corny struggled to rip off his rubber gloves, the fabric moving with a clumsy sluicing sound. They fell to the ground with a wet thump as Corny tackled Meliorn to the ground.

Corny screamed pressing his hands into Meliorn's face. The fae's flesh began to bruise, turning from red to purple, then a hideous green as Meliorn paled. The knight's screams became strangled gurgles as his eyes rolled up in his head, dropping his sword as he fell back onto the ground. His death throes went unnoticed amidst the shrieks of the other courtiers in their haste to get away. Luis looked up at Corny, open mouthed as he scrambled to his feet. He twisted around, helping Kaye to hers. A wave of knights rushed them. Sam and Dean fired their guns simultaneously. Roiben cantered forward, blocking the knights as his horse's flanks smacked into the armored fae.

"Kaye! We must hurry." he extended his hand to her. "We must leave."

"I hear that." Dean said.

"Seconded." Luis eyed Meliorn's corpse.

"Where's the exit?" Sam shouted.

Kaye shuddered and nodded. Roiben hoisted her up and onto the back of his horse. "Follow me to the exit." he said.

Roiben pressed his heels into his horse's side and it took off at a cantor. Dean shouted as he shot at the closest of the knights. Luis yanked on Corny's arm and the two jogged after the horse, Sam and Dean bringing up the rear.

SPNTMI

"Another county within the state with an outbreak of swine flu-"

Clary shut off the TV, scowling as she padded into the kitchen, stomach rumbling. She walked past Bobby on his way to the fridge. In his hand was a beer. He nodded to her.

"Hey kid. I'd offer, but..." He patted his belly. "Need something?"

"Yeah. Have you see my mom?"

He nodded again. "Just took a break from putting up some wards, so she should be out in the yard."

"Thanks."

Clary made sure not to slam the screen door behind her as Bobby went back to his books. The chill hit her body, but she ignored the shivery complaints it sent her and weaved around the salvage yard. She spotted a puff of flame, heading closer until she was level to Jocelyn.

"Hey. Did you know there's beer in the fridge?" Clary winced. "N-not that I've had any but I'm sure it's tasty cuz' those hunters sure love their booze."

Clary stopped when she saw Jocelyn's lips twitch. Her mother Clary inclined her head to Clary, turning a little.

"I'm sure."

Clary squinted as the sunny sky was at odds with the chill air. Peering out the window, frost peeking at the corners of the window. Clary turned back to see Bobby at his desk, flipping through the pages. Standing up, Clary grabbed her jacket and stepped out from the side door. The screen door shut behind her with a slight bang. As soon as she hit the outside, she shivered in her jacket. Rubbing her arms to keep the chill at bay, she rubbed them up and down. A cloudless sky. The yard was much more crowded, with cars in various stages of repair. Clary made her way through the smatterings of old car parts as a familiar splash of flame-colored hair caught her gaze.

Jocelyn was standing beside a red junker, with rust blooming along it's rims. Her back was straight, arms folded together as she scanned the yard. The blue flannel shirt she wore was a size too big for her frame and a pair of faded jeans. Despite the freshly scrubbed look of her skin on clean but borrowed clothes, there were bags under her eyes. As soon as their gazes met, Clary's shivers increased tenfold, but she made a beeline for Jocelyn.

As soon as she stood next to Jocelyn, the women spoke.

"I wish we wouldn't look at each other like we're strangers." she said.

"Wow." Clary cleared her throat. "No ice breaker for you."

Jocelyn huffed out what could have been a laugh. "No."

"So..."

"So."

"What was it that you wanted to talk about?" Clary asked.

"Everything." Jocelyn said.

"That's...that's specific." At Jocelyn's look, Clary cleared her throat. "Right. Course you do."

"How long have you known about the shadow world?" Jocelyn asked.

"Not that long." Clary said, counting on her fingers. "Barely a year I think."

Jocelyn sucked in a breath. "You...handle this...well."

Clary laughed, its sharp tinge taking her by surprise. "Well that's good. Wouldn't be much of a shadowhunter if I didn't."

"Tell me something. Why did you want to have this life?" Jocelyn's voice had a touch of flint to it. "Was it for that boy-"

Clary sucked in a breath. "What makes you say that? What would tell you that I would-" She tried to be discreet when she rubbed at her eyes. "That I would what, throw away a nice normal life, just for a hot guy? I-i-is that what you're trying to say?" she swallowed back bile. "W-w-well, you'd be wrong."

Clary glared, willing her lips not to tremble and the sweat to stop sliding down her forehead She sniffed, ignoring her queasy stomach as she kept her gaze firm. Jocelyn straightened further, if that was possible. She stared back at Clary and the moment seemed to last forever, until Jocelyn cricked her shoulders and glanced away.

Jocelyn eyed her for a moment, then looked away. "What was your favorite subject in school? You did go to school right?"

Clary laughed. "That's what you ask? Wow ya..." At this her mother's expression clouded and Clary added, "Of course I did. You made me. Art. Art is...was my favorite. You're the one who got me loving it in the first place because it's what you used to do. I've still got one of my sketchbooks with me...if you want to see it?"

Clary blinked in surprise at the way Jocelyn's face lit up. Her smile appeared like sunlight breaking in from the clouds and Clary remembered that face from before the whole shadowhunter business. The same smile from seeing her mother finish a painting, or how they could talk about an artist for hours. The same mom who put her hair up in a bun with pencils, with paint splattered overalls, and fell asleep on the couch watching 'antiques roadshow'. A mom who loved the Thai takeout place only a block away.

'How could this woman have a life of killing and scars? Is this really the same person?' Clary's mouth went dry. 'Will I ever see that mom again?'

Clary nodded. "Sure. I-I mean, I'd like that."

Silence fell. A thin layer of snow crunched under Clary's shoes as she shuffled from foot to foot. Clary stared ahead of her at the multitude of car parts. Sneaking a peek at Jocelyn, who was stock still. Clary lowered her arms to her side. After a few minutes, it began to snow and Clary finally leaned back against the grill of the rusted Chevy. The thin layer of frost pressed into her jeans, metal squeaking as she slipped. Her legs shot out from out from under her. She yelped and Jocelyn darted forward, hands outstretched. Her hands hovered over Clary's midsection. Clary gripped the sides of the chassis, arms shaking. A little laugh escaped her. She finally focused on her mother's face and her breath caught. Her mother was smiling. There was still the light of concern in her eyes, but there was also a hint of a grin at the corners of her mouth.

"I-"

Crack. A gunshot echoed across the distance. Any trace of a smile vanished on Jocelyn's face.

"Get down." she hissed.

Clary's knees shook in protest, unable to support as she tried to decide whether to sit or stand. A wave of nausea hit and made the dissension for her and she hit the ground with a muted thump. Clary gasped at the sudden cold on her backside but Jocelyn didn't pay her any mind. Her mother cracked down, covered by a van with its passenger door missing and windshield blown out. A gleaming knife in her white knuckled grip. Lines of tension sparked all along her back, whole body taunt and still. Jocelyn's hair cascaded down her back. Droplets of snow scattering with her tresses. Another shot went off. Clary fumbled for her stele. Jocelyn caught the motion.

"Stay here." she mouthed.

Clary scowled but nodded. A slow crunch of frost over dead grass. Clary peered over her shoulder. On her left was a white man in a black suit and tie striding to the back porch, his black hair gleaming like a crow's wing. In his hand a slim silver blade dangled. Clary sucked in a breath. She gathered up a little puff of snow from the ground. If barely held together but she tossed it all the same. The snowball broke apart once it glanced off of Jocelyn's shoulder. Her mother whipped her head around.

"Angels." Clary mouthed.

Jocelyn nodded as another shot went off. Her eyes hardened and she dashed off behind another car without a word. Clary held up her stele, staring at the slight sheen. After a few shaky tries, Clary sat back on her hunches and moved away from the car to her right. Shoes slipping, she found cover behind on an orange Datsun with its engine removed. Another angel was stalking forward, its blond vessel taller than the other. Clary frowned. If her mother hadn't ran into the black haired angel and the blond, was here, then who was Bobby shooting at?
Clary peered up over the rim of the Datsun. There was no other angel in her sight. The blond swiveled his head and Clary ducked. Heart pounding, shoes crunching closer to her as his suit jacket flapped in a sudden breeze. The Datsun marked itself as the only car in a clearing of a few hundred yards as cover, save for a white utility van on the other side of the lawn. Clary swallowed spit, taking deep breathes through her nose. A brick lay between her feet. She hefted it over her shoulder and without looking behind her, sprinted to the van. She collapsed at its tires, rolling underneath it. Dust settled around her as she forced her chest to settle. Clary whipped her head back and forth, but couldn't see any shoes coming her way.

"How many are there?!" she screamed internally.

Ithuriel sent a wave of calm to her. Clary closed her eyes, a tiny thread hung in her mind's eye. Imaging Ithuriel's wings ghosting over her, she finally evened out her breathing. Together they mapped out Bobby's. Energy hovering all over them. Clary's body hummed in time to the grace pulsating around the property. Clary sensed Ithuriel's frown.

"Two in the yard, two in the house...another approaches." Clary shuddered at Ithuriel's next words. "It is Zachariah."

Hands grabbed her feet, yanking her out of her hiding spot. Clary shrieked. It was the blond one.

"Hiding from an angel." It chuckled. "Truly amusing."

'Cas, Zachariah is here.' Clary shivered and sent out a prayer.

He held her up by her ankles. His arm was completely still as Clary thrashed, heaving herself upwards. Touching her stele to her arm, she carved a speed rune onto her flesh. Kicking out, he dropped her with a 'tsk'. Clary sprinted to Bobby's back porch. The screen door slammed behind her. The shot that went off missed her face, hitting the wall just above her head. She gaped up, expecting to see Bobby holding the gun, but-

"Chuck?"

"S-sorry, I'm so sorry-"

"Where's Bobby?"

"Panic room. They've got him cornered."

"Got any more guns?"

"Nu-uh. Out of bullets too."

"Great."

SPNTMI

Bobby wheeled back, shotgun in his lap as the two angels advanced on him. Wearing identical suits, the two tanned men held angel blades. Bobby jerked his head upwards, the defiant tilt of his bearded chin plain to see.

"Give us the sword."

"You didn't say please."

The angel on the left actually snarled, darting forward just as Bobby raised his hand above a bloody sigil. A burst of light shot through the room with a sharp screech. The two angels staggered back. The light and sound dimmed to reveal another man in jeans, dark jacket, and a shirt exposing the top half of his chest. In his hand was an angel blade. Both angels stood agog, recovering at the sight of the other angel's smirk.

"Balthazar." spat the one on the right.

"Sahaquiel. Armisael. How lovely to see you. We should do lunch."

"Traitor." the one on the left screamed.

Balthazar darted out of their grasp and slammed his hand on the sigil. Armisael and Sahaquiel vanished with screams and fluttering wings. Balthazar sniffed.

"Amateurs." He stared down at Bobby. "Sigil could use some work but passable."

"Well gee, I should thank my lucky stars that you just happened to fly by just in the nick of time."

"Ooooh feisty."

Balthazar inched closer, but Bobby wheeled at an angle, blocking the little alcove that hid Maellartach. Balthazar tacked Bobby's gaze and rolled his eyes. He held up his palms.

"Here to help. Honest."

Bobby stared at him, scowled. He tightened his grip on his gun.

"Then you can help by clearing the rest out of here."

Balthazar 'tsk'ed and held up his blade.

SPNTMI

"You know, it'd be far easier if you'd just give me the sword."

Clary and Chuck whirled around. Zachariah stood in Bobby's kitchen, trailing a finger along the countertop. He brought up his index finger, inspecting the smudge he found. Curling his lip, he wiped the dirt on the inside of his suit jacket.

"I'm getting really impatient with you-"

Chuck swung the gun like a baseball bat, the butt of the rifle striking the side of Zachariah's temple with a resounding crack.

"And I'll write you outta the story, you big-"

Zachariah's head swung to the side, the only movement his body made. Slowly, his head turned until it was back where it was. He stared at them. Chuck kept the rifle raised but backed up.

"Go." he squeaked at Clary. "Run.

Zachariah flicked his hand like his was brushing lint off his jacket. Clary and Chuck were flung backwards, crashing into the back door. The hinges screamed as they were flung from their proper places. Mesh flew everywhere as the screen door broke in half when Chuck and Clary slammed into it. The door dangled in its entryway, breaking Chuck's fall enough so that he tumbled down the porch steps. Clary's feet skimmed past and she managed to tuck n' roll onto the freezing ground.

"Run." she screamed

Chuck staggered to his feet. Zachariah blew past him, striding to Clary. She screamed again, racing around the corner of Bobby's house. Clary slammed into Jocelyn. Her mother's eyes widened, gripping Clary's shoulders.

"What are you doing? I told you to hide."

Zachariah rounded the corner. Clary wrestled out of her grip and shrugged.

"I lied."

Jocelyn steered her out of the way. Jocelyn and Zachariah strode forward and met halfway. Blades whirling as they clashed. Zachariah swung high, aiming for the head. Jocelyn ducked low, swiping the midsection and kicking the knees. Zachariah hopped back from the blow, reach long as he took aim. She feinted, feet rolling as she twisted out of reach. Jocelyn brought her blade down in between Zachariah's shoulder blades. He twisted to her with a snarl. Her blade only made a shallow cut. Jocelyn elbowed him in the chin with enough force to cause him to stagger back and drop his angel blade. Zachariah's lips pulled back, the light in his eyes bright and savage. His arms widened as if to embrace Jocelyn, locking her into a hold. She grunted, dropping her blade onto the disturbed soil.

"Pathetic half-breed." he rasped. "You and that slut of a daughter."

Jocelyn's face suffused with color, cheeks puffed as she grunted and thrashed. Her green eyes narrowed to slits. Zachariah laughed.

"You-"

The sound of flapping wings cut him off. His eyes widened as he gaped at the sudden arrival of Cas and Gabriel. Zachariah's grip on Jocelyn slackened and she wriggled out of his grasp. He pointed at Gabriel, finger shaking. Jocelyn dropping to the ground, snatching up Zachariah's felled angel blade. She pirouetted, thrusting the blade upwards in the jaw. Zachariah screamed, shaft of the sword visible in between his teeth and the sharp tip protruding from his skull.

Zachariah's eyes glowed, light enveloping his body as he continued to scream. Jocelyn darted back, arm raised against her face. His screams transcended into high pitch frequency whines, breaking the nearest windows. It ended as quickly as it came and when Jocelyn lowered her arm, Zachariah was splayed onto the ground, an outline of charcoal black wings etched into the frost. Jocelyn sniffed and turned back to the other two angels.

"Did you get what we need?"

SPNTMI

Simon's phone rang. He looked down at it, the screen giving a little glow to his face in the Manhattan night air. The female warriors surrounded him as they walked through the cemetery. He ignored the smell of old death, focusing on the hum of the cars close by, the scuttling of rodents, and the heartbeats of his friends. Ellen and Jo flanked Isabelle in the center. Its eldest, Ellen kept quiet, gun lowered to her side with her fingers off the trigger. Isabelle's face was pale and taunt, brows in a tight crease. Lines burrowed into the corners of her mouth as she stared straight ahead. She adjusted the duffle bag carrying the nephilim remains without loosing the grip on her whip. Simon's phone jangled again. Jo and Isabelle exchanged looks.

"Is now really the best time?" Isabelle asked.

Simon glanced up. "Sorry."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I promised Clary that I'd bring you back with us even if I have to drag you away from your little charity project."

Simon frowned. "Its not a charity project-"

His phone cut him off with a shrill ring. Simon ducked his head down and he stared at the screen once again. Lenore. Simon clicked on the talk button. He nodded his head at the women. They began to pick up the pace.

"Hey. Um, I'm kinda busy-"

Lenore cut him off. "Make time. Camille is coming to you."

"What?" Simon's voice rose.

Ellen, Jo, and Isabelle glanced back at him with wary eyes. Simon turned on speaker phone. The slight rush of wind didn't drown out Lenore's voice.

"I said Camille is coming to you. She's been following you."

Simon sighed. "I can see that."

The wind blew again this time and Simon didn't need the scent to tell him that Camille was standing right in front of him. All three women raised their weapons. Camille smirked, cheeks dimpling. Isabelle scowled and raised her whip higher. Two more figures emerged and then Camille was flanked by Lenore and Kyle. Both of them flinched back as Camille raised a finger, shaking it. Ellen put her own finger on the trigger. Simon held up his hands, walking in between the vampress and the hunters.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything." Camille crooned.

"Not at all." Simon forced out. "Something wrong?"

She gave a little laugh. "I couldn't help but overhear that you are leaving us-"

"You won't stop us." Isabelle said.

"I'll be looking forward to that. As it stands, this clan is just beginning to become strong again."

Simon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Naturally."

"Naturally."

Simon smiled. "Since I'll be gone, I'll trust that everything will go smoothly."

"There shall be nothing for you to worry over."

"Good. Then you can tell me where Alec and Magnus are."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Simon said. "Where are they?"

"What? My brothers' alive?" Isabelle shouted. "Why do you know that. What did you do to him?!"

Isabelle's whip snaked up, ready to fly at a moment's notice. Jo and Ellen stepped closer, each standing to a side of Camille's. The vampire merely flashed her teeth.

"Calm yourself." she said. "I merely know the location. Which, I have kept to myself, for their safety I might add."

Isabelle jutted her chin forward, whip flicking back and forth. "Thanks for that. So where are they?"

Camille laughed.

"Answer me!"

"As you wish. They reside in London. A safe house. I shall tell them you asked for them."

"And sent for them." Simon snapped. "Tell them to come to Sioux Falls, South Dakota."

"Very well. I shall await your next command." Camille gave a shallow bob of her head. "Shall I dispatch with the fae that are pursuing your companions as we speak?"

Simon's face froze. "Yes."

Camille's face tightened for a fraction of a second before smoothing over. "At once. Happy to be of service."

Camille turned on her heel. Kyle and Lenore went to Simon's side. They wore similar frowns on their faces.

"Keep an eye on her." Simon said.

Kyle nodded as Lenore kept her gaze fixed on Simon's face.

"Keep in touch."

"I promise."

Lenore nodded once more before following Kyle and Camille through the cemetery back where Simon and the others came. They were alone once more. Ellen kept her gun raised.

"We need to hurry."

SPNTMI

Dean fired yet another shot as every faerie knight of the Seelie Court pursued them. Sam had run out of bullets and resorted to using the long, slim iron bar, swinging it with abandon. One particular swing struck a knight in the jaw, who stumbled back, his flesh sizzling.

"Talathain!"

Talathain rose up but Corny leapt forward, palms splayed in a parody of jazz hands. Talathain stumbled right into the outstretched limbs. His scream spiraled up into the night sky and he fell back, finally still. Corny bumped into Luis, nearly collapsing them both. Kaye pried them up, gasping as they were rushed by five knights. Before Roiben could move, a blur of white and blonde shot through the knights. A statuesque woman in a red dress slashed at her opponents. Inhuman cries of pain rang out around her as her teeth gleamed underneath a streetlight. Dean raised his gun higher but before he could shoot, two more figures emerged. A young man and women. The man's skin rippled and puckered as he dropped on all fours, fur sprouting all over his body. The wolf howled, barreling towards a cluster of a fae, who scattered. A couple of hobmen climbed up a tree, throwing down branches.

"Is that-" Sam started.

"Lenore?!" Dean shouted.

The young brunette woman loped over to them, snapping the neck of a fae that got too close. She gave Dean a tiny smile.

"Small world."

"I'll say. How have you been?"

"Been better." She kicked at a stray fae. "Simon sent us. He'll explain the rest."

"Works for me."

From there, they slowly made their way back to they impala. Camille was a whirlwind of destruction, pulling apart with bare hands. Hair flying as she dispatched opponent after opponent, broad smile threatening to crack her face in half.

"The Unseelie King sends his regards!"

Dean shuddered as another faerie went flying, slamming to a halt against an iron fence. His death throes were brief and the car was in sight. As were Simon, Ellen, Jo, and Isabelle.

"Go go go go." Sam shouted.

Sam covered them as Dean ushered everyone inside the impala. The door slammed shut, missing Kaye's boots by inches. Camille dodged the screeching tires peeling out of the parking space. She twisted, leaping up and slammed her fist down on one of the few fae left. Dean watched the fight get smaller and smaller in his rear view mirror.

SPNTMI

There in the deserted parking lot of a no-tell-motel, Jace's breath ghosted upwards to be illuminated under a florescent street lamp. Tessa stood beside him, eyes searching his face and he kept his back straight under the scrutiny.

"I'll be fine." He said.

"I know." She said. "I'm aware, I just need to be sure you understand-"

"For the last time yes. Yes, you're a reaper with a grand and solemn duty to uphold the balance of universe and cannot spend all your free time babysitting the likes of me."

Tessa gave a small little huff. "Your words not mine."

"If you insist."

"I do."

Jace's lips twisted into a small smile. "Go on, get out of here. We both know you'll be back sooner or later."

"Stay out of trouble."

Jace just laughed. He watched her stride through the empty lot and disappear into the brambles and dead leaves. A part of his chest got heavier with each step she took. He continued to stare out at the lot long after she had gone. Jace swallowed heavily in his throat as he absorbed his surroundings in his mind's eye. The motel was the only thing there for miles. He was surrounded by highway and fields as far as his eye could see.

A harvest moon, a deep orange glow emitting itself in the night sky as clouds ghosted to and fro, casting half light over Jace' shoes. An imaginary shutter clicked within his mind, preserving the scene for him for all time. Gasping, he took the opposite direction Tessa had taken, crossing the tar on the highway to disappear into the woods, where the dying trees scattered the light. Owls hooted in the distance. Jace's footfalls were obnoxiously loud and in a snide voice that sounded far too much like Sebastian hissed in his mind.

'So much for shadowhunter stealth huh?'

"Shut up!"

Branches above him crackled and shook. Jace trembled, not ceasing even as he found a fallen bough of dead leaves to lie upon. When he woke up, only the tops of the bare trees greeted an overcast sky. Jace unwound himself up, slow and quiet. With no definition of time, he didn't how long he wandered. Quiet as a reaper, his tread brought forth only a muffled thump in the thickening woods. Another whisper of noise ahead of him and he pricked his ears. It continued and he followed it to a clearing.

A deer padded through the branches. Jace stilled and slowed himself down to a crouch to retrieve his boot knife. He stared at the deer-a yearling buck-and the deer stared back. A bead of sweat rolled down Jace's neck. He fingered the handle of his knife as the deer pawed at the ground. Jace, still bent forward, wobbled. A twig snapped as he threw his knife. It lodged itself into the tree trunk next to the deer, which bounded back whence it came. The clearing was once again clear.

Jace strode froward, uncaring of the gunshot-echos' is feet were making as he struggled to rip the knife from the black bark. Little chunks of wood hit his face. Jace shouted, punching the tree. He ignored the sudden burn that came from his knuckles as he hit the tree over and over again, red splashes of blood widening all over the bark. At the sight of it, he went into a frenzy-hitting, kicking, and slashing at the tree with his knife. Jace screamed, spittle and profanity flying out of his mouth. His words dissolved, lessening into one long cry as he sunk to the ground. Panting, hair in disarray as he curled into a ball. He only stood up and righted his balance to find the highway again.

He wasn't sure how long he wandered but he emerged from the wilderness of the roads. A moon was dim behind the clouds. A truck stop beckoned with with its florescent lights acting as a beacon to any weary traveler. Jace was no exception, heels heavy as as he went past gas pumps, and to stare into the windows of a greasy diner with the single word 'food' in bold letters. Inside a few patrons occupied stools or booths. Tables littered with cups of coffee and plates of sandwiches. A waitress with heavy bags under her eyes bused the empty tables as the cashier fiddled with basket of mints in front of him. Jace caught a glimpse of the cook pouring grease into a frying pan. The customers filling in their seats, hunching or slouching as they paid attention to their food.

Glass windows had seen better days, fogging at the corners where grime hadn't found refuge. Jace stopped short just at the door. His hand outstretched, but no one inside glanced in his direction. Jace dropped his hand. The longer he stood there, the more the window seemed to warp. As though he could he could see nothing from within the diner and he was staring at some point in nothingness. It was just him staring though he could not see. He sucked in a breath and the world suddenly came back into focus, reflection glaring back of him. Gold eyes brittle and bright. Clothes filthy, with leaves and mud, hair matted, blood on his knuckles. Like a drifter-like a mundane.

He bolted, taking refuge under a street lamp, where he panted, putting his hands on his knees. Under the light, his scars were just faint lines; hard to see even by his eyes. Jace waited for his heart to settle and his hands to still. A horn gave a little honk. Jace jumped. He couldn't reach his knife in time but he spun around all the same. A grizzled man in a peter-bilt rig pulled up to him. Said man poked his head out from the drivers' side. He had thick graying side burns and a bushy beard. A john deer cap fitted snugly on his head. His voice was pure gravel.

"Need a lift?"

Jace stared for a moment and it was long enough for the driver to shake his head. "Sorry to ask." His head retreated back into the shadows of the cab, only one side of his face still visible.

"No! Wait." Jace said. "Yes. Yes please. Yes, I'll take a ride."

The driver's head emerged back out and he leaned forward to open the passenger door. Jace darted forward and scrambled inside. Jace clicked on his seatbelt.

"Where to?"

Jace sighed. "Anywhere."

SPNTMI

TBC...