After Nexus had ran away from Ben in the garden, she had barricaded herself inside her aunt's room. Luckily for her, Isabelle was a considerate aunt, not prying into the matter and leaving her to her own devices. As the Shadowhunter read one of the many reports stashed in the vanity, Magnus called, telling Nexus that she would have to stay at the Institute for a bit longer. Knowing that they had found something, she lied and told him that she would be fine. She wouldn't be, but she could at least act like she was alright.

"That reminds me, Simon called earlier, so we're all going out to dinner tonight..." Isabelle looked cautiously at her niece to see how she would take the news.

Nexus looked at her sideways from the bed, "I could eat."

Izzy sighed in relief, "If only the others were half as mature as you..."

Nexus nodded, "Why don't I get ready will you rally the troops?"

"Yeah." Isabelle left the room with a last worried glance back at her beloved niece.

Nexus headed straight into Isabelle's bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a complete wreck, not even remotely close to a possible description, her skin was gleaming with sweat, splotches of tear-stained make-up running down her face. Dark bags hung under her eyes, reminding her painfully of the nightmares that have kept her awake. Pulling down what was left of an elaborate up-do, empty spheres of navy peered through a curtain of black, blue, and violet. Touching a colored lock, Nexus watched as the color drained from the black, leaving her hair a matted monotone, the blue and purple vanishing into her roots. Not caring about her appearance at the moment, she knew that if she didn't add another color to her head, people would wonder about her, so she made a single hot pink stripe going down the side of her face. Not her finest work, but it would suffice.

"Give me strength to get through this." She looked up at the ceiling, twisting the tap on so that the shower rained needles of water.

Feeling the water with her left hand, she discarded her clothing and stepped into the shower, allowing the water to wash away her troubles. Not that it really could wash her problems away, but at least the steady beat of the water-pins on her body and the heat of the water soothed her, seeping past her skin. It was a welcome feeling that she longed to last longer; but this had to be a quick shower. After scrubbing herself clean with Isabelle's lavender soap, standard of all Institutes since the invention of soap, Nexus got out of the shower, wrapping a fluffy white towel around herself.

"Nexus," She heard a voice that she instantly could identify calling her name beyond the door.

Not needing to look to know who was in Isabelle's room, Nexus swung the door open and leaned against the door frame, glaring at her unwelcomed guest, "What do you want from me now?"

"I should have told you... But it happened so fast, and it was the one time... I didn't know, I thought - "

"What did you think, huh?" She was a little disappointed that Ash had been the one waiting for her, but after her outburst, she was madder that she had waited this long, "That I have feelings? That the hate I showcased was actually fake? No, you probably thought of no one but yourself!"

Ash wished that Nexus would have taken her anger out physically, becuase her words hurt way worse than any beating the Shadowhunter had ever taken, "You're my best friend, so I should have realized it right away... But I was so ashamed when it happened, and I honestly thought that you hated him for what he did to you... I figured that you must have, or else you never would have became my best friend."

Nexus felt as if her insides were being yanked out, "You thought that that was why we became best friends? Because of how Ben treated me after the accident? Ash, you never were a replacement for Ben! How could you think that?"

Ash wiped her eyes across the back of her hand, "Then you...?"

"You're my best friend until the end, remember?" She smiled reassuringly at her friend, the smile fading faster than it came, "But I can't forgive you for this... For keeping me in the dark. You hid this from me, and then you have the gull to come in here and ask me to forgive you, just like that?"

Ash shook her head, "I never expected you to forgive me."

"Then why are you here?" Nexus was near tears, but she refused to let the other girl know that.

"So I could tell you that it was a mistake, a mistake we both blotted from memory..." She was not proud of herself, but she knew that they both would take it back, or at least tell Nexus the minute it had happened.

"So you say..." Nexus was doubtful of her friend after the conversation with her mother, "How long ago did it happen?"

Ash fidgeted uncomfortably, "Eight months ago."

So, it had been that long? She wasn't sure if that hurt more, since she had just now learned of it, or if it hurt less, since it was such a long time ago, "I have to get ready for dinner."

Ash looked at her in dismay, but she left the room without another word. Nexus shoved the encounter from her mind as she pulled on a pair of tight, low-rise jeans, playing with the ruby stud in her belly. The piercing had actually been her father's (Magnus) sweet sixteen present, along with a new jewel each holiday since. Alec had been livid when he found out, but when Magnus told him that it had been his idea, he had settled down somewhat. Not a whole lot, and whenever he saw her midriff, even on accident, he would make her change into a much longer shirt, usually a short dress. She shook her head, wondering why she should be thinking of that at a time like this.

"I approve," Ben said from the door, looking at the curve of her back, the soft skin underneath subtle white lines that anyone else would have called a blemish, "But I somehow doubt that you'll wear that to the restaurant..."

She turned, hair spilling from her shoulder to cover her bare chest in just the right places, "Get out."

He smirked, "Aw, that's not very convincing..."

"Ben, I swear that I will go against everything I ever learned and curse you!" Her voice was lower than a hiss, but with his supernaturally enhanced senses, she knew that he had heard her.

He grew serious, regretting his choice to try to approach her that way, "I wouldn't blame you if you did... Nexus... I..."

"Bennett," She took a deep breath, coldly using his full first name, "If you don't leave this instant, you will be sorry."

He was about to argue, but he too left without saying another word. Locking the door behind him to prevent any more walk-ins, she finished getting dressed.


A/N:

Simple, short, bitter-sweet, and to the point! Ok, maybe not bittersweet, but it was short and to the point. They love Nexus, in their own ways, and they regret hurting her, so they try to apologize, not that that kind of thing can be forgiven (easily if at all).