Photos, Memories and the Start of New Beginnings

Clary gave Jace a sideways glance and looked away quickly before he noticed her staring at him. Four weeks ago she would have never imagined things to be the way they were. Four weeks ago she would have given anything to be where she was now. It was so alien and all so new that she didn't really know how to go about. Four weeks ago she would have been trying her utmost to hide her emotions lest someone notice her sideways glances but now she had to remind herself that it wasn't such a big deal to look at him the way she did. It was all so new and just so perfect that Clary couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. Her life these past few months had been such a whirlwind of events that she needed to step back, take a deep breath and regain her balance. She was so happy, overwhelmingly so, but she still couldn't shake that feeling in her gut, that feeling that, some how, maybe, things weren't as good as they seemed. How long would it last anyway? No, she mentally scolded herself. Stop it you're being rediculous. Sebastian is dead. Valentine is dead. There's no remaining threat to the Clave and, most importantly, Jace isn't dead. For now.

It wasn't the first time she'd thought about it, heck she'd stayed up at night enough times thinking about herself, her future, Jace, everything. She knew about the risks of what she was and she had accepted them enough that it wasn't going to stop her from training. Shadowhunting was full of risks it pretty much came with the job description and she would have been a complete idiot to just jump into without thinking about everything. Her mom made plenty sure of that and had been against the entire idea from the moment Clary brought it up but she had been ready with a counter agrument before her mother even had a chance to open her mouth.

“What am I supposed to do now mom? Just sit back and pretend that the last few months never happened? It's who I am and it always has been! You tried to take it away from the start and look how that turned out! How could you ever expect me to move and and forget about everything that's happened to me, everything I've seen and heard. You're marrying a werewolf for God's sake, how am I supposed to forget about this world I'm in when my future step father turns into a giant dog once a month!” Her mother had had her own answers to that of course and the argument had been back and forth like a tennis match that nobody was winning. It was mostly the reason why she spent most of her time here, at the Institute with Izzy and Alec and, most importantly, Jace.

Jace. Not her brother but her, her boyfriend. She loved saying it to herself and she loved it when other's said it. Espesially him. It made her feel like, maybe, just maybe, all those weeks of planning and worrying and panicking just might have been worth it. Okay, definitely worth it. Now, sitting on the Institute steps in the heat of the mid afternoon she was watching him under her lashes as he read a book, postitioned on his lap so she couldn't read the title but knowing him, it was probably something like 101 Ways How to Kill Things. Like Simon had said to her once, it was like hanging out with Chuck Norris, he lived and breathed Shadowhunting and was rediculously aware of his own awesomeness. Aparantly she wasn't as inconspicuous as she had thought and she saw Jace smirk slightly, his head bent and his eyes never moving from the page. “If you really want to read so bad you could have just asked.”

“What is it?” she asked him curiously and he lifted the book level with his face, moving his long pianist fingers so she could read the title. “To Kill a Mockingbird? Really?” she looked at him dubiously.

“What?” he looked up grinning, his golden eyes glittering.

“You never really struck me as the indie-teen -fiction type. I thought it would be something more along the lines of, I don't know, The Art of War. More droning.” she half teased him.

“On the contrary, you'd be shocked to know that I have an tragically emotion side along with my blindingly good looks and personality. Besides, I thought all girls swooned for guys who read artsy classics and quoted poetry.” He was leaning, relaxed and cat-like on the banister wall, legs stretched out in front of him lazily.

Clary snorted, “Who gave you that idea? Me or Isabelle? And, I'm sorry, 'swoon'? What is this, the 1800s?”

“No but seriously, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The main character's a bit of wierdo but other than that it's really not too bad.”

Clary made a noise of interest but went back to reading her manga, The Umbrella Acadamy.

“Listen to this. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.””

“This book would probably have been useful a couple weeks ago.” Clary tried to joke but her heart wasn't in it. She had tried her hardest to suppress any memories of four weeks ago and she figured it was better like that. It was hard enough for Jace, Isabelle and Alec, they had lost their brother in the fight and even though they put up a brave front, she could see them all still hurting inside. “Scoot up let me see.”

Jace moved from his position against the wall until he was sitting on a step with his back to Clary as she leaned forward to read the page. Absentmindedly, she place one hand on Jace's shoulder and she felt his tense muscles relax under her hand. Underneath the veneer it had been a hard few weeks for all of them, she thought. From somewhere in front of her she heard the click of a camera. Looking up she saw Isabelle standing holding an old disposable camera in front of her face and Alec standing behind her who, Clary couldn't help but notice, was smiling slightly. Jace looked up at grinned at her.

“That's hardly fair, you didn't let me show my good side.”

“And which side would that be?” Isabelle asked curiously with a hint of teasing.

Jace pretended to think about it for a minute. “Huh, I guess it doesn't really matter considering all of me is my good side.”

“Jace Lightwood I think you might be becoming, dare I say it, predictable.” smiled Isabelle and laughing dodged the book Jace threw at her which Alec caught in midair.

“Where'd you even get that thing?” Clary asked looking at the camera.

“We were on patrol and there was some touristy souviner shop selling them.” She explained, clicking another picture. She quickly spun around and attempted to take a surprise shot of her brother who jumped out of the way just in time.

“Did you guys find anything intersting?” Jace asked.

“It was pretty calm to be honest. I bet every thing's underneath in the subway, we'll have to plan a trip down there.” Alec told him his face serious but his blue eyes strangely calm but sad.

“Sounds like a plan.” Jace grinned at his parabatai who smiled back at him in response.

Clary got up and stretched, “As much as I'd like to stay, I promised Simon I'd meet him in the city so I guess I'll see you guys later.”

Isabelle turned to her, her long black hair whipping out behind her. “You two should meet us a Taki's later for lunch. Maybe you could come demon hunting with us later!”

“No way. She's not ready for a patrol, Iz. She practically trips over her own feet as it is.” Jace said with a small frown. Clary wacked him with her manga and Isabelle rolled her big brown eyes at him.

“Fine fine, but you'll still meet us for lunch, right?”

“Sure. I'll tell Simon.”

Izzy smiled. “Cool! See you guys later then.”