Hey guys! New chapter, hope you enjoy. Just some bonding between Clary and Jonathan coz I really wanted to explore them being close knit here and not have a weird 'relationship' like in the books that we shall not speak of

Disclaimer: CASSANDRA CLARE OWNS TMI AND ITS CHARACTERS


Chapter 3: Bonding

Jonathan takes me on a walk through the forest.

"This isn't so bad is it?" He asks.

"I guess not." I roll my eyes, it is so like him to change my mind even when I'm like 90% it's set on hating this place completely. "I mean it would be better if we actually had Wi-Fi so we could Instagram it."

He chuckles, "Of course you'd say that."

We somehow find our way to Lake Lyn and sit on a log facing the sun set. It looks beautiful, not gonna lie. Maybe it wasn't gonna be so bad here.

"This really sucks." I breathe. "But we're Morgensterns and we can totally live through this."

"Right. I'm glad you're finally coming around."

"Yeah… who would have thought?"

"Do you not remember this place at all, Clary?" Jonathan asks.

"Um… Am I supposed to?"

"Well we used to come here every summer when we were little."

I turn to look at him. Wait, what? "I have no memory of this place."

"You had an accident here so you probably wouldn't remember."

Wow life might actually get more interesting. "What happened?"

"Well you were playing with a friend. He might actually still live around here… You were on this tire swing and I guess you weren't paying attention or one of the chains were too rusty and you fell and hit your head. That was the last time mom and dad ever let us come here."

"That's crazy but I don't really blame them for taking is away from this miserable forest town."

"It's not miserable, Clary. It's just different."

"It's in the middle of nowhere and in a forest, Jonathan. Why would you want to live here?"

"Just when I thought you were finally accepting reality." He comments. "Let's go."

"Okay why are you not hating this town like me?"

He only shrugs and keeps walking. I obviously follow him since I have absolutely no sense of direction and I'd get lost if I tried to find my way on my own.

We had been walking for well over half an hour which wasn't right… we should be at that house by now –there was no way I was calling it home.

"Jon. Where are we going?"

"I am going to give you a tour." He simply replied.

But I don't want a tour. "How do you even know where we're going?"

He ignores my question and only keeps walking. How rude.

"We're only on the outskirts of the town, that's why we're practically living in a forest. But as you get deeper in and follow the road you see that it's not wood people living here."

I had no choice but to follow him.

"We're going to Seraph Bakes first. They have the best pastries and cakes."

"Okay well you can eat that because I'm on a cleanse."

He huffs, "Clary we can't afford going on cleanses… they're expensive, your weird mask things have to go too. Say good bye to your hipster lifestyle and smell the fresh air of the countryside."

"All I smell is manure."

"Sure that too." He continues to walk and not before long we enter a quaint little bakery.

"Hello Jon," Smiles a girl about his age.

"Hey Charlotte, I'll have my usual and Clary will have a chicken and mushroom bake and 2 bottles of water please."

"Coming right up."

"Wait, what? You have a usual? That person knows you? Jonathan, please explain."

"I come here every summer, since I was 15."

"But I thought that you go with friends to, like, Barbados or something?"

"That's what I tell mom and dad but I spend my time here. I've been making a few friends here and there… Pretty much know the lay of the land."

I never expected this. I always thought that Jonathan spent his time just traipsing through life and taking trips on the private jet, I knew that there was more to him but I didn't think he'd go to depths like this just to prove that he's not some shallow rich boy. "You're saying that every summer you go here?"

"Yeah, I help out with the farms around here, took up some part time jobs too. But I wouldn't spend the entire summer here, just about a month then I'd go away with Sebastian and the lot of them."

After eating at Seraph Bakes we returned to the cabin and find that mom and dad have already eaten.

"Well, how did you find that?" Jonathan asks as we sit down by the lit fireplace.

"I wish you would stop asking me how I find it here. I've already used the line 'not bad' like twice."

"Maybe tomorrow I could introduce you to a few people?"

I close my eyes and retract dramatically, "Oh no please, don't talk about the dreaded future. I am seriously not looking forward to Monday…"

"Because of the shame and humiliation we'll have to face?"

"Okay I know you're only kidding but it's also true! I was rejected from our weekly hang out today! It's still too soon."

"You'll get over it, Clary."

"Yeah sure… Well, good night. May we never wake up. Or may this only be an awful nightmare."

He laughs humourlessly, "Good night Clary."

I walk back to my room and close my door, there was no heating so it was freezing. I walk over to my curtains when I notice something –someone… I can tell that it's a guy, possibly my age, with blonde hair reflecting the light coming from the lamp by the back door. He's pulling something, something big… then I realise it's a horse. For some reason this man seemed really familiar I just couldn't put my finger on who it was.

I shrug, draw the curtains then turn the light off allowing the night to take me.


I walk up to the smell of something amazing… something homemade. I walk out of my room, curious and hungry. I know my mom or dad aren't the ones cooking, they never set foot in the kitchen at home.

"Good morning Clary darling." My mother greets.

I say it back to everyone and sit at the table. "Is that homemade cooking?"

The plates of food were put down in the centre, there was bacon, hash browns, fried and scrambled eggs, mushrooms, sausages and toast with a tub of butter on the side.

"That looks amazing." I comment and we all express our gratitude to Sophie, the cook.

"It's the typical Sunday breakfast around here. Took it from the English." She smiles and retreats to the kitchen.

"So, any plans for today?" My dad asks.

"I was gonna show Clary to the stables. And maybe get to know some of the neighbours, you know, in case we stay here for longer than intended." Jonathan replies.

"Oh Jonathan we never intended to stay, period." The room falls silent after that with everyone just eating.

"So I think you're really gonna like it. The horses –they're beautiful. I bet the stable boy will be able to teach you."

"Stable boy? Jonathan that's so old fashioned, when are we? In the 1800s?"

He smiles and opens the gate to the stable. There're someone inside. That blonde boy from last night!

"It's you!" I say aloud unintentionally.

He looks up with eyes wide in shock.

"Clary, do you know him?" Jonathan asks.

"Not exactly. I just saw him last night with a horse…"

"Hi." He says. "I'm Jace Herondale."


Ayyy More Jace next time!

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~Liz Ashley xx