Days passed in a blur after the explosion at Simon's. Emily didn't remember much, mainly because so much happened that she couldn't retain it all, even with the memory rune burning at the back of her neck.

That night, Clary, Jace and Isabelle came back in a blur of emotions. Jace had the task of attempting to comfort both of them, which failed miserably. Isabelle was ranting, crying, and ended up throwing a knife through a poor cherub angel in the drawing room, shattering the statue to pieces. Emily couldn't blame her though. She had lost her boyfriend and her brother in the same day. Clary just broke down all over again, crying and hiding against Jace like he could stop the world from being real. Magnus wasn't much help, dealing with his own sorrow at the loss of Alec. Michael eventually tried to help, bringing everyone warm tea to try to calm the nerves. It helped slightly from what Emily could tell because the yelling and crying stopped for a bit, but she knew that only one thing could actually make this better, and it was looking slimmer as the days passed.

Chase spent most of his time outside of the Institute, mainly in the back where it was still somewhat protected. Emily could see him from her window, training every once in a while. Most of the time though, he would just walk out with a book in his hand. He'd sit in the grass, reading the same book for hours in the afternoon. It seemed to be the same routine. Training in the mornings. Reading in the afternoons, and then he'd stay in his room until the next day, eating meals on his own in between. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone, Isabelle included, and although Emily was avoiding people as well, she kind of wished that he would talk to her. But even if they ran into each other in the halls, he wouldn't even let out a hello. He'd just walk by with his head down, like he was in a ghost town. The worst part was she kept thinking about that day, how his body felt against hers, even in the middle of an explosion. It was permanently etched into her brain, and she hated every minute of it.

Conan wasn't much better. He was being just as silent, although he wasn't completely ignoring Emily. They trained together in the afternoons, once Chase was done and gone to the backyard. He didn't speak unless he actually had to, and even then it was only one or two words. Emily was grateful for it either way. She'd rather it be quiet than fight with him like she had 3elately. After a while, she just couldn't take it anymore. Silence was better than yelling.

And as for Karrie and Kadan, they were just helping out as much as they could, mainly with Magnus. Michael took them quite often though. He was working on something that had to do with Jonathan and Lilith's returns that seemed too quick for him to truly believe. He hoped that the books would bring him some information that could be useful. He, being the sensible one, was going crazy with the sorrow and dread taking over the Institute. So with Karrie and Kadan's help, he hoped that they'd find a solution faster, since they didn't exactly know how much time the others had.

But there wasn't much anyone could do until some information on the missings whereabouts was discovered. The Clave refused to get too involved until Emily's family found something, anything, which could help with the investigation. The problem was: they weren't exactly showing themselves. Leviathan was staying out of sight. Lilith was quiet. Jonathan seemed to disappear in thin air. So the Clave wasn't pulling people from Idris or their Institutes until they had a reason to do it.

So that's how Emily found herself in her room, yet again, sitting on the bed in nothing but boy shorts and a tank top. The book on Leviathan that her father gave her was on her lap as she read it again just for something to do. She still couldn't figure out why her father gave it to her. It was just talking about the demon's history, facts about him, what he looks like. There wasn't really anything helpful on actually finding him. It only talked about his tendency to live in the places that people can't stand: abandoned buildings, garbage dumps, sewers, and it says that he could even live near Chernobyl. That actually made since. It's not like radiation would be a problem for him and no one would even find him there.

Her eyes were starting to burn after the hours of reading, so she tossed the book on the bed and walked towards the window. Once again, Chase was outside, lying on the grass with his hands behind his head. Emily couldn't help but notice that his shirt was off. He wasn't modest, even in his silent, invisible state. His chest was thin and perfect, and he wanted people to know it. And as she stood there, admiring from afar, Conan's words from the days before popped into her head once again.

"Too much on your mind? You mean Chase?"

Emily suddenly felt a bit of rage flash through her. "Why does everything have to go back to Chase? I've hated Chase since he got here. Now, THAT, I've made very obvious so why you think otherwise is a mystery to me."

Conan gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand. "Yeah? Then how come you were more concerned about him back there at Simon's house. When we got there, you went straight to his side. Did you even notice that I disappeared? And no need to thank me for saving your lives either. Just so you know, without me, the two of you would've been blown to bits."

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Conan was right. Although Emily didn't believe that she was actually coming to care for Chase, he did intrigue her somehow. She still hated him of course, but she didn't exactly find his death as appealing as it had been in the past. That's what scared her. It was easier to care for yourself when you didn't care for others. But if Chase was in trouble, she could actually see herself running to help, to try to save him, which she never would've done before.

"Emily, sweetheart? Are you in here?"

Emily turned to find her mother push open the door and step inside, closing it behind her with a click. Emily turned back to the window when Clary came up to stand beside her. They didn't speak, but Emily's eyes stayed glued to Chase, whether he knew it or not. It looked almost as if he was sleeping, like he didn't have a care in the world.

Clary sighed and leaned against the wall beside the window. Her hair was in a braid behind her head, keeping it off of her shoulders that were merely covered by nothing other than a tank top. "He is beautiful, isn't he?"

"That isn't exactly how I would put it." That was a total lie, but Emily had gotten good at hiding her feelings, much like her father. Clary seemed to want to say something, but Emily just turned towards her mother, breaking her eyes from Chase momentarily. "Mom, can I ask you something."

"Of course."

"When you first met Dad, how bad was it?"

Emily wasn't sure what she expected, but shy smile and a giggle from her mother wasn't it. "Your father was probably the most arrogant, egotistic, ass hat I had ever met."

There's the answer that Emily was looking for. "So why him? What in the world made you fall in love with him?"

Clary seemed to study Emily for a moment, trying to find an ulterior motive. Eventually, she just looked out at Chase for one moment before grabbing Emily's hand and dragging her towards the bed. "Sit down." Emily did. They kept their legs dangling off the bed. "Emily, is this about Chase and Conan?"

Emily nodded. Although she wouldn't tell what she was feeling, she could at least tell her mother who it was about. And Karrie was too busy lately to have time for Emily's issues, so what other woman would understand? Isabelle? Uh, no. "Mom, I'm just confused."

Clary's hand descended over Emily's shoulder and she pulled her daughter into her. "Well, everything wasn't easy with your father and me. First he was an ass. Then he was charming. Then he was my brother. Then he was forbidden. It was never easy, and things seemed to just get worse and worse. I tried with Simon, but Jace was always in my head and–"

"You dated Uncle Simon?" Emily exclaimed as she jerked back from her mother. "How had I never heard about that?"

"It's complicated," Clary admitted. "That was after Simon told me how he felt when he caught Jace and I kissing. Jace played it off, hurting me. I hurt Simon for having feelings for Jace. In fact, everyone was hurting at one point because of the feelings that your father and I shared. My mother, Luke, Izzy, Robert, everyone. Emily, letting people in opens you up to getting hurt. And I know how you are. You close yourself off to stop the pain from starting in the first place."

"It's just easier," Emily said. "I'm a better Shadowhunter when I'm not worried about everyone else. I can't focus if I have to think about the wellbeing of others. I work best with tunnel vision."

Clary sighed. "It's your choice. But I want you to know one thing: You don't choose the people you love and care for. It just happens, no matter how much you fight it. But everyone deserves a chance." Emily felt her mother kiss the top of her head before she headed towards the door. She had it propped open when she stopped. "Oh, and one more thing. Although we haven't been able to find Lilith or Jonathan, Conan did get news on Leviathan. He's gone out to investigate it now."

"What kind of news?" Emily asked as she jumped to her feet.

"He was just spotted again. But with Lilith. We have reasons to believe that they're working together."

Well, that made things even more complicated. "So, we're facing Lilith, Jonathan, and Leviathan? And you're sending Conan on his own?"

"The werewolves respond best to their kind. And I don't think sending your father would've been a good thing."

Emily couldn't argue with that. Especially if Bat was the werewolf with the news. "This isn't going to be easy."

Clary simply nodded. "Nothing in the Shadowhunting world is easy."

Jace stepped into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist while he shook the wet drops from his head. Clary still hadn't returned from Emily's room, and he found himself missing her more and more when she was gone. He hated the feeling of not being with her, not touching her, especially after everything that's happened. If he had lost Clary the way that Isabelle lost Simon, he'd be going mad trying to find her. His sister was stronger than he gave her credit for.

Clary's face just kept coming across his mind as he sat down on the bed, putting his head in his hands, slumping his shoulders. All he wanted at this point was to touch her, to feel her under him. Lately, all she had been doing is comforting everyone but him. She'd been with Magnus and Isabelle at all hours of the day, helping them cope with Alec's disappearance but it wasn't just those two that were suffering. He lost his brother, and now his wife because she was never around. She'd–

"Mr. Herondale?"

Jace lifted his head to find Conan opening the door, looking like a worried, lost puppy. The werewolf was dressed for a normal night out, jeans and a flannel shirt like a lumberjack. His black hair was a mess as he nodded at Jace. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

Jace nodded, motioning him in. Conan seemed to finally take in the fact that Jace had just gotten out of the shower and he looked away. "What? I'm covered."

Conan swallowed. "I know, it's just you – you looked more dangerous when I can see the muscles that are capable of breaking my bones."

Wimp. "Spill whatever it is you have to say. I'm not in the mood to talk."

Conan nodded. He was just standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, avoiding looking anywhere near Jace's direction. Jace couldn't help but smile at the fact that he got such a rise out of Conan was always amusing. The little werewolf hated it when Jace got defensive over the littlest things. Clary had told Jace to dial it down over a thousand times, but he never did. It was too much fun.

"Look you little pup, if you're not going to talk get the hell out. I have other business to take care of then deal with you."

"Uh, did Clary tell you that–"

Jace stood to his feet, leaning against the bed post. "Clary doesn't tell me anything nowadays. She's barely had the chance to say three words to me."

"Well, I got a call from Hunter's Moon. One of the pack said that they had information on Leviathan and Lilith, maybe Jonathan."

"And you're telling me this, why?"

Conan shrugged and backed towards the door. "Clary said that it was smart to inform you of everything I'm doing. Maybe it'll get on your good side is what she was hoping."

Jace smirked at the boy in the doorway. The only good thing about having a teenage daughter when it came to boys was how nervous he could make them. "Look here. You can do whatever you want, but it'll never get you on my good side. So just go get the information, and come back as soon as possible."

Conan nodded but didn't leave. "And Mr. Herondale, about Emily, I'd do anything for your daughter." Jace could see the sincerity that was coming across his features, but he still didn't like it either way. Conan's hand gripped the doorknob as he slowly pulled it open. "I just wanted you to know that."

Then he threw the door open and disappeared through the hallway. The fact that Jace was starting to like that kid was enough to make him fall back on the bed, gripping his head like he had a headache. Honestly, Conan wasn't all that bad. He was a little rough around the edges, but he'd kept Emily safe for a long time, whether Jace asked him to hunt with her or not. He was still always there for Jace's daughter, unlike that Chase punk.

Angel, being a father was too much work. He never thought that he'd be more worried about Emily with boys than her facing a horde of demons on her own. The thought of her with a seraph blade in her hand was easier to comprehend than her lips on Chase's or Conan's. Granted, he knew that Conan and Emily had a past, but that only meant that they weren't right for each other, didn't it? But if Conan wasn't the right one, then that left Chase, which wasn't any better.

Why couldn't Emily just be a cat lady who grows old alone? It'd be easier on him, for sure. But sadly, Church didn't really care for her, much less any other cat.

He heard his bedroom door shut a while later. It didn't make him stir since he was too lost in his thoughts. But as soon as a body sat down on his torso, hair tickling the hands the hands that covered his face, he knew exactly who it was.

"Babe, you look tired," Clary said to him as she pulled his hands away from his face. If he expected her to be curious, to pry, to pull her eyebrows together in confusion like she always did, he wasn't getting it. Instead she was smiling like a kid with a secret.

"Before you ask, yes, I talked to the fleabag."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Why can't you just call him Conan. That is his name." Jace shrugged and gripped her hips in his hands. She was wearing way too many clothes for his liking, but he knew better than to ask her for what he needed, considering everything else that she had on her mind. Even though she hadn't exactly been interested in sex the past few days, she was still tracing the runes on his chest with her fingertips, cocking her head to the side to admire him. "We need to talk about something."

"Uh, oh. You're not breaking up with me, are you?" Jace smiled as his wife shook her head, sending curls of red everywhere like flying fire.

"This is about Chase."

"How many other guys are you going to bring up while your sitting on my lap in bed? Because I hate to tell you this, but it's kind of a buzz kill."

Clary gave him a stern look. "The fact that your daughter has feelings for him might make it a little more important to you." Clary's finger covered his mouth in a hushed gesture as he tried to talk. "She's confused, and Jace, I want you to give them both a chance."

Jace arched an eyebrow. "Both?"

"Yes, Conan and Chase. They're both troubled, and whether you like the idea or not, they both care for Emily as much as we do. All three of them are confused, lost, and they're not coping well. There's a lack of parents around here for them to talk to. Chase is just closing himself off from the world. Emily stays in her room other than when she's training. Conan is the only one that is willingly social, and even then it's debatable."

He hadn't paid attention to anything she said after the 'care for Emily' part. That wasn't something that Jace wanted to hear. He knew his daughter well, and knew why seventeen and eighteen year old boys had feelings for her too. It wasn't so much for her, but for what she could do with what she had. And being the daughter of Jace, she didn't lack in the looks department. Just thinking about either of those boys, even Chase who was a Shadowhunter, having their hands on her made him want to put his fist through a wall.

As if she knew exactly what he was thinking, Clary gripped Jace's hands tightly, pulling them above his head and pinning them against the sheets. The movement caused her to lean down closer to him, and he could smell the lavender perfume coming off of her. It was intoxicating. "Jace? Promise me."

He stared at up the love his life. "Honey, I'm not going to lie to you and break a promise down the road. Neither of those rats will ever be good enough for Emily in my eyes."

"You weren't good enough for me to Luke's eyes, and yet he's accepted the fact that I love you. You need to do the same for Emily."

It also took Jace three years to get on Clary's parents' good side. Jocelyn, even twenty years later, still hated his guts. She put up a good front for Clary, smiling and hugging Jace when she had to, but it was blatantly obvious to Jace that she wished he would've just dropped dead. He didn't want to fake anything, to lie to Clary about how much he hated Chase and Conan.

But he didn't want to argue about it now. Clary, after all this time, was finally in his bed again, talking to him and looking at him in the way that made his heart race. She looked beautiful, and her fingers released his hands, tracing his runes again. She leaned down and kissed the parabatia rune that had faded. "Jace, I'm so sorry."

He frowned and pulled her chin up until he could see her face. "What are you on about?"

She sighed and quickly kissed him. It wasn't hard, but he could practically feel the want and need coming off of her as she gripped his hair, pulling him closer and closer still. Her lips were perfect, as always, but even better after his lack of touching them for the past few days. She tasted like honey, like Clary, a taste he always seemed to crave every moment of the day. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her even closer.

She gave him one last kiss before pulling back. "Don't think I didn't notice that you've been neglected. I know you well enough to know when you're upset and won't tell me. Isabelle and Magnus had needed me, along with Emily." Then she smiled evilly. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, so he just propped himself up on his elbows when she stood. To his surprise, she yanked the towel away from his waste, letting it fall to the ground beside her as she admired him. The cool air was different from the warmth that he felt when Clary was near, and again he was craving her more and more by the second. "But Emily is reading in her room, and Magnus and Isabelle are busy. We've got time to ourselves, finally."

Leviathan is known more for his speed than his brute strength. Yes, he is powerful, as all Greater Demons are. But when he moves, it's like flashes of movement, almost teleportation-like. No one really is able to see him move, but just sees when he stops. Because of this, it is almost impossible to actually kill him since many Shadowhunters, werewolves, esc aren't fast enough to use their weapons. Warlocks have better chances, but even then many have been slain at the hand of the Prince of Envy. He's-

"Emily?"

Emily looked up from her bed later that night to find Chase in her doorway. The last thing she expected to see after sunset was him. Without asking permission, he walked in a locked the door behind him with a locking rune. She just raised an eyebrow at him but didn't speak, considering she didn't really know what to say. What do you say to someone after not speaking to him for three days and then he show up in your room at night wearing black pants and being completely shirtless? Simple: you don't.

He stopped at the foot of her bed, rubbing his hair with his right hand. "Um, can I talk to you?"

After some debating, she finally nodded and pointed to the bed where he sat without a word. Mixed emotions hit her again like they did when he was around lately. She was worried at first. The circles under his eyes had become prominent over the past few days, probably from the stress of losing Simon. Not only that, but he stopped using iratze during training, and bruises and cuts covered his torso, arms, and face. But then again, Emily just wanted to be with him like she always had been, or so she thought. She wanted him to be sarcastic, annoying, rude even, because that's how their relationship was. But now, after all this time, her eyes focused on his lips, his cheeks, and she internally slapped herself. She couldn't be thinking like that!

She didn't speak, figuring it was best to let him say what was on his mind. But he didn't do a thing but stare at her. His green eyes were darker than hers, and they searched her face like was looking for something. She thought he was finally going to talk when his eyes drifted down, past her tank top and boy shorts, onto the bed where the book was.

"You're reading up on Leviathan?"

Emily looked down at the open book. He wants to talk literature? "My dad gave it to me, and I figured it would've had something in it that could help us. Now that rumors are going around that he's working with Lilith, things are going to be more complicated."

Chase just nodded. His jaw was set, the curve of it casting a shadow on his neck from her ceiling fan light. "Things have been complicated for years," he said. Emily wanted to ask why, but she never got the chance. "Can I show you something?"

She just nodded, finding herself confused and speechless for the first time in a long time. He led her out of the room, by the hand, where she was acutely aware of his pulse beating like a drum. They were ascending the steps in a hurry, and Emily wasn't sure what to think at the moment.

Chase had never been so… quiet. He always had something to say, mostly bad, but never like he didn't have an opinion. And since Simon's house blew up, Emily felt like she was seeing a whole different side to him. Conan was steady, always steady and the same, but Chase seemed to be changing into different people every other day. One day he'd be the ass hole that Emily was used to. Then he'd turn into a caring, worried boy that just lost a loved one. Now, he'd be a ghost that didn't speak? That's not normal, and she had the feeling that something was up. She was also positive that she wouldn't like whatever it was.

She knew where they were going before they even got there. Chase opened the door to the greenhouse, pulling her through in a hurry and locking the door, once again. He really was being secretive with the locks. That's not what caught Emily's eye though.

The greenhouse was normal, except for one little detail. The flowers were growing tall, with the lights shining from the glass ceiling above. The stars of the night were out, decorating the sky in all auras of colors. The closed buds of the madianox plant surrounded a cleared area in the middle of the leaf-smelling greenhouse. A blue blanket was set out that was big enough for only two people. To the north part of the blanket was a box, small and wooden, with a carving of an Angel on it, and Chase led Emily to it.

"What's this about?" Emily asked, her curiosity peaking as they sat down on the blanket. "What are you up to?"

Chase shrugged as he leaned back on his hands. His eyes stayed forward, staring at the plants as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world. "I don't know what you mean."

Emily sighed and leaned forward, staring at the box. If none of this had ever happened – no Jonathan, Lilith, or Leviathan issues – then Emily never would've found herself in this situation. She never would've let herself up here in the greenhouse with Chase, especially to be alone with him. But it was one of her favorite places to think, along with her mother's studio. She glanced to her right, towards the entrance, and smiled. Her mother had told her the story a thousand times about the first kiss she had with Jace. Granted, she never told what happened after, which apparently included Simon, but knowing that this was the spot that it all started for her parents made it a little more special.

And a little more intimate.

"When my parents were taken from me, it was the hardest time of my life," Chase said. Just from his tone of voice, Emily knew to keep quiet. It was like he was just talking, like she wasn't even there. "I was fourteen. My parents had taken my sister and me out to Tower Bridge in England the day after a bad demon fight. It had been my first hunt, and I was exhausted, but I went with them anyway. What we didn't know was that we were walking into a trap. Demons jumped out of nowhere at the base of the bridge that night. I watched as one grabbed my father and threw him overboard. I watched him fall into the water with a sickening splash, and I remember screaming and running after him, only to be captured myself."

Emily glanced back at Chase and saw something she had never seen before. He was crying, but not just a single tear. Multiple drops fell down his face as he blinked them away and turned away from her gaze. "Chase, you don't have to tell me this."

"I lied to the Clave," he admitted. "When they questioned me about the incident, after my mother and sister were taken into the night and my father killed, I was scared and still horrified at what had occurred. I just told them that all three of them were dead, that regular demons came, took them, and killed them. The Clave believed it, and that was the end of it. What they didn't know was that my mother and sister were alive, and are still."

"I thought you said your family was killed?"

Chase shook his head and finally looked back at Emily. The small tears were still falling, and the stains on his cheeks were more than visible. "My father was killed. But Leviathan was the demon that took the rest of my family."

"Leviathan? But he's–"

"Working with Lilith. I didn't know that until a few days ago." She knew what that meant. The rest of the Institute didn't know about Lilith and Leviathan until today, and even then it wasn't confirmed until Conan had gotten back. So for Chase to know before everyone else… "Emily, you're going to hate me for this, but I have to tell you something."

Aaaaaaaand here we go with the drama. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Tell me if you guys love it, hate it, esc. I like hearing what you have to say!