It had been somewhat of a surprise when Jordan entered his living room one morning to find some guy on his couch. Jace returned just in time for classes to start, with what Jordan could only assume was a hitchhiker. It wasn't until Jace emerged from his room looking sleepy and travel bare that Jordan learn who exactly this hitchhiker was. It was obvious by Jace's expression that he was very happy to have Clary's brother around, and putting two and two together, Jordan surmised that Jon would be likely to stay with them for the foreseeable future. Though Jordan had not exactly been enthusiastic about a surprise new random unemployed roommate at the start, suffice to say he did warmed up to Jon eventually. In fact, the guy turned out to be pretty laid back, and actually quite easy to live with. Jordan couldn't help but feel like they were the three musketeers, as the apartment slowly turned into quite the stereotypical bachelor pad.

After over a month of Jon sleeping on the couch with just that old divider they'd used for the living room when Simon had lived here, Jordan and Jace decided to take things into their own hands. Repositioning the divider, and moving things around, quite nearly created the privacy of a separate room. The divider however, wasn't quite enough to create third bedroom. For that one required a bed.

"Lift!" Jace ordered.

"I am lifting," Jordan complained, his hands gripping the cold metal bar more tightly in frustration.

"He's gonna be home soon," Jace whined.

"Don't you think I know that," Jordan argued back.

"Let's turn it," Jace suggested. "Forty-five degree angle." Jorden nodded, and together they managed to get the bed frame through the door.

"For such a light thing, it sure is an inconvenient shape," Jordan observed. Now through the door, it was a simple matter to place the frame behind the divider.

As they went back for the rest of the bed, Jordan found himself wishing very hard that they'd just paid someone else to do this for them. Despite the extra weight of both the boxspring and mattress, with a little teamwork they managed to get both through the door and on the frame. Though by this point, Jordan was annoyed enough to voice his delivery wishes out loud.

"Who needs delivery!" Jace scoffed. "See, told you we could do it."

"Yes, but my hand hurts," Jordan complained.

"Suck it up," Jace chuckled, clapping Jordan on the back. "In my book, a sore hand is worth saving over $100 on delivery."

Jordan just sighed and went to get sheets. When he returned he handed them to Jace, who acted as if he were being given and alien concept.

"What do you want me to do with those?" Jace asked.

"Sheets go on beds," Jordan explained. "Or did your mother not teach you that."

"Mom tried to teach me how to do a hospital bed corner," Jace explained, before throwing Jon's sheets randomly onto the bed in some pathetically lame attempt to 'make' the bed. "She failed."

"Jace," Jordan said very seriously. "When was the last time you changed your sheets?"

"A while ago," Jace replied, looking away.

"And I thought I was the messy one around here," Jordan said with a sigh and shake of the head.

"You most definitely are," Jace stated. "Just because sleeping alone makes me lazy, doesn't mean you lose your title."

"Isn't exactly a title I'd like to keep," Jordan replied, laughing slightly.

"Tough," Jace laughed. Before Jordan could think of something to say in return, they were interrupted by the front door opening and both turned to see Jon walk in.

"What going on?" Jon asked. "There's like plastic and packing material all over the hallway."

"Now who's the messy one? You were supposed to clear that up!" Jace told Jordan.

"You never said that," Jordan argued back.

"I'm pretty sure I did," Jace disagreed.

"Oh yeah, when?" Jordan asked. "Before or after you decided you'd rather spend an entire afternoon moving furniture rather than fork up the money for a truck?"

"After that," Jace answered. "Definitely after."

Jordan just raised his hands up in the air in exasperation. He felt sure somehow that even his life would get easier once Clary was back. Jace was wound very tight these days. Meanwhile, Jon had been moving closer. He stopped as his view included past the divider.

"Did you guys-," he began, then paused. "Did you guys buy me a bed?"

"We sure did!" Jace exclaimed.

For a moment Jon seemed lost for words. Only seconds passed, but as Jordan watched, he thought he could see multiple emotions flit across Jon's face.

"Oh wow, you guys," Jon said, his voice thick with emotion. "Love you guys." And suddenly Jordan found himself pulled into a hug, Jace too.

"It's noh-ing reallee," Jace tried to say while being crushed.

"I don't know," Jordan added, trying to lighten the mood. "That frame was a pain to get in here."

Jon pulled out of the hug and faced them both, his expression now one of laughter. "You do know you can take the frame apart right?" he asked.

"Umm," Jace mumbled.

"So anyway," Jordan cut in, trying not to think about how much easier it would have been to get the bed frame in through the door in pieces. "We rearranged the divider too, but Jace wouldn't make the bed so that's on you. Otherwise happy… umm... bed day, I guess."

"Valentine's day isn't much on friendship celebration, is it?" Jon chuckled, moving to sit down on his new bed. "Not much to do today but sulk about being single huh?"

"I'd really rather not," Jordan pitched in.

"I'm with Jordan," Jace added, joining Jon sitting on the unmade mattress. "Instead of getting through today, we should celebrate something else."

"My usual go to for Valentine's day is to stay home alone in my sweats and watch horror movies," Jon shrugged.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Jordan replied, also sitting down. "Just the alone part, I guess."

"Can't three bros hang out and watch movies together in their sweats on Valentines day?" Jace asked.

"You know, he has a point," Jordan replied.

"It's a date then," Jon laughed.

"A bro date," Jace corrected.

"Oh please," Jon mocked. "Don't get all insecure now. You do know you are the only one of us with a girlfriend, right?"

"What about you and Maia?" Jace asked Jordan, clearly trying to get them off the topic of his girlfriend on the other side of the Atlantic ocean.

"We're trying to be friends," Jordan explained.

"Oh sucks, sorry man," Jace consoled him.

"No, it's okay," Jordan replied, but when everyone turned to look at him dubiously he added, "Really it's fine. If I'm being perfectly honest, I'm just glad she doesn't hate me."

"Why would you say that?" Jace asked.

"Because Paige isn't speaking to me," Jordan replied. "And after we… did what we did, it wasn't like I went to talk to Maia. I tried to keep it all hidden for ages, and acted like a total jerk to both of them."

"Not your finest hour, my friend," Jace said slapping Jordan on the back.

"Urg, don't remind me," Jordan whined.

"Sometimes people have to make mistakes," Jon said. "So they can learn from them."

"Not really sure what I learned, except that I'm a jerk," Jordan replied. "But thanks for trying."

"Hey! No sulky faces allowed on this Bro's Valentines day," Jon scolded them. "I was promised sweat pants and horror movies!"

Jace laughed, "And so you shall have my friend."

It was one of the better Valentine's days Jordan had had while single. Eating junk food and watching movies with his friends made for a good night any day of the year, but it was especially nice to be in the company of friends while single on a day dedicated to celebrating romantic love. Still, Jordan couldn't help but wonder what the girls were doing for Valentines. He knew Paige was at Malec's, and Maia lived with Sizzy, so unlike him, they were both surrounded by couples. He couldn't imagine they'd be having a very good time being the third wheel, but then again, maybe they'd gone out for the evening.

As time always does, it passed and February turned to March, bringing with it midterms and essays, but Jordan was glad of it. At least now he was too busy to fret about… well anything. He tried to maintain his friendship with Maia via text, but with everything going on he hadn't seen her since Christmas. He did sometimes see her in the halls at school, and when she smiled, he'd smile back. Even such a small thing was nice; it made him feel less alone.

"You have that funny look on your face again."

Jordan looked up from his phone to see Jace staring at him.

"What look?" Jordan objected.

"That off in the clouds, and totally not present look," Jace explained.

"Oh," Jordan replied only slightly bashful. "I was texting Maia."

"Do you still love her?" Jace asked him suddenly.

"Sorry what?" Jordan asked, taken quite by surprise.

"Do you still love Maia?" Jace asked again.

"I-" Jordan began, but then he really thought about it. "I think some part of me will always love Maia."

"I know the feeling," Jace echoed.

"Is it like that with Clary?" Jordan asked.

"It's been so long," Jace explained. "That sometimes I can't even be sure if I love her, or the memory of her."

"Sucks man," Jordan tried to console him.

"The trick I find is staying busy," Jace said suddenly. "Any idle moment is to be thwarted at all costs." He paused to check the time, then added, "And on that note I must be off. I have a child to collect."

"Oh, come on," Jordan whined. "Why can't you babysit at Will's place?"

"What's this?" Jace laughed. "Not excited to turn the bachelor bad into a daycare?"

"Not even a little," Jordan replied, but Jace only laughed.

He was gathering his coat when suddenly he stopped and turn to ask Jordan, "Did you and Paige ever talk about kids?"

"No. Why?" Jordan answered easily.

"It's just she wanted them so much," Jace explained. "I couldn't imagine her being in a serious relationship without bringing it up."

"Maybe she did," Jordan suggested with a shrug. "But I just didn't clue into the seriousness of the conversation."

"And they say I'm the clueless one," Jace laughed before waving goodbye and heading out the door.

Less than an hour later he returned with a small toddler in tow. Jordan hadn't moved from his spot at the dining room table, where he was still attempting to get some homework done. Within moments of Lucie's arrival however, he knew homework in the living room was no longer an option.

"NO, No, NO!" Lucie cried.

"No what?" Jace asked helplessly.

"No play. Where age?"

"I don't understand what you want?" Jace sighed in frustrated.

"That," Lucie must of been pointing to something, but Jordan didn't look up to check. "That play AAGE only."

"Are you hungry?" Jace asked her.

"Where aage?" Lucie cried again.

"I don't know," Jace whined.

"AGE!" Lucie almost screamed.

"You're two years old," Jace told the toddler.

"No," Lucie replied firmly.

"Oh alright, it's like two years and four months if you wanna get real specific," he replied.

"Aige," Lucie replied. "Want to play aige!"

And suddenly something clicked in Jordan's head. "Paige," Jordan said as he looking up from his work to tell Jace. "She's saying she wants to know where Paige is."

"Oh," Jace said only slightly awkwardly. He leaned down to the little girl's height and added, "Sorry, but Paige doesn't live here anymore."

"Aige fun," Lucie stated.

"Yes, yes she was," Jace smiled at the little girl.

"Take me to Aige," Lucie decided. Jace sighed and turned to Jordan with 'help me' written all over his face.

"Hey, don't look at me man," Jordan said with his hands up in surrender. "You're the one who volunteered to babysit."

Chuckling, Jordan left his friend to his fate and went to the isolation of his bedroom to once again attempt his homework. With so much reading, tests, assignments and essays these days, Jordan found himself sometimes counting the days left till the end of term, though he knew not as much as Jace was. Sure, exams were in April and Clary was back in June, but Jordan knew with every passing day getting closer and closer to Clary's return, Jace was counting the days worse than him.

Sorry for so many filler chapters... but like nothing much really needs to happy for a while and I'm trying to get time to move quickly because you all want Clary back! Hopefully the filler chapters are at least enjoyable to read.

Sneak Peek Chapter 148

Alec sighed, moving closer to rest his head on Magnus's chest. He felt his husband's arms wrap around him and relaxed at once.

"Love you," Alec whispered as he snuggled in closer.

"As I do you," Magnus replied easily.

"You still game for dinner tonight?" Alec asked, unsure.

"I can't promise to go in with any expectations, but yes we can go," he replied, calmly.

"I think it will be fun," Alec smiled turning his head to look up at his husband.

"We shall have to wait and see," Magnus answered. "Speaking of which we should get ready."