Once Upon a Time

Chapter 6

Okay guys, in case you can't tell by the EXTREMELY long time between postings, my computer is most definitely not fixed. I'm commandeering my sister's laptop while she is at work so I can finally get something up for you guys. I really am sorry!

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Mortal Instruments or this chapter. Mortal Instruments is owned by Cassie Clare and this chapter belongs to Bibee; I just did a little spell check.

Clary P.O.V

A girl with long black hair swoops past Alec in the doorway and collides with Jace, her arms wrapped around his neck.

I take a step back, an unfamiliar feeling laying in the pit of my stomach. I can't exactly understand what it is, but it comes hand-in-hand with a certain bitterness to this girl with her hands around Jace. Maybe that apple didn't go down so well. Yes, that probably it.

The black-haired girl pulls back from Jace and I get my first look at her face.

The knot in my stomach tightens.

She is undeniably beautiful, with dark eyes and black hair so long it reaches the bottom of her back. Her skin is also very pale next to Jace's golden tone and, unlike me, she can compete with his height easily. She looks exactly like Snow White. "Where have you two been?" She asks, releasing her hands from his neck.

The knot subsides a little. A little.

"Didn't Alec tell you? The King sent us to retrieve the lost Princess' crown."

The girl shoots daggers at Alec in a way that is strangely familiar. "Brother of the year over here said nothing. Not even a note to tell us where you two had gone."

Ah, siblings. I could see it now, Alec and this girl had the same pallor of their skin, the same dark hair. If this is Alec's sister, then that means she is-
"Isabelle," I say, remembering the name Alec told me.

Immediately, her head whips around to face me. Her dark eyes narrow and scrutinize me carefully.

"That is your name, isn't it?"

"Yes," She says slowly. "Though I don't know why you would know it. Or why you're even here, for that matter." She places both hands on her hips and stares me down, her eyes cold and clear. In the back of my mind I note that she is wearing a very pretty light green dress.

"Okay now Isabelle, calm down. This is Clary. She's been traveling with us." Jace says, stepping between us.
"Hu-hi Isabelle." Simon stutters as he stumbles down from the cart. He hastily runs a hand through his hair and looks shyly at Isabelle from beneath his glasses.

Isabelle ignores him. "What do you mean she's been traveling with you? If she's from Idris I would have seen her before." Jace hesitates for only a moment, but it's enough. "Jace, where did you find her?"

Jace runs a hand through his hair and doesn't look directly at the girl. "It's kind of a long story," he mutters.

She folds her arms across her chest. "I've got plenty of time."

Jace sighs heavily and I can almost feel the tension in his shoulders. "Well, we found this tower,"

o.O.o.

After Jace and Alec explained my situation, Isabelle became noticeably less hostile. She invited me inside and gave me a warm bowl of soup, even offered to braid my unruly hair to keep it out of my face. All the while running around fetching clean clothes for the boys to change into.

"Honestly Isabelle," I say as she runs to and fro between the rooms of her, Jace and Alec's house. "You really don't need to do this for me."

"You said that before." She says, handing me a pretty patterned dress. It looks soft and well-worn and is a hazy green color with floral patterns. "There's a door down the hall, go in there and change and then I'll fix your hair." She says with a warm smile.

Gratefully, I take the dress and head down the hall and pick a door at random. My eyes still on the garment in my hands, I hold it by the shoulders and let it fall down to its full length in front of me.

"That's a nice dress."

I jump at the voice and drop the dress.

Jace stands in the middle of the room, a plain white shirt in his hands. He is also shirtless. I can see faint scars running across his skin, silvery against his golden skin. He laughs at my shocked face.

"I-I'm sorry." I stutter, fumbling for the dress on the floor. "Isabelle told me to get dressed and-"

I am broken off my Jace's hysterical laughing. I cross my hands over my chest, like Isabelle did, and watch Jace as he doubles over in a giggle fit. "I don't see what's so funny." I say indignantly, though it comes out sounding more like a question.

"You-your face! You w-were so-so, distraught!"

I furrow my brows and frown at him. "It is not every day one walks in on a half-naked man."

"True," He says, slipping the shirt over his head. "Though many have paid handsomely for the chance."

I scoffed at him and turned to leave and find a vacant room.

"Clary, wait."

I turn back around and see Jace is completely serious. "Yes?"

He seems slightly lost for words. "It's just, you and Alec. You two seem kind of..." He lets the sentence hang open.

I tilt my head to the side and study him. He seems strangely tense, wired up. I wonder what's bothering him. "Alec and I are getting along, yes." I said.

"Yes, I've noticed that. But I was just wondering," He rubs his hand on his neck and look at me through lowered eyelashes.

I wait expectantly.

He groans and shakes out his hands. "Is there something going on between you and Alec?" He rushes out.

I stand there for a moment. "Is there something-?" Then it hits me what it must look like to Jace. One day Alec and I are at each other's throats, the next, after a meeting in the woods, we're best buds. "No!" I say. I can't help but let a smile slip. "No, there is nothing going on between us."

Jace visibly relaxes and lets out a breath I didn't know he'd been holding. "Okay, I was just wondering-"

"No, it's okay. I understand."

That may have been the wrong thing to say. He goes rigid all over like there's a broom taped to his back and he sucks in a ragged breath. "You do?"

I smile at him warmly. Of course I know. "It's obvious. You're worried for Alec, and I understand that, you two are like brothers. Of course you were worried about him. But don't worry, there is nothing there."

I expect him to be relieved, but it is almost as if he tenses up again. But no, my eyes must be tricking me...

"That's," His eyes are like dull topaz in his face, oddly lacking their usual shine, that glimmer of humor. "That's right. Thank you."

But he doesn't sound happy. He sounds like someone has taken something precious from him. I search his eyes, which are usually windows to what he is feeling, but there is nothing. His eyes are completely blank. He must be really worried about Alec.

.o.O.o.

"Clary, are you ready to go yet!?" Isabelle yells out from the front of the house.

I'm standing in front of a mirror, admiring my reflection with complete and utter shock. I don't know what could have changed, but I look different from the girl I had seen in the mirror on the morning Jace and Alec found me. I feel different. I general, I look exactly the same. Same green eyes. Same pale skin. Same red hair. But no, I'm not the girl I was before. I'm Clary now. "I'm coming!"
I exit the spare room I'd found and run out the front door where Isabelle and Simon are waiting for me.

Isabelle had asked Simon to stay a little longer so that he could drive us to the market, where Isabelle was going grocery shopping, and Simon was more than happy to oblige.

He helped both Isabelle and I into the back of the cart and began to drive us into town.

"How old are you, Clary?" Isabelle asks some time into our trip.

"I think I'm sixteen, though I'm not exactly sure."

"Okay."

We fall back into a slightly uncomfortable silence.

Every now and then, I spot Simon risking glances back at Isabelle, who remains blissfully unaware. Whenever he sees that I've noticed him staring at her, he blushes madly and becomes very interested in the worn leather of his reigns.

I lean into Isabelle. "I think he likes you."

Isabelle looks blankly between me and Simon. "Pardon?"

I lower my voice as not to let Simon catch on. "I think Simon fancies you."

Isabelle's eyes widen fractionally and she blinks a few times. Now she is the one stealing glances at Simon. "No." She states simply, shaking her head. "No, Simon doesn't, he-he can't..."

She trails off, her arched eyebrows furrowed together.

I smile to myself. It's quite funny really. I can see the way that Simon looks at her, and I can see the odd denial on Isabelle's eyes when she looks at him. I find it strange that they haven't figured it out yet. They're in love.

The cart slows down and I look over the market. Like my first glimpse of Idris, the streets and the market square are packed with people. Three little red-head girls sit on the edge of a fountain that takes up most of the center of the square, the statue of a marble angel rising over the water behind them. They are plaiting a blonde girl's extremely long hair. A little behind the fountain, a man in a black cloak tends to a horse the color of night.

Simon offers to help us both out of the cart, but I decline. Isabelle doesn't.

I hop down off the cart and skip around the fountain, letting the fine spray from the water falling from the cup in the angel's hand cover my hair. I can feel the eyes of the hooded man watching me, but he is probably only curious as to why I'm skipping around a fountain.

Everything here is so familiar to the people of Idris, that sometimes I think they forget the admire the little things.

"Is she alright?" I hear Simon mutter to Isabelle.

"She's fine, she's just, never been to Idris before."

I gaze into the water and laugh at my distorted face as the horse and cloaked figure comes towards the fountain. The horse drinks from water and the man strokes its mane and neck.

It is a little while until he speaks. "Hello my dear,"

I turn to face him as he lowers his hood and I suck in a breath.

His eyes are slitted like a cats and are gold and green. "I'm happy you've finally gotten out, I really am, it'll do you some good to get some vitamin E. But I was beginning to wonder why you weren't answering my gift baskets."

Hope you guys liked it!

Oh, I know some of you have been asking why it's been so hard for me to post these chapters, so here's the full story. Bibee originally tried emailing me all the individual chapters. Unfortunately, something on either my computer or my email wouldn't let me download all these chapters. Then, I gave her another email and that one didn't work either. So then, Bibee had to PM me every single one of these chapters and they all combined into a mega-chapter. So to post these, I have to copy & paste onto a microsoft word document, seperate every single paragraph, and spell check.

So, that's the end of my story! I'll try to get one more chapter up tonight.

Bye guys,

ByTheAngel99