Hello, lovelies. Good to see you again! So this next chapter is extra long because I couldn't stop writing. I wrote the majority of it on my way up to Fargo and finished in the room. The view is gorgeous and very fun to write to so you can thank this amazing city for it. Haha, walking around campus today and eating at this tiny sandwich shop was really inspiring for this so I'll be writing more tonight and tomorrow, I hope it'll be up soon! This is going to be fun. And thanks to lj3girls for the review and she was picked for the word. She chose the word asshat, charming isn't it? Haha, that was very fun to add in! Have fun with the chapter, I know I did! Forgive me if there are typos!

Disclaimer: Not mine, bro.

DFTBA!,

KelseyDockry.

"Aline," I said with a fake yet real looking smile. "I didn't know that you were coming."

"Got in late last night. I was surprised that you weren't here, Jace," she said, smiling at my boyfriend.

"I was out. With Clary," his arm tightened around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Where did you two come from?" Alec said as he walked in.

"Clary's apartment," Jace answered, oblivious to the rhetorical hint in the question.

Izzy went over to the stove and turned it on. I immediately felt protective of everyone in the room, well, almost everyone, and said, "Jace and I were going to Taki's…" I let the bait float there.

"Mind if I crash your lunch?" Alec said from the doorway.

"You all can if you want to."

"Fine! Fine, I see how it is! I guess we're all goin' then?" Izzy said.

"You all can if you want to, Izz," I fixed.

She turned off the stove and untied the apron that clung to her front. Aline got up and walked over to us while Isabelle shimmied the small blade out of her bun letting the hair fall down her back. Jace pulled me out of the room before they had finished all of this. We walked down the hallway casually but I could feel him getting ready for the inevitable scolding. I didn't say anything about her; it was good for him to sweat a bit. I didn't want to fight; I'd had enough fighting yesterday to last a week or two. Yesterday we'd fought about training for too long and we'd also fought about me going to Alicante to see everyone. I'd left that and walked into the pouring rain before Izzy had gotten me and made me come back. That was horrible and I do not want to fight with anyone today; except maybe Aline, wouldn't mind kicking her ass.

"Well maybe if you'd let me practice cooking once without going to Taki's or ordering pizza I'd be better at it!" I heard Izzy yell from behind us.

"Doubtful," Alec answered.

"Alec! Shut up!" She yelled again.

"Don't talk to my Aly-kinz like that!" Magnus ordered, I suppose that he had come from Alec's room.

Jace and I stopped at the elevator and called it to our floor. I lounged against the wall and he stood in front of me with his hands on my waist. I smiled at him and he looked surprised.

"Sorry," he breathed into my ear.

"You tried to tell me, I didn't let you," I forgave.

He kissed me quickly in reply.

"How long is she here?" I asked after he pulled back.

"I don't know; as long as we'll be spending the night at your place."

I kissed him this time, pushing my hand deeper into his golden curls. He seemed surprised at first and then kissed back. His hand was on the wall for a few seconds before he decided to lift me so that he wouldn't have to bend down. That was the precise second that I heard a small gasp behind me and then a snort. I stopped the kiss as fast as I could, still embarrassed when people caught us even though I had had enough time to get to it.

I looked over Jace's shoulder to learn that the gasp had come from a newly recomposed Aline and he snort: Izzy. I pushed lightly on Jace's chest and he put me back down to my proper height.

"Enjoying your selves, I see," Magnus smirked.

The elevator rang, saved by the bell, and I walked in without saying anything and Jace did the same. Nobody brought it up again and started talking about the next party that the sparkly warlock next to me was going to throw. I heard my phone buzzing in my bag and found it without trouble.

"Hello?" I said quietly.

"Hey, Fray," Simon said.

"Si! What's up?" I asked a little louder.

"Chillin' what's up with you?" He said back. I missed his voice after a few days of not talking.

The elevator beeped and opened so everyone walked out. I followed them while saying, "Goin' to Taki's for lunch. You'd better be there."

Then I saw something that made my heart jump: little Max, glasses on, book clutched to his chest, and fast asleep. I seemed to be the only one that noticed so I walked through to the back of the room and put the phone between my head and shoulder. Simon said something about Erik's girlfriend and I shook Max's shoulder. "Hold on, Si. Max," I whispered. His little eyes fluttered open and his mouth curved into a smile at the sight of me. He was so much like nine year old Simon, with his rumpled video game t-shirt and his crooked glasses.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi, we're going to Taki's. Do you wanna come?" I asked.

He nodded and shook his hair out of his eyes.

"'Kay, I'm back," I said to Simon.

"So anyway, she was with us last night and Erik jumped out from behind her and she literally screamed. And I do mean screamed," he said with a laugh. "I'm shocked nobody came to see if we were murdering her."

I laughed as I walked back to Jace with Max, "You guys are horrible!" I said to him.

"True. So band practice tomorrow, Pandemonium the next day. Don't you dare forget!" He reminded me.

"Baby, how could I?" I joked.

Jace's hand twined with mine and I felt at home. "I have no clue, but I've gotta go if you want me at Taki's," Simon said.

"See you in fifteen," I said.

"Fifteen," he confirmed. "Love ya."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up and looked at Jace, a reflex reaction. He was already looking at me and he smiled while he squeezed my hand.

"Are we almost there?" Aline asked suddenly, interrupting Alec's conversation with Max, Iz, and Magnus about some werewolf den in Prague.

"Almost, about ten minutes more of a walk," I told her conversationally.

"Why are there so many people here?" She asked.

"It's New York City, what'd you expect?" Alec said.

"It's more than Alicante."

"Yeah, there are more mundies than Shadowhunters here," I said.

"Weird. Are we going to go hunting tonight?" She asked.

"Why would we?" Alec replied.

Jace was about to make a rude remark when she said, "Isn't that what you do for fun here?"

"What gave you that idea?" Izzy asked.

"Jace told me that you guys go hunting all the time when you were in Alicante. Isn't that right, Jace?" Aline said.

I tried my hardest to look like I didn't care that she just referred to one of the worst days of my life.

"Max is with us so we won't go tonight," was all that Jace said. He didn't even look at her, only stared straight forward.

"Hmm," Aline replied.

We walked for the last five minutes until we walked into Taki's. Jace held the door like a gentleman and leaned down to my ear to say, "I love you."

"I love you too," I said with a smile.

We sat down and he moved as close to me as he could possibly get. His arm was around my waist and tapped up and down my side. My head was on his shoulder and fit perfectly into his neck. I loved him more than anything; in fact, I was willing to wager that I loved him more than anyone had ever loved anyone or anything before. Simon came in and I waved him over. He sat next to Izzy who kissed him quickly; they had officially been exclusive for a while now. The kiss sent a soft pang through me, I was extremely happy that my best friend and my best girlfriend were together but it still was sort of sad to see Simon kiss another woman.

"Hey, Clary," he said.

"Hey, Si."

"Alec, Magnus, asshole," he greeted.

"Leech," Jace grinned. At least they got along in their own weird way.

"Oh, Aline. When'd you get here?"

"Yesterday. Good to see you again, Simon."

"You too. Hey, Max."

"Hi, Simon!" Max greeted from beside me cheerfully.

The same waitress that'd worked here from when I'd met Jace and the others walked up to our table. "Hey guys," she said. "Can I start you off with anything to drink?"

Everyone ordered and she walked off. I saw her look longingly at Jace before she went to go get the drinks. This look reminded me of the first time I'd come here when Jace had snuck off the go make out with her and came back with his ruffled curls and lipstick marks on his neck. Then I thought of how nowadays he'd come back from me with the ruffled curls and crinkled t-shirt, that same devilish look on his face. Okay, Clary. Enough, you're getting carried away!

She came back, took our order and we ate while talking about how Alicante was doing since we'd left. Frankly, after the thought of Jace's golden and ruffled curls I was just waiting to be alone with him. We finished and walked back to the institute. Because of the blood and mark of Cain Simon could come into the Institute now. Jace and I stayed there for a few minutes until we couldn't bear to talk to them anymore. We left with a quick good bye and walked out to the street. When we got to my apartment I closed the door and pushed him against it. I practically attacked him and he was willing to fall prey to me. Our lips stayed locked together for what felt like seven days and seven nights, a good seven days and nights. I pulled my head back and realized that somewhere in that kiss he'd lifted me and I could now see the top of his golden head. I pushed against him and he said, "No."

"Jace," I laughed. "Down."

"No." His head burrowed into the base of my neck.

"Why not?" I asked. I felt like I was talking to a three year old. A tall, gorgeous, golden, stubborn, sexy, angel of a three year old, but still.

"Because," he said. I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"You're so stubborn," I said.

"You'd think that you could create a rune to stop that, huh?" He said.

"You'd think that you could stop being stubborn on your own, huh?" I replied.

"You'd think that you could create a rune to get down on your own, huh?" He said into my neck.

"You'd think that I could create a rune to make you stop being such an asshat!" I said back to him.

He laughed and pulled his head back to look at me. "Why down?"

"Because I'm two feet off of the ground for no reason."

"Would you like a reason?" He asked.

"I had a reason but now I'd like to be put on the floor so that I can breathe properly," I answered.

He finally put me on the floor and I felt very short but at least I could breathe. He grabbed my hand and we walked into the apartment.

"So what are we doing now?" He asked.

"I don't know, we could go see a mov-" I was interrupted by a phone call.

I rushed to get the phone off of the counter and almost tripped over Jace as he sat down. "Hello?" I asked.

"Clary, it's Maryse."

"Oh, hi. How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. And how are you, dear?"

"I'm fine."

"I called to talk to Jace, I assume that he is there?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah, he's right here," I said.

"It was nice to hear from you, dear."

"You too." I handed the phone to Jace. "Your mother," I whispered.

"Hello?" He said.

I sat on the counter and watched him talk to his mom. "Yeah… Because she's my girlfriend… No, Mom it's not like that… Look, I'm not going to talk to you about that… Yeah, Aline is at the institute. Why?... No…. No, Maryse. I'm not going to… You know why!... That's not going happen and that's final… Just because you're my mother doesn't mean that I have to do what you tell me to do… No." He hung up and set the phone on the table.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I got down and walked over.

"Maryse is making me stay at the institute. With Aline," he said.

"What?"

Now that's not that much of a cliffhanger is it? I don't think it is but of course I know what happens next. Haha, This chapter was extra long because of the view and he drive. So thanks again, Fargo! Alright, next chapter very soon! I'll be picking another winner for the word. So review and come again soon, lovelies!

DFTBA!,

KelseyDockry.