Author's Note: It gets really hard to name chapters sometimes, did you know that? Thanks for reading. Please enjoy this chapter and please review. I'm serious. I need some major encouragement these days. At least tell me you're reading this. You don't even have to say anything beyond the word "hello." Really. I accept all reviews: good, bad, ecstatic, anonymous… Do it for Jace because Celine + Stephen = Jace and you do want to see that, right? Really. Close your eyes and think of Jace.

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Chapter 10: Market Square

There was nothing left to say after Stephen told Amatis he wanted a divorce. She had plenty to say and screamed awful, hateful words at him in the time he took to pack some clothes. Stephen didn't cry, he barely felt, and would later remember how stoic he was, packing shirts and matching socks as Amatis's entire world came crashing down. Then, suddenly, Stephen was jumping out the front door as it slammed closed and hit him in the foot. Inside the house Amatis continued to scream and cry, hysterical. All of the neighbors were watching, listening, and pretending not to. Stephen walked away from the canal house without a look back.

Stephen took Nicias, left town, and spent the afternoon riding around the country side. At close to sundown he ended up on a hillside overlooking the Herondale manor. Right now, his parents would be sharing a bottle of wine over dinner. Stephen knew if he showed up, he would never hear the end of it. Marcus would roll his eyes and say what Stephen figured he had thought all along: that marrying Amatis, young and stupid, was a mistake. Imogen would want to know why the marriage failed and Stephen wasn't ready to tell his mother that he'd cheated on his wife. He wasn't yet ready to admit that the marriage he thought was going to last forever… wouldn't.

The night air was growing cold and Stephen knew he would need to find shelter for the night. Like it or not, there was only one place he felt welcome at, and his parent's home was not that place. Stephen continued on to the Fairchild Manor, arriving there just as the sun hit the horizon. He stowed his horse in the barn, then walked up to the front door and knocked.

The door opened after a minute. Celine stood there. Stephen never noticed the light dusting of freckles across her nose, how she was so gold and tan, she appeared like every archetype angel he'd ever seen a picture of. All she needed was a halo. Tonight, Celine was wearing a loose dress long enough to brush the floor, with a single strand gold necklace around her neck, rather than her Circle amulet. She was barefoot.

"Stephen," Celine said, shocked.

"Celine," Stephen groaned. He walked inside, took her in his arms, and laid his head on her shoulder. "I've done terrible things." Celine rested one hand against his back as her other hand gently brushed the back of his neck. She was breathing lightly against his throat.

"I know," Celine said. "We were just eating dinner… come on, I'll fix you a plate."

"I'm not hungry," Stephen said. "I'm just here because…" He wasn't ready to admit he had nowhere else to go.

"Come have something to drink. You look like you need a drink," Celine said. She guided him down to the dining room. Stephen walked in to see Valentine at the head of the table, with Hodge to his right. Jocelyn was sitting next to Hodge, looking ill and exhausted. There were two other people there as well, a man and a woman. The woman bore a striking resemblance to Jocelyn.

"I'll just come back later," Stephen said. "You're obviously having dinner with your family."

"You're our family too," Valentine said. "Sit with us. Eat. Celine made us an apple pie for dessert."

Stephen sat down beside Hodge. He didn't eat much in the way of dinner but did enjoy a piece of apple pie covered with ice cream for dessert. After the meal, everyone went into another room to have drinks. Valentine pulled Stephen into the kitchen.

"I didn't think you would actually go through with it," Valentine said, needing not to say what "it" was. "What happened?"

"I asked her for a divorce and told her what happened last night, with Celine. She threw me out," Stephen said. "I didn't want to come here. I know you have your own family, your own… things… going on…"

"Shhh. You're part of my family," Valentine said. He put his arms around Stephen and held him tightly, in a way Celine couldn't. Valentine's arms were wide, warm, all encompassing, and Stephen felt safe in them. "Will you being pursuing an annulment then?"

"Yes," Stephen said, nodding quickly.

"Very good," Valentine said. "You'll need to spend 30 days living apart. That means no going to see her when you're feeling lonely and desperate. At the end of the thirty days you can see the Silent Brothers, who will grant you a divorce."

"Sounds simple enough," Stephen said.

Valentine insisted that Stephen spend the thirty days at Fairchild Manor, and Stephen didn't object. He was shown to a large room at the far end of the manor, away from Valentine and Jocelyn's quarters, and Jonathan's nursery. The room was filled with bookshelves and windows, as well as a large bed and a fireplace.

Once Valentine was gone, Stephen prepared for bed by dressing in pajama pants. He decided against wearing a shirt, as the room was warm. Stephen considered looking over the bookshelves for reading material but felt incredibly tired, and, oddly enough, homesick. Stephen remembered moving into the dorms at the Academy. Once all of the gear had been stowed and his entire trunk of clothing was unpacked and put in the closet, Stephen had crawled into bed and realized that he had left everything he ever knew back home in London. Stephen planned to return to London after graduation, but then he met Amatis and married her. Now, four months after graduation, Stephen was standing in an unfamiliar place. He wasn't homesick for London; he was homesick for a place to call home.

Stephen crawled beneath the quilt on the bed and buried his face in a pillow, hoping to staunch the tears prickling in the corners of his eyes. He placed his hand over his heart and felt the two runes there, etched into his skin. One was for healing; the other was for wedded union. Stephen traced his fingers across his collar bone and down to his bicep to the matching union rune. He began to feel desperately alone.

"Stephen?" Valentine called. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," Stephen said. He sat up and wiped his eyes quickly as Valentine walked in, dressed in dark hunting gear.

"I just wanted to tell you that Hodge and I are going out for the evening. We'll be back later. Let Celine know if you need anything, Stephen," Valentine said with a wink. Stephen rolled his eyes. The last girl he wanted to be with was Celine, though he wasn't denying the fact that he was craving the same numbness he'd felt with her last night.

"Is it wise to risk an Initiation while Jocelyn's parents are here?" Stephen asked. Valentine walked over to the bed and sat beside Stephen.

"Is that your opinion as my second in command?" Valentine asked. He looked down at Stephen, a little smile playing at his lips.

"Anything could happen. The Fairchilds could get suspicious," Stephen said. "We just stole the Cup last night. It would be… wise… to lay low for a few days."

"And if I don't want to lay low? If I want to go out and slaughter every werewolf in Idris? What then, Stephen?" Valentine asked. He ran his finger tips over the scar on Stephen's arm. Stephen felt his skin warm to Valentine's touch. He took a few breathes. Valentine moved his hand to Stephen's chest and slid his fingers gently over the five claw marks the vampires had left behind. The muscles in Stephen's chest tensed, then relaxed.

"You are to… think of the good of the group. We are…" Stephen said, stifling a gasp, "we are nothing without you."

"You give yourself no credit," Valentine mumbled. He ran a finger tip down the center of Stephen's chest, stopping at the waistband of Stephen's pajama pants. "I'm nothing without you, Stephen. Nothing." Stephen shivered. "It's so nice to have another man in the house." Valentine smiled. Stephen looked up into his eyes and found only two dark, blank orbs staring back at him. His breath caught in his throat.

"I'm glad to be here. Your accommodations are… most luxurious," Stephen said.

"I owe it all to Jocelyn," Valentine said. "A good woman gives her husband the means to do anything his heart desires. I'm sorry about you and Amatis. I wish you better luck in the future."

"It's hard to believe it's really over," Stephen said.

"It is, Stephen," Valentine said. "It is." He stood up and touched Stephen's hand once more. "This isn't an Initiation, by the way. Hodge and I are going to Berlin for some demon hunting, for old time's sake. We'll be back before dawn." Valentine walked over to the door, stopping to look up at a cross hanging beside the door. It was an ankh, the symbol for the Circle. "I already have Hodge's fidelity. He would follow me to the ends of the earth if I asked him to. He loves me, Stephen."

"Everyone does," Stephen said. Valentine's mouth quirked into another smile. "Be careful tonight, Valentine."

"Always," Valentine replied, and left the room.

A little while later, Celine knocked on the door, then entered the room. She was carrying two steaming tea cups and had changed into a warm looking robe. Celine set one of the tea cups on the bed side table.

"What have you brought me?" Stephen asked.

"Hot brandy and water with a little honey," Celine explained. "Valentine said you might have trouble sleeping."

"He just loves slipping me booze, doesn't he?" Stephen asked. Celine sipped from her tea cup and shrugged. She glanced at the door. Stephen picked up his cup and took a sip, then drank it all quickly. He set the tea cup back on the bedside table and sighed as the hot alcohol warmed his throat, then stomach.

"I'll let you know when breakfast is ready in the morning," Celine said. She started for the door.

"Wait, don't go," Stephen said, sitting up quickly. "Stay with me, please. What if I need something?"

"Oh, Stephen, I doubt there is anything you might need," Celine said. Still, she sat down on the edge of the bed. Stephen reached over and took her hand. She wore a small silver ring on her right hand. On closer inspection, Stephen discovered it to be the Midwinter ring.

"Are you a Midwinter, or a Morgenstern?" Stephen asked.

"I don't know anymore," Celine replied. "In the beginning, I was a Midwinter. I was accepted as a Midwinter. Now… I'm Valentine's sister. When he moved in with Jocelyn, I came along. I guess you can say I'm a Morgenstern by proximity."

"Were your parents really killed by a warlock?" Stephen asked. He shouldn't have asked but something couldn't keep himself from asking.

"I don't remember. I was barely a child," Celine said. "Why do you want to know?" Her eyes narrowed.

"No reason," Stephen said quickly.

"Go to sleep. I'm being sent to Alicante tomorrow to pick up provisions. You may accompany me. We'll talk more then," Celine said. She stood up, but Stephen grabbed her by the wrist. Celine barely had time to set her cup down before Stephen pulled her onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips hungrily, the same way he kissed her the night before. Celine cried out, slapped Stephen across the face, and leapt from the bed.

"What was that for? You wanted me last night. What's so different about tonight?" Stephen demanded.

"Who said I wanted it last night?" Celine asked. "You don't need me tonight anymore than you needed me last night. Do you really think I wanted to be the reason you asked your wife for a divorce?"

"What?" Stephen asked. "What do you mean, you didn't want to be the reason…?"

"Never mind," Celine said. She sat beside him again and kissed him on the cheek as she ran her hands down his chest. His cheek was still stinging from her slap, but was soothed by the gentle touch of her finger tips.

Stephen kissed her lips and closed his eyes, then opened them to look into her eyes. Whereas Valentine's eyes were so dark, Stephen could never look into them, Celine's were a brown so light, then were almost translucent. Stephen could see fear in them, as well as uncertainty, and perhaps, something else. Stephen felt everything Celine was feeling.

"I wouldn't have had you if you didn't want me to," Stephen mumbled. He closed his eyes and kissed her again. Celine ran a hand through Stephen's hair and kissed beneath his left ear.

"You're hard to refuse," Celine said. Stephen looped an arm around her waist and pulled her close once more. She lay down beside him and Stephen rolled into his side so his hips pressed into hers. He was starting to feel hot in the same way Celine always made him burn. Stephen bit his lower lip, and then moved a hand under Celine's robe. He ran his hand up her inner thighs as Celine touched his chest again, kissing him in various places.

"Do you have to refuse me?" Stephen mumbled. Celine's hand stopped over his heart, framing the two runes etched there.

"Yes," Celine whispered. "I don't care what you think you need, it's not sex, and it's certainly not sex with me. You have to wait 30 days to get divorced for a reason, you know." Celine climbed out of the bed.

"I'm sorry," Stephen whispered.

"No, I'm sorry," Celine said. "Good night, Stephen."

Early the next morning, Stephen was woke up by a knock on the door. He sat up to see Celine disappearing down the hallway. Stephen dressed and went downstairs to find breakfast a repeat of dinner the night before, only, Jocelyn was holding Jonathan, attempting to feed him a bottle as he fussed. Hodge was missing. Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild were trying to offer Jocelyn advice. Stephen took a seat beside Celine.

"Just give him to me and eat your breakfast," Valentine said. Jocelyn handed over the baby looked down at her meal. Valentine offered Jonathan the bottle and he took it readily. "He must love me more." Valentine laughed softly, as if he was joking. Jocelyn's father laughed as well, though he sounded uncomfortable. Jocelyn looked up quickly and stared into Stephen's eyes, daring him to speak. Stephen knew enough about babies to know that they could sense fear and discomfort, and Jocelyn was terrified of her own son.

Breakfast was spent making awkward small talk. After the meal, Stephen prepared to go to Alicante with Celine to pick up supplies.

There was a chill in the air when Stephen helped Celine into a carriage, then climbed in after her. Stephen was glad to have borrowed a coat from Valentine, which he wore over a thin white shirt. Celine was dressed in a pair of dark pants and a green sweater, as well as a pair of boots that came to just below her knees. Just three weeks before, they were skinny dipping in the lake. Now, they were completely covered up, as autumn was in the air.

Mrs. Fairchild had sent along a thermos of hot apple cider mixed with rum, as well as several cookies. The moment they set off for Alicante, Celine put her feet up on the carriage seat and pulled out a book. She tucked some hair behind her ear, and began to read. Stephen lay down as best he could and fell asleep to the rocking of the carriage, waking up only when the carriage stopped.

"You snore," Celine said.

"You-" Stephen began, then thought better of it. He climbed out of the carriage to find them in Market Square, which was not far from Angel Square. The bakery Stephen and Michael had eaten at was close by.

The square bustled with people heading to and from the shops and open air stands. The air smelled like hot, freshly baked bread and sweet, sugary pies. Stephen's mouth watered as he thought about the cinnamon bun he and Michael had shared the other night. He could almost justify buying another. Perhaps Celine would want to share, or, perhaps, he could keep it for himself.

"You'll go to the butcher and pick up the order," Celine was saying. "I'm going to the bakery for bread. We'll meet at the grocer. I have a whole list of things Jocelyn needs for the baby and Valentine wants to have another apple pie sometime soon."

"The what?" Stephen asked.

"The butcher, Stephen," Celine said. Stephen was unused to this side of Celine; the side who told him what to do while he did as she said. She reminded him of Amatis, and he was unsure of whether to dislike being drug about town, or like being put in his place. "Make sure we aren't cheated on the meatballs."

She walked into a bakery without a look back. Stephen watched her retreat, and then went to the butcher, where he got an improbable amount of meat he then took back to the carriage. He met Celine at the grocery store. She got a cart and began tossing things into it as she demanded Stephen go find other things.

"I need a dozen green apples… no, make it two dozen… no, three," Celine said. She weighed a head of lettuce and gestured off to some part of the produce area.

"Why?" Stephen asked.

"Valentine's pie," Celine snapped.

"I hate green apples," Stephen mumbled.

"You seemed to like them last night," Celine said.

"You seemed to like-" Stephen began and again, thought better of it.

He walked over to a table full of apples and began to count them into a bag. He felt an apple hit the side of his boot and looked down to see that the apple in question was red, not green.

"Angel," A voice whispered. Stephen looked over to see Amatis standing beside a display of red apples. She was holding several in her hands, but her hands were tiny and the apples looked dangerously close to falling from her hands. There was a half full shopping cart beside her, which wasn't surprising. Today was Tuesday and they always did the shopping on Tuesday. Stephen could imagine tossing a leg of lamb into her shopping cart, then going home to slow cook spicy Welsh lamb, the only meal he was capable of cooking. They would still be married…. No, they were still married. Stephen should have been going home with her, not Celine.

Stephen's mouth fell open. He tried to say her name but no sound came out, only air. Amatis lifted her hands to her chest, clutching the apples, but another slipped from her fingers, hit the floor, and split in half. It had only been 24 hours since they last saw each other, but Amatis seemed to have fallen completely apart in that time. Her hair was a mess. She was wearing baggy pants and an old shirt of Stephen's. Amatis's face was pale, her eyes blood red and filled with tears. She looked half crazy and Stephen was unsure of who to blame.

"Stephen!" Celine called, "Come say hello to little Alec!" Stephen wrenched his eyes away from Amatis to see Celine halfway across the produce department, standing with Robert and Maryse. She was holding a baby in her arms and she was smiling down at him. When Stephen looked back at Amatis, he saw only three red apples rolling across the floor.

It wouldn't be the first time Stephen assumed he was only seeing things. Amatis couldn't have been there. She couldn't have been that close, and he couldn't have been stupid enough to let her go.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Please review. Please? At least pressure me into updating soon because as of right now Chapter 11 is 166 words of an outline. Thanks for reading, again, from the bottom of my heart!