Good day, readers!

So, this chapter marks the end of City of Bones, and it isn't very long, but I hope it is halfway decent.

My goal for Rose's character is that she gives a different view from the scenes we all recognize from the books, so it may be a little boring because of that.

Enjoy!

- EasyIsTheDescent

P.S. I totally forgot to post this chapter, so I'll post two today.

Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TMI and its characters.

Perhaps she will share?

"Rose. Rose, wake up," A familiar voice was saying, and I tried to wake up.

"Liam?" I groaned, and I opened my eyes. Liam's face was hovering above mine, and I blinked. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I was looking for you, and I found you in here, in your room. I didn't think anything was wrong until I saw the rune on your back. It's gone now," He added, as I felt my shoulder. I couldn't tell if it was still there, but I took his word for it.

"Wait, my room?" I looked around. Sure enough, I saw the familiar walls, furniture, and I was in the middle of my bed. But I had been in the hallway when Hodge… "Hodge?"

Liam shook his head. "I don't know. Magnus showed up to heal Alec, but Hodge was gone. The library wasn't right, as if something had happened there." I felt slightly relieved about Alec, but a lump formed in my throat. With what Hodge had said…

"Hodge is gone." I whispered, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Liam, I think something is wrong. Where's Jace?"

"Hey, Croaky Rosie, in the flesh!" The werewolf laughed, and I groaned inwardly.

"Pete, hey! How are you, darling?" I cooed, hugging him reluctantly. I was waiting for my order at Taki's to take back to the Institute when he came up. Jace has been moping, and I thought comfort food was a good idea.

I couldn't believe it when he told me Clary was his sister. It felt so… odd. They had been so perfect for each other, or at least I had thought. The idea that Valentine, the monster of the Nephilim, was their father, was downright chilling. But I knew Jace and Clary. They were different. And they were both moping. Clary had been avoiding the Institute in general, and I yearned to do the same thing.

Hodge had left. It felt so lonely now. Me and him weren't that close, but I loved him. He had said I was a wonderful daughter… but why? Hodge had taken the care to move me to my room when he knocked me out, but did that mean he was good? Clary said he had let Valentine take Jace, had let Hugo the bird attack her, just to be free of the Institute? Free of us? It made me feel sick.

And the "Croaky Rosie" nickname didn't do anything to sooth my nausea.

"I'm good, Rose. How are you? Downworld has been buzzing about the events going on lately," Pete grinned, and I shrugged.

"It's just been hectic, Pete." I sighed, and he nodded.

"I bet. So how are you personally? Any guys catching your attention?" Pete wiggled his eyebrows, and I laughed. Pete was a couple years older than me, with curly blonde hair and brown eyes. He always joked that he had been madly in love with me, but that I caught on too late. He was going to get married, and I believe from what I heard was that he's a part of Luke's, Clary's guardian for now, pack.

"Oh, not necessarily…" I trailed off, thinking of Liam. We hadn't really been engaged in deep conversations with each other since our argument after the Greater Demon attack. It was almost physically painful. I didn't know how I felt about Liam, but I did know that I liked having him around, and without him I felt surprisingly lonely.

"Okay, sure." Pete said skeptically. Kaelie then arrived with my food, and she shot me an evil glare when I turned away. One time she had thought I was dating Jace, and ever since then she has hated me.

"Well, this is my cue. Bye, Pete." He caught me in a large one-armed hug, and I tried not to choke as he squeezed the oxygen out of my lungs.

"See you, beautiful!" He called, and I smiled as I walked out the door.

I headed in a different direction than usual, determined. When I reached Luke's house, I knocked on the door, and Clary answered, surprised.

"Hey, Rose! What are you doing here?" She asked, and I shrugged.

"I was taking Taki's back to the Institute, so I decided to come and check on you." I replied, and she shut the door behind us, leaving us alone on the porch.

She didn't say anything, so I continued. "So, how has it been with Jace?" I asked quietly, and she flinched slightly.

"I haven't seen much of him." She replied, and I gave her a serious expression.

"Look, I know this is hard to understand, but you can't just leave, Clary. This is bigger than you and Jace. This affects all of us." I reminded her. "Wouldn't you rather have Jace around as a brother-" She cringed away as if it stung, "- than not have him around at all?"

"I guess I've never thought of it that way. Thanks, Rose." She mumbled, and she started to walk inside, but stopped. "Hey Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't um… think less of me. Because of my avoiding everything. I know that I'm about as good as a mundane, but I don't want you to think I'm deadweight because of that." She bit her lip, and I shook my head fiercely.

"You are not-"

"Yes I am. I know you have thought that, and I'm sorry. I want to make it right. I'm supposed to be a fellow warrior, not a stranger mundane, but I am a stranger mundane, so I apologize."

I watched her for a second. The poor thing looked so guilty, I felt horrible for when I had thought she was useless.

"Clary, I admit, at first I was… skeptical. But then I realized that you brought mundane to the Shadowhunters, something I think we have needed for a long time. There is no doubt that we are better because of you. I can guarantee it." I smiled at her, and she looked up at me.

"You really think that?"

"Absolutely. You are a Shadowhunter, Clary, whether you want to be or not. But you will be better than the others, especially me." I laughed, and I thought of Hodge's words. "You fight with love, Clary, not violence. And love is so much more powerful."

"To love is to destroy," Clary whispered, so low that I could barely hear her.

"Jace believed that," I murmured, and she seemed to be attempting to raise an eyebrow, but gave up.

"Past tense?"

"I think," I smiled faintly, "that something changed his mind."

Clary sighed. "I have to go inside," She announced.

"Oh and Clary," I started, and she turned around to see me grinning at her.

"I think we're going to be good friends in the near future," I optimized, and she beamed before shutting the door.

"Rose!" Liam called, and I turned around. I had walked outside the Institute, standing in the back, where we had flowers and benches, unused.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to hide my shock. He jogged up to me, and he smiled. He looked relieved… I had no idea why.

"I was hoping I could talk to you," He admitted, and I grinned.

"Ask and you shall receive."

"Are you angry at me?" He blurted it out so fast I almost didn't hear him through that gorgeous accent of his, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"No!"

"Seriously?"

"Liam, why would I be mad at you?"

"You've been avoiding me." He said it as if it were obvious.

"Possibly," I murmured, and we stared at each other. For a long time.

"So I was right?" That we had been awkwardly watching one another for six and a half minutes? Yes, you hit that one on the dot, in that case.

"No. I'm not mad at you, I've just been avoiding you."

He looked confused. "So why are you avoiding me then?"

"Because I don't know what I'd say to you in conversations that went exactly like this."

"Well, what do you want to say?" He asked. We were standing a few feet away from each other, and he looked curious. I most likely looked embarrassed.

"It depends on what the response would be." He rolled his eyes at this.

"Rose, I just wanted to know… well, I honestly don't know what I wanted to know," Liam admitted, and I smiled.

"Well, I know what I would like to say, had I not been terrified to talk to you," I commented, and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"And what would that be?"

"I'd want to tell you how I feel about you."

"And how do you feel about me?"

"I… I don't know."

He smirked. "Well that's a problem then."

I laughed. "I guess it is."

We were standing closer to each other now. It had started raining slightly, and my shirt was sticking to my back with the water.

"I think it's a problem we need to solve." Liam continued, and I shrugged.

"It seems like the only available option."

"I couldn't agree more."

And our conversation effectively ended, as we were kissing each other as the rain fell, harder than before. Hodge was gone, Jace was moping, and Valentine was on the loose, but I felt completely and utterly alright.

Remember to review!

Was that a good ending? I plan to go through the whole series, so there will be things from City of Ashes next.

Love you all!

- EasyIsTheDescent