Distractions

Sixteen: Laughter Amongst the Overwhelm

So, before we begin this chapter, there are a few things I'd like to say. One, I'm sorry for the next few chapters—they're very...emotional we'll say, though there's a few happier moments. You still might want tissues though. Two, the biggest thank you ever to @thatweirdkidh and @ink_and_fables_4_u for boosting my ego an absurd amount (like complimenting me and this story for a very long time and in paragraphs). Between their *unprompted* compliments and our amazing and entertaining conversations, I managed to gain the inspiration needed to edit and post this chapter! So you can thank them for this being posted today instead of this weekend.

Trigger Warning Alert! Everest has a panic attack-sensory overload type thing in this chapter! Skip the area between the bolded lines if you are not comfortable reading that sort of thing! There will be bolded lines so you know where to skip if you need to!

Now on with the story!

The man stood up using the walls as support. Everest watched him carefully. She didn't trust him, not when Jace said he was supposed to be dead. People don't just come back to life after their kid saw them die, that's not how it works.

"Dad?" Everest stood beside her sister, resisting the urge to bundle Jace in a blanket burrito when she heard his voice crack in the middle of the word already full of so much hope.

"Son," the man breathed out.

That one word broke whatever resolve Jace had and he stumbled into the man's arms. Everest and Clary shared a look full of hesitance and confusion.

"Oh, Jace. I can't believe it." They pulled away and the man caught sight of Jace's wound. "Son, you're hurt. How'd you find me?"

Jace reached out and his fingers grazed the man's face, his body swaying slightly. Everest let out a huff and began to dig through her bag that had somehow made it to wherever they were. Why couldn't Jace resist the poison a little longer? Why did the poison have to kick in just then? Why not later when they had an actual infirmary to use? Everest shook her head and crouched on the ground to have a better chance of finding her first aid kit and not just missing it in her hasty search.

"...Valentine took off and left me," she heard the man say as she pulled out the red bag.

"And Jocelyn Fairchild?" Clary asked hopefully.

"He took her with him? You are?"

"I'm Clary, her daughter. Meliorn, the Seelie, told me that he was here with her." Everest flicked her sister's ankle. Why was she telling this stranger how they got there or how they knew Valentine was supposed to be there? Has she never seen a movie?

"Who's she?" the man pressed. Everest stood up with a fake, dazzling smile (that was far too bright and animated to even pass as real to a blind baby) to hide her panic as she realized that she did not have the proper antivenom to deal with Ravener venom seeing as she had no idea what the antivenom could even be.

"Everest," the purple haired girl said shortly.

Everest resisted the urge to scream in frustration as Jace nearly fell to the ground. His face was nearing a dangerously bright red and he was gasping for air. 'This isn't good,' she thought to herself in a sing-song voice.

"Jace, no!" Clary shouted, helping the man keep Jace upright. "It's Ravener venom. He kept telling me he was alright."

"We have to find your father, not my father. Valentine's..." Jace trailed off and the man began to search his pockets.