The Aftermath Chronicles: A TMI FanFic

Part 2

Sienna was indifferent about Alec's new position.

The Institute had always been her home but she trusted Alec to take care of it. She also doubted he would last long. He was destined for greater things than the small San Francisco Institute. 

Sienna didn't believe she was destined for much.

Her childhood had been too eventful for her adult life to come to anything more than a retirement after a few decades of demon hunting (and dance, if destiny found it in her heart to give her some joy).

Quickly after their meeting in the library, the four Shadowhunters had returned to New York to gather their things and settle their affairs while Sienna and James spent the rest of the morning cleaning and preparing rooms.

"Do you think Jace and Clarissa will share a room?" Sienna asked James as they made up a bed. 

"I think that would be highly improper," James said, striding across the room, soundlessly, to gather the pillow cases. He emphasized "highly."

Sienna had always been intrigued by Jace's good looks. But who wasn't? He could have any girl in the world and he chose a barely-trained Shadowhunter, with horrid posture, and red hair that seemed to fly out in every direction. 

Sienna stood in front of the mirror inspecting her reflection. She was still wearing the black gear she had put on to impress her guests. Her bun was still neat. What did Clarissa have that she didn't? Sienna strived to be perfect. But there was no one to notice her.

"Is something the matter, miss?" James asked. Sienna snapped out of her stupid head-space. 

"I just--" She sighed. "Do you ever think I'll leave San Francisco, James?"

"I'm sure you'd always be welcomed in Idris," James said. Idris. Shadowhunter homeland. It was like a mythical fairy land. There wasn't any landscape more beautiful in this dimension. 

"I'm not talking about Idris," Sienna said. "I'm talking about going to other Institutes-- falling in love, James."

The older man stopped, straightening up. He looked at Sienna. 

"You wish to be married?" James asked.

"I mean, yes," she said, frustrated with her own emotions. "I want a life beyond this Institute."

"You want Jace Lightwood," James concluded.

"Jace is taken," she said, shaking her head. The bun suddenly felt too tight, too stiff. With a few pulls, her hair came tumbling down. She shook it out. "I want a Jace, yes. I want a beautiful, brave Shadowhunter who would ride into battle for me and save the world. I want someone who looks at me the way he looks at Clarissa."

The butler remained silent.

..........

Jace looked at Clary, skeptically. 

There was nothing she could say to convince her mother to let her spend the summer with him in San Francisco.

Jocelyn came down the stairs and saw the two sitting on the couch. She immediately froze. 

"I hope this isn't an intervention," she said. Jace smiled, looking down at his lap. He had to take his eyes off Clary.

"I want to ask you something," Clary said.

"Ask away," said a voice. Luke descended down the stairs, stopping beside Jocelyn. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close, as if he could lose her at any moment.

Clary took a deep breath. 

"I'd like to go to San Francisco for the summer," she said.

"Uh, we," Jace corrected. His eyes darted back in forth between Jocelyn's absolute shock and Clary's dwindling hopefulness.