A/N: Felt like doing some more writing today! Once again, these are recent events…

~~ Steff ~~

Being back in London gave Steff a strange sense of nostalgia. She didn't realise how much she had missed it, until she came back. The Institute looked as grand as ever as she approached it, appearing like an old, abandoned church. As she approached the front doors, she pushed through them, greeted by silence. She already knew her parents would be out, so she was not surprised. She wandered the hallways slowly, taking in the familiar tapestries hanging from the walls, which depicted stars, swords and Rune designs. The high ceilings made it look even larger than it already was, and the corridors were easy for her to navigate from her memory.

She passed the dining room with its long table and mirror, and the kitchen. Then she passed the large bedrooms on the upper floors, each with a fireplace and a window, the dim lighting setting the scene. In the Sanctuary there was a fountain with an angel statue, which had always fascinated her. The grand ballroom always had as well, although it got little use nowadays. She couldn't bring herself to peer in Loki's room, still feeling too guilty. She had not wanted to hurt him that day, only to push him away from her. He had always scared her when he'd been drunk, and that day had been no exception, finding that he did stupid things when he was in such a state.

Her own room was still there, and it looked untouched, which surprised her. She had half expected to find it turned into a different room, to leave behind no remnants of her presence there. Her dressing table was still there, with a brush for her hair sitting on it. Seeing her old room gave her mixed feelings, finding it held many memories.

Turning away, she instead headed to the library, which had always been her favourite space. It was filled with literature, and many were classics. Browsing the shelves, she ran her fingers along some of the spines of the books. They were dusty, and it didn't surprise her that it hadn't been fully taken care of. Her father had never cared for the books, after all. Looking at the corner, she could remember a time when Loki used to seek her out, knowing that she often hid there. He would tease her about her habits, but even such thoughts could not sour her fondness for the room. She had found herself in many of the books, as they became an interesting escape from many of her troubles.

Seeking out some of her old favourite books, she spent many hours reading over them again, before she fell asleep, curled up in her favourite chair.

ooOoo

After spending the weekend there, Steff was awoken the following day by voices downstairs. She recognised them easily, knowing it was her parents. They were back earlier than she'd expected, and she quickly gathered her things, getting her jacket on, and placing her bag strap over her shoulder. She should have left earlier, but she'd been caught up in the Institute. Bumping into her father was the last thing she wanted, and it would be best to leave without him knowing she was ever there.

Their voices were coming from the dining room, and she knew she would have to pass it to leave. Keeping her footsteps quiet, she hovered nearby, waiting for the right moment to sneak past.

"The Clave's demands are becoming too much." It was her father's voice, and she stayed quiet, merely listening. "They expect us to do more than what we can handle."

"They've always been like that," her mother replied, her voice soft and mellow, like she'd remembered. "But we're still here. They will not make any moves against us."

"I don't like it when they seek to make a fool of us," he replied, sounding annoyed. "The Clave doesn't appreciate all I've done for them."

Her mother murmured something quietly in response, and Steff moved forward to the doorway, peering inside. Her mother had a hand on his arm to calm him, but she looked back at the doorway, spotting her. Steff froze, wondering if she would say anything. Her mother stared at her for a long moment, before she looked away, and Steff breathed a sigh of relief, continuing on past the room, and down the hallway. It seemed she would let her go quietly, which was the best-case scenario for her. She was not in the mood to argue with her father or to take his spite over Loki's death.

Making it to the door, she opened it quietly, slipping out. Feeling a few drops of rain on her face, she merely smiled. She was okay, and that was what mattered. Moving down the pathway, she headed towards the accommodation she'd booked, glad that she didn't have to rush away from London just yet.

~~ Savannah ~~

Savannah had done many jobs in her time, but often ones that involved vampires were her least favourite. While she knew that vampires usually didn't get to choose their path, the blood sucking idea had always been a bit disgusting. They were cold and often impassionate in nature, and she had always found them her least favourite kind of Downworlder. In any case, when she'd tracked down a couple of vampires that had the name and whereabouts of a dangerous warlock, she knew it was important to follow through with.

It was a warlock that had been killing mundanes and using them as a sacrifice to summon demons. The warlock had to be stopped, and the vampires had no loyalty towards him. Meeting them at a common tavern, she had dressed to expose some skin. She did not hide the fact that she was a Shadowhunter from them, although she did not want other Downworlders at the tavern to know. It was impossible to tell how old they were, finding them to act ageless. The girl – Veliana – had sharp eyes and she seemed smart. The male, however, Drake, was easily distracted by her skin. Chatting with them casually, they all sipped on their own drinks – her own looked like alcohol, but it was nothing more than a ginger ale, and they both had some kind of blood drink.

The deal had already been made, and now they were merely passing the time while they finished up their drinks. Looking to the side, Savannah paused when she spotted Blake, finding he had already seen her. Their gazes locked for a long moment, and she wondered what he was doing there. However, she eventually broke away, not wanting the vampires to realise she knew someone there. She needed to keep it easy and clean. Leaning in to whisper something in Drake's ear to keep him interested, he licked his lips as she drew back, taking another sip of her drink. She stole glances back at Blake, noticing him exchange a package for some money with the bartender. Poison, was her guess, knowing that he made some and sold it on the side. However, he didn't hang around, leaving soon afterwards. It was for the best, really, since it meant she wouldn't be so distracted.

Setting her drink down, she inhaled, hiding any unease. "I'm ready if you are," she remarked, and Veliana inclined her head in an almost unnatural way, rising to her feet.

"Oh, we're ready. This animal blood does not compare, I'm afraid," the vampire girl said, as Drake rose to his feet as well.

"I'm sure it doesn't," Savannah said, with a thin smile. It was an important job, she reminded herself. No one else had managed to locate the warlock, and she knew she'd find him before Isaac would. It was something that the Clave would greatly commend.

Drake took her hand, his gaze trained on the pulse in her neck. She allowed him to lead her towards the back rooms of the tavern, where they would have some more privacy.

The little room was dimly lit, and Veliana closed the curtain behind them. "I hope you won't scream," she remarked, her Italian accent thick.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be fine," Savannah replied, eyeing her as she came closer.

Drake ran his fingers against her bare shoulder. "Shadowhunter blood is so sweet smelling. It is like a dessert for us."

Savannah didn't reply, instead raising her chin and pushing him back, a little. "I need a name," she said, watching them. "Like we agreed on."

"His name is Ambrose Nox," the girl purred, moving closer. "Now let us both have a taste, before we tell you more."

Savannah resisted the urge to sigh. Giving her blood to vampires was usually something she avoided, but this time, she had little choice. "Go on, then."

Drake pressed a kiss to her neck, before his fangs extended, and pierced her skin. She had expected them to take it in turns, but the vampire girl grabbed her wrist, quickly sinking her fangs into a vein on the inside of her elbow, as well. It stung at first, and she tensed, but their saliva helped to dull the pain, relaxing her muscles. The sensation was strange, and she fought to stay in control. If she fainted, then they may well continue and drain all her blood. Taking deep breaths, she stared at the wall, hearing Drake give a low moan.

The light-headedness came over slowly, and while she knew that a well-Marked Shadowhunter could retain their consciousness longer than a mundane, she knew that neither could they hold out forever. "That's enough," she said, her mouth growing dry.

Drake finally retracted his fangs as he drew back, a newfound brightness and liveliness to his eyes. Veliana however, did not draw back, and Savannah had suspected that she could pose a problem. She bit her tongue, trying to push away the weakness that she felt. With her free hand, she reached out to yank at the girl's long black hair. "I said, enough."

The girl hissed, although she finally drew back, her fangs remaining out.

Feeling dizzy, Savannah leaned a hand against the wall as she waited for the feeling to subside. "Now, I need his location."

Leaning forward, Drake whispered it in her ear, and she filed it away for future use, planning on hunting the warlock down as soon as she had recovered enough.

"We have no love for warlocks. Hopefully you catch him in time," the girl shrugged, drawing back.

"I will," Savannah replied confidently, straightening, as if to show that she was fine.

"If you want more information, come and find us again. We'd like another taste," the girl smiled, watching her carefully.

"I'm sure you would," was all Savannah replied, and she drew in a breath, before starting out of the room, wanting to head back to the Institute. It was reprehensive, even to her, but it had to be done. Sometimes, one had to give a little of themselves, if they expected something in return.

After she exited the tavern, she quickly drew out her stele to draw an iratze. She then wrapped some spare fabric around the bite marks on her arm, to stem the bleeding, before pressing a hand against her neck. She did not want to be caught in the Towns in such a state, and it was best to head back quickly.

~~ Jai ~~

It had been a long shift at work, with many customer requests and demands, but Jai still couldn't turn down Finn when he kissed him after a late dinner.

Taking his hand, Finn helped to pull him up from his seat, before urging him towards their bedroom. Jai had muttered earlier about being tired, and Finn eyed him. "You're not too tired for this, are you?" he remarked, a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"I suppose not-…" Jai replied, before quieting when Finn kissed him again. He felt his heart beat faster in anticipation, and some of the tiredness faded away.

When they finally managed to reach the bed, Finn helped to pull his shirt off, before pushing him back onto the bed. He shifted into a more comfortable position, before waiting for Finn to join him. He felt his cheeks grow warm as Finn climbed over him, his slim frame and weight familiar. When Finn leaned down to kiss him again, he let himself surrender to it, closing his eyes. However, before Finn drew back, he bit his lower lip harder than usual, enough to draw blood, and he flinched, opening his eyes and raising a hand to wipe some red away.

Finn grabbed his wrist before he could lower it again, his nails digging in as he pushed his arm back into the bed above his head roughly. There was something different in his expression, his usual playfulness gone, and the lack of expression that remained scared him. "Finn-…" he inhaled, his wrist stinging where his nails dug in. "That-… That hurts."

Finn didn't seem to listen, instead grabbing his other hand and pushing it down as well, bumping off his glasses in the process. Jai's own vision wasn't great, especially in the dark like they were, and all he could make out was Finn's blurry outline.

Feeling trapped, he inhaled shakily, starting to struggle. The roughness didn't feel like him at all, and he couldn't shake a bad feeling about it. "Finn, stop. I don't like it."

He couldn't break free, and he felt a wave of nausea, flinching when he felt a rough tug on his hair. Struggling to breathe, he tilted his head to the side, feeling the familiar effects of a panic attack. While he tried to heave in a breath, he felt like he couldn't get any air. "I can't-… breathe," he managed to get out, and finally, his arms were released. The weight was gone as Finn disappeared, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position, feeling himself shaking. Fumbling around, he finally found his glasses, putting them on.

A light flickered on, and Finn hurried over with a tablet in his hand. Jai picked it up, taking it quickly – used to taking it without water by now. Feeling dizzy, he let himself fall back down onto the bed, waiting for the effects of the pill to take effect. It would help to relax him, and it couldn't come quick enough.

There was a flicker of worry in Finn's eyes. "I'm-… I'm sorry Jai," he stammered. "I don't know what happened." He reached down, as if to brush some hair from Jai's forehead, but Jai pushed his hand away.

"Don't," he said, turning away from him. "I need some time… Alone."

Finn hesitated for a long moment, but Jai finally heard footsteps as he retreated, closing the door behind him.

Inhaling slowly, Jai curled up, pulling the sheets over him, feeling hot and sweaty. His heartbeat was only just starting to slow, his muscles finally relaxing. He didn't know what was going on with Finn, but it wasn't the first time that he'd acted different since he'd been back from being held captive by the Shadowhunters. Even Jai didn't know everything that had gone on, but sometimes Finn went into these emotionless states. Jai was usually the one getting hurt as a result, although in the past it had been emotionally, rather than physically. This had been the worst, and mostly, he was worried. He didn't know what was wrong, or how to fix it.

But sometimes it was hard to take.