A/N: I loved your waking up chapter idea, so I've written one as well, with 'waking up and everything else that ensues.' ;) Plus lots of pondering. I wanted to do a section with Ethos, but realised I had no idea about what would be right for him, so I just started writing, and this was what I came up with. No idea how accurate it is, but hope it's alright! Haha. Also, I know I said I had a part with Steff coming up, but it didn't fit in with this chapter, so I'll wait for the next one. :) Also, sorry for any mistakes, I haven't read over it much because I'm way too tired.

It was deadly silent when Caspian woke the second time, and he inhaled sharply, feeling dizzy when he sat up too quickly. It was strange, hearing no rustle of leaves, or the chirp of birds in the distance. Staring at the room, he finally pieced everything together. He was still at the hotel room, guessing that he must have managed to fall back asleep after Aspen left. Pushing some blonde hair away from his eyes, he stood up slowly. He couldn't help but wonder how Aspen's meeting with Nyx was going. His mood soured as he imagined it, and he tried to push such thoughts away. It was hard for him to get why Aspen insisted on still visiting him, but he tried to understand. He really tried. His fingers curled into his palms when he thought of how Nyx used him, and he shook his head, forcing himself to focus on something else.

The bathroom was the only place in the room that he had not yet seen. Walking over in slight curiosity, he glanced into the room, before taking a step inside. It was confronting, seeing himself in the mirror, and he almost flinched in surprise, unused to such a thing. Despite the sleep he'd just managed to have, there were still dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was still a ruffled mess after his sleep. Looking away quickly, he walked over to the sink. Reaching over, he stared at the knob for a moment, still trying to work out the mundane contraptions. Flicking the handle, some water poured out, and he collected some in his hand, drinking it, before flicking the remainder on his face, in an attempt to wake himself up. Blinking, he turned the tap off again, some droplets rolling down his cheek, before he wiped them away on his shirt.

The thought of going back to the Hunt made him nervous, and he hated the feeling. He was still a coward, unable to face the faerie who had once been his father. Walking back into the main room, he paced from one side of the room to the next. He had to get over it, that's all there was to it. He had to be able to look him in the eye without wanting to flinch or take a step back.

Stopping by the door to the balcony, Caspian looked out for a moment. If it had been left open, he might have stepped out onto it, longing for some fresh air, but he didn't bother to fiddle with the handle on the door. Besides, all he could think about was what Aspen had told him, about how he had lost control. It was not something he wanted to dwell on.

For a long while, he paced, sorting through some thoughts and avoiding others. Finally, once the light outside started to grow dimmer, he reached down to pick his cloak off the ground, before walking to collect his staff. He paused by a pen and paper on the desk, which he assumed the hotel supplied. Considering leaving a note for a moment, he then decided against it. He was not good with words, and he did not know what he'd write. Instead, he decided to leave an item; something to show that he was alright, and that he'd left without any problems. Reaching into the pocket of his cloak, he tried to feel to see what he had. His fingers settled on a wooden object, and he pulled it out. It was a small horse that he had whittled out of some sturdy wood from the Faerie. It had been something to do to pass the time, and he'd sat under a tree, watching Eculeus as he'd made it, trying to base it off him. While he knew Aspen was not as fond of horses, he was grateful that Aspen had gone to the effort of finding him one in the Faerie, hoping he would accept it as a measure of gratitude. Leaving it standing on the desk, he then started to the door before slipping out, planning on heading to a tavern. There was no way he could even contemplate heading back to the Hunt yet, but he knew he needed some fresh air, and he wanted to be out of Aspen's way for when he returned.

It was best that he kept his own company that night.

Flickers of images of familiar people Kellan didn't know appeared in his dreams, and he found he could not escape them. Finally waking, he gasped, his fingers quickly moving to the leather band around his neck which held the tooth. It had grown tight in his sleep, nearly choking him, and he adjusted it so that it was right again, exhaling slowly. Sweat had beaded on his forehead, and he wiped it away, before standing up. It was strange waking up and finding himself in the grotto in the Seelie. He had only been there for a couple of days, and it was still foreign to him. The bed was comfortable, and the frame was made from strong, Seelie wood. After living in the Wild Hunt for so long, it was still strange sleeping on a bed. Walking across the grotto, he trailed his fingers against the carefully crafted smooth stone walls, which were cool to the touch. Ethos had said it was closer to where the Queen resided, and he couldn't help but wonder how close it was exactly. She had not sent for him yet, even though he knew she must have been alerted about his arrival.

There was a wooden tray with some fresh Faerie fruit by the entrance, left for his breakfast. Walking over towards it, he looked out at the clearing. He had sat in the clearing to eat his lunch the previous day, glad for some sunshine, although he didn't dare wander any further than that alone, knowing there were guards keeping an eye on him. He was grateful he seemed to have a little more privacy and freedom than his last visit, however. Bending down to pick up an apple, he then straightened, taking a bite. It was sweeter than any fruit that he had tasted in the mundane world.

His thoughts pondered over his dreams for a moment. He had seen the Shadowhunter girl – his sister in another life, along with the other Shadowhunters he had been shown before. The same ones the Queen had once shown him in her scrying glass. He did not know why she had shown him visions of his past life, but now he could not escape them, especially when he slept. He did not know if he wanted to know of a family he had left behind, feeling conflicted. The Shadowhunter girl – Grace, she'd said her name was – had looked so relieved to see him. She cared for him more than he could understand. He did not think that he deserved such a thing.

Sighing, he took another bite of his apple and tried to push away such thoughts. It had already grown lonely with no one to talk to – besides the guards who did not seem keen on such a thing – and he longed to ask for Ethos to come. It seemed silly, summoning him so quickly, however, and he refrained from making a fool of himself.

Seeing a guard come over to approach him, he straightened, setting down the apple core on the tray.

"The Queen requests your presence," the guard said, inclining her head in a gesture of respect. "I will lead the way."

Hit with a wave of nervousness, Kellan nodded, quickly running a hand through his hair to try and neaten it. There was not much else he could do to make himself look presentable however, so he followed silently, hoping that it would go well.

It took Layla a while to wake up, feeling disorientated as she felt the hard ground beneath her. Raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun that was peeking through the trees, she swore as she sat up, a pounding headache making it harder to piece together her thoughts.

Of course. It had been a full moon that night.

Usually she was sensible, staying holed up in her room for the night. The night before however, she had had a couple of drinks at a tavern, and had lost track of time, resulting in her Turning in the Towns.

There was a deep cut along her arm, and she resisted some wolfish urge to lick it, rising to her feet instead. Everything from the previous night was a blur, as it often was after she'd Turned, like some kind of strange amnesia.

Feeling a little vulnerable as she made her way through the trees, she tried to work her way towards something she'd recognise. She always left some clothes hidden behind a small rocky outcrop, in case something like this ever happened. In the past, she'd sometimes allowed herself to Turn in the woods near the Towns on purpose, but she no longer considered that safe, especially when she had little control over it. It seemed she was right, considering her bloody arm.

Sighing, she was relieved when she found a familiar path, thanks to both her good vision and sense of smell, locating the outcrop and quickly slipping into her clothes.

She did not appreciate foolishness, and she knew she would not make the same mistake again.

Ethos awoke to the sound of music drifting through his thoughts. It was not a song he'd heard before, and he pondered it, wanting to recreate the tune on his piccolo. Sitting up, he spent a moment straightening his hair and his clothes, not wanting to appear rumbled, in case anyone walked past. He must have fallen asleep while he played his piccolo under an ancient Seelie tree, as it had still been perched on his chest, one hand protectively cradling it.

Resting his back against the tree again, he raised the instrument to his lips, his fingers finding their places easily, like they had so many times before. Trying a few notes, he then carefully started to craft the melody to match the one that had been in his head. It was slow at first, but he was patient, finally making it into a graceful song. The notes glided with his fingers, and he would have smiled, had he not been concentrating so hard.

It is was sweet song, a gentle one that flowed nicely and was pleasant on the ears. He was not entirely sure why, but the song reminded him strangely of Kellan, and he pondered this thought for a long while, forever curious. However, he found he could not come up with a suitable explanation.

It just was, and he found himself content with that.

Jai awoke to a familiar smell, and he gave a slight smile. He knew what that meant… Finn was cooking pancakes again.

Finn was not much of a cook – at first, Jai had tried alternating who cooked dinner, however Finn never made anything healthy, and he ended up buying premade food more often than not. Jai had swiftly put an end to it, making food for them both every night. However, when Finn was in a good mood, he liked to make them breakfast, and pancakes was one of his favourites.

"Jai, the pancakes are nearly ready," Finn called out from the kitchen, sounding cheerful.

Reaching out a hand, Jai felt around for his glasses, his fingers finally snagging them. While he wore contact lenses to work, he preferred to wear his normal glasses around the house. Putting them on, he glanced at the clock beside his bed. 11am. Since they worked such late shifts, and didn't get to bed until ungodly hours in the morning, they often ended up eating their breakfast around lunch time for normal people. Jai was used to it by now, seeing time in a completely different way to most.

He'd had a shocking sleep though – he was a light sleeper, and the walls of the apartment seemed paper thin, every argument from the neighbours echoing throughout. It didn't help that they were in a bad area, and he knew there was not much he could do but accept it.

Pushing himself up, he walked to meet Finn in the kitchen, unable to stop a smile. Finn was still dressed in his pyjamas, concentrating hard as he flipped a pancake. "Ah, you're up," he said, glancing over at him. "Take a seat, I'll bring them over."

"Thanks," Jai nodded, walking over to the table to pull up a chair and sit down. Finn was a lot of work, undoubtedly, but he often made such sweet gestures, and Jai couldn't do anything but forgive him.

Bringing over two plates, Finn set the pancakes down in front of them. Jai's pancakes had fruit on top, as Finn knew he liked them – Jai liked the thought that they were at least a little healthy – along with a small amount of berry coulis as the sauce, that Finn had found for him a while ago. Finn on the other hand, picked up a bottle of maple syrup for his own, pouring it over the top. Jai could only sigh, shaking his head. Finn always put way too much on, and he hated to think of how much sugar it contained.

"What?" Finn grinned. "Mine taste the best. You can't have pancakes without maple syrup."

"One day, Finn, I'm worried you're going to have some kind of heart attack or stroke, with all the kinds of food you eat," Jai replied, picking up a knife and fork to cut into his pancakes.

"Well," Finn responded, confidently, "At least I know you'll be there to call for help and to watch over me."

Rolling his eyes, Jai took a bite, and they settled into an easy conversation, the previous night of work and poor sleep already forgotten.