"Sebastian," Jace muttered coolly. He pushed Clary firmly behind him but kept a firm grip on his hand.

The recent intruder walked around the house picking up various objects, observing them for a moment, and then setting them back down, not even acknowledging them. He looked deep in thought, contradicting how he first appeared, and Jace was growing more impatient by the second, his grip tightening on Clary's hand.

"He's changed things since the last time I was here," he said finally.

"You've been here before?" Jace muttered. Sebastian nodded and grinned. Oh how Clary hated that grin. It made her insides tighten and twist around.

"Yes," was the hushed answer that they received.

"Well you need to leave," Jace said taking a step towards him releasing his grip on Clary only slightly. He wanted to drive a knife through his cold dead heart and continue until he stopped squirming. The only thing stopping him from springing to the knife and doing so was the intense pain that he felt all over his body and the tight grip on his right hand that was Clary. Sebastian ignored him however and looked over his shoulder at Clary.

"I would like to talk to you," he said suddenly making her jump a little.

"You need to leave," Jace muttered impatiently.

"I would like to talk to Clary," he said.

Her eyes flickered to the knife on the floor that she dropped when she entered and immediately regretted it. She could reach for the knife in her boot but Sebastian would be able to tell and could easily attack Jace before was even halfway to the knife. His eyes followed her gaze and he grinned. Her insides twisted again and she tightened her grip on Jace's hand.

"Have I caught you unarmed, Clary?" he mused, rustling a growl from Jace who took another step forward. Sebastian raised his hands, palms outward in mock defeat.

"What do you want Sebastian," he glowered.

"I believe I already said that I wanted to talk with Clary," he said tilting his head a bit. His eyes searched the two of them for a moment and then he added in after thought, "Alone."

"You aren't going anywhere near Clary!" shouted Jace, resulting in a sudden pang of pain in both his chest and head.

"What do you want Sebastian," Clary said quietly giving Jace a little squeeze trying to calm him down a little.

"I want to talk to you," he repeated, seeming to get a bit more annoyed.

She could feel Jace tensing again and fearing that he would spring at him in his injured state she took a step in between the two resulting in an eyebrow raise from both of them. She was suddenly hit with the reality of how similar the pair of them could act at times.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked mustering all of her strength and staring directly into his cold eyes.

"I thought that would be obvious to you at this point," he muttered.

"Excuse me?!" Clary said, her voice going up an octave. He came in here invading where he's not welcome and says he wants to 'talk'. The rational side of Clary's mind told her that she should run, take Jace with her and run. Or maybe stab him. But somewhere in the back of her mind she was reminded that he hadn't actually made any move to attack her which was strange for him. From what she could see he didn't have any weapons on him but shadowhunters always had weapons on them, even him. Especially him.

"Clary," Jace said warningly tugging at her wrist trying to get her to go back behind him. Strong as he was she was just as stubborn and given his weakened state and her reluctance the attempt was futile.

"What do you want?" she growled at Sebastian. But he was no longer paying attention to her. Instead he was looking over her shoulder to Jace who was just glaring at him coldly.

"You haven't told her?" he smirked. Clary turned to look at Jace who had gone pale and she looked from Jace to Sebastian quickly.

"Told me what?" she asked. When there was no response she tugged away from Jace who let out a small gasp at the loss of her touch and a triangle was formed between the three of them. "Told me what?" she asked more urgently.

"You really haven't told her," Sebastian laughed shaking his head slightly. Jace glared at him taking a threatening step towards him.

"I want to know what the hell you put in her head!" he shouted again.

"I haven't put anything in her head!" Sebastian shouted back. The two boys just glared at each other and Clary was again struck with how similar they could be.

"Told me what," she repeated quieter than she had even the first time. Black and gold eyes met hers and a heavy silence filled the room.

"She really doesn't know?" Sebastian asked directed towards Jace but his eyes remained locked on hers. Jace let out an annoyed sound and shoved Sebastian who instead of attacking back just took a step backwards, widening the triangle between them, but this time the two of them were closer to each other and further away from Clary.

"She is none of your damn business," he said.

"As I recall she is my sister," he said simply.

"As I recall you want us both dead," Jace retorted. Sebastian shook his head and looked over at Clary.

"Have you been feeling strange lately?"

"What!?" she gave an undignified screech of frustration.

"Have you been feeling strange? Anything bothering you?" he sounded actually concerned. Jace turned to look at him incredulously.

In a swift and not all that graceful dive she leapt for the dagger that lay in the middle of the hallway floor and pointed it at Sebastian who hadn't moved an inch. He just watched her carefully, eyeing her like a sick patient at the hospital.

"Get. Out," she breathed raggedly. Jace took a step towards her but she did not acknowledge him.

"I went through all that trouble to get Christopher out of the house to talk to you," he muttered. "The least you could do is talk."

"The least I could do is drive this knife through your heart," she sneered. "That is if you had one."

"You got Christopher out?" Jace turned again to face Sebastian and the triangle retuned to its original equilateral shape.

"I said I wanted to talk, didn't I?" Sebastian was starting to get a bit impatient and so was Jace.

"You didn't even know Clary was going to be here."

"I consider it a nice added bonus," he said looking at Jace momentarily and then turned his attention back to Clary. "So any funny feelings?"

"You came here to talk about my feelings?" she scoffed.

"More or less," he smirked. Jace rolled his eyes.

"Look if you're going to attack us you might as well get it done with so you can go on your merry way," he muttered.

"I'm not here to fight. I don't even have any weapons to do so," he said digging into his pockets and he turned them out revealing nothing. He didn't appear to have a weapons belt and he lifted his shirt enough to reveal that there wasn't one stuffed in a random belt loop and he raised the leg of his pants to show that there were none attached to his ankles. Jace just stared at him unsure of what he was supposed to say or think and Clary raised an eyebrow. This was not the Sebastian that they knew and hated.

"What do you want?" she asked. As he opened his mouth to speak she cut in. "And don't say you're here to talk. What do you want to talk about and why? What do you want?"

"Well it appears I've caught myself in a little," he paused for dramatic effect. "Situation."

"What kind of situation?" Jace asked immediately. Clary glanced at his face; his eyes were clouded with confusion and his muscles were tensed. She could tell he wanted to attack but was holding back. For whatever reason she wasn't entirely sure but she had a feeling to do it was because she was here.

"A situation that I no longer have control over," he said slowly, Clary could tell he was picking through his words carefully. Jace rolled his eyes and took a threatening step towards Sebastian who stayed where he was unaffected by it.

"What happened?" Clary asked wanting to move things along. Sebastian's eyes bore into Clary's and he let out a small sigh, then he looked toward Jace.

"I'm not the one who's trying to get into Clary's head," he said.

"What!" Clary looked incredulously at Jace who was staring at Sebastian. The imaginary triangle that was binding them together seemed to have strengthened and denied Clary the courage she needed to turn and run.

"Bullshit," Jace muttered. He was ignoring her completely now. Whether on purpose or just because of the situation she wasn't entirely sure.

"It's not. I could prove it to you if you'd like, but I need your help," he said quietly.

"You need our help?" Clary shouted hysterically. She still had no idea what was going on but she wasn't about to help out the one person in this world who she was frightened of; he was also the one person in the world Jace was frightened of. Speaking of Jace, Clary looked to him and he just had an eyebrow raised eyeing Sebastian carefully.

"Why the hell would we help you," he said viciously. Sebastian was not phased at all with the coldness that he was being treated with.

"Because I'm asking you to. After all, the three of us are the closest thing either of us has to family." He looked completely sincere. And the most innocent that Clary had ever seen him. Silence.

"What do you need from us?" she whispered finally.

Wayward Lovers…Wayward Lovers

"So you have no idea where they are?" asked Alec softly. Magnus shook his head gravely.

"No," Magnus whispered. "I don't."

"Is there anything…" he started to say but quieted down once Magnus was shaking his head again.

"They are currently intractable, that's all I can tell you."

"But they're still alive?" Alec asked. A small smile appeared across Magnus's lips and he gave a small chuckle.

"Well, knowing Clary, she's with Jace. Knowing Jace, he's with Clary. Knowing them both," he sighed. "I hardly think that the two of them would let the other die."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Alec asked even though he already knew the answer. Magnus nodded and leaned over giving him a soft kiss on the lips then pulled back watching him closely.

"Besides, wouldn't you feel it if you're parabatai?"

"I suppose so," Alec muttered and looked over at Isabelle. She was flung across the couch breathing heavily in a deep and what looked to be peaceful sleep. She looked much more innocent when she was asleep, but just as beautiful she did in those outfits that the boys who chased her so often fantasized her in.

"It's been a long day," Magnus murmured following his partners gaze.

"Yea," he whispered quietly back.

"Hey," Magnus said softly nudging Alec's shoulder. He wasn't normally this soft or gentle but he felt like Alec needed it after today. "It's going to be fine. You'll be okay."

"It's not me I'm worried about," he said still looking to his sister.

"She'll be okay. Clary will be okay," he sighed and paused for a while. "Jace will be okay."

"You don't know that," he snapped suddenly.

"Sure I do," he said a bit louder than the two of them had been speaking in an attempt to get to a lighter atmosphere.

"Why's that?" Alec muttered with the roll of these eyes. Magnus sighed and put a hand on his arm and he felt Alec relax slightly under him.

"I just told you," he said with a small laugh threatening to spill over. "He's your parabatai. He would not leave you."

"He might," Alec said bitterly.

"Now why do you think that?" Magnus asked a bit surprised.

"For her," he said simply. Magnus did not need to ask who he was talking about.

"Just because they are together doesn't mean you're alone now," he replied.

"I feel alone, Magnus." Alec's shoulders slumped and he sat forward from their perch on the couch perpendicular from the one Isabelle was sleeping on. "Mom and dad are always busy, Izzy's mad at me, Jace is either getting cut up or with Clary, and I hardly get to see you!"

Magnus's brow creased in worry as he watched Alec, who was normally so calm and in control, sit there and talk about how he felt alone. He tightened his grip on his arm and pulled him back against the couch so that they were touching each other again, shoulder to shoulder and leg to leg. They stayed sitting like that quietly for a while, touching but not really. Eventually Magnus stretched his arm over Alec's shoulder and pulled him closer so that they were touching more. He gave a quiet sigh and reached down with his other arm and gripped Alec's hand tightly, giving it a nice comforting squeeze.

"For whatever it's worth, I'm here for you," he tried looking into Alec's eyes for his reaction. He saw a ghost of a smile appear on his lips and then he gave a small nod.

"I know," he whispered. They sat quietly again for a while and after a long lull in conversation Magnus took Alec by the chin lifted his face up and kissed him full on the mouth. At first there was no response at all from him, but then the dam broke and he started kissing him fervently sliding his hand up from his side to squeeze Magnus's leg and then up to his chest. They broke apart suddenly, both unsure of why. Suddenly, Isabelle stirred in her sleep and Alec grinned for the first time in ages.

"If we're going to do this I rather we not do it in front of my sister," he said quietly.

"Agreed," Magnus said quickly and took Alec by the hand and led him to the bedroom.

Wayward Lovers…Wayward Lovers

"So there's a demon in my head," Clary said quietly after Sebastian had finished explaining the situation. He nodded his eyes flicking quickly from Jace to Clary.

"And possibly Jace's," he added.

Jace was sitting quietly in the armchair his elbows on his knees and his head in his hand, fingers entwined in his hair. The three of them had made their way from the hallway to the living room. Sebastian had hastily set up a fire while Clary and Jace watched his every move, Clary occasionally watching Jace to make sure he wasn't in too much pain. The stele was firmly tucked in Clary's hand and the knife in Jace's lap. Sebastian still appeared to have no weapons.

"What are you playing at," Jace said starting to laugh a little and he looked up at Sebastian. "You've spent your entire life waiting to kill me, you tried to kill me, you killed my brother," Clary winced as he raised his voice. "And now you want my help!"

"Your and Clary's both. Yes." He raised his eyebrows like he didn't understand what the problem was.

"You're insane you know that!" he shouted.

"I'm trying to help you both," he said simply.

"Why?" he yelled, the pounding in his head intensified. "So you can kill us at the last second!" He slumped down to the chair exhausted. Oh, he was very exhausted. The only reason he wasn't fighting is because of his injuries, that and Clary was here. There was no way in hell that he was going to risk her safety. Besides, he had taken inventory of the room at least five times for weapons to use once he was sure his "brother" would attack.

"Jace are you alright?" Clary whispered.

"No," he muttered stubbornly.

An awkward silence fell upon them and Clary bit her lip. While she hated Sebastian with all of her mind, body, and soul he hadn't tried to attack them yet. And he had given them valuable information and from what she had been told, some of it Jace already know. So what reason did she have to think that all of the rest of it wasn't true? Besides the fact that it was Sebastian and she wanted him dead more than any other being on the planet that is. That and the fact that out of all the things he's done and all the people he's killed that he was actually asking them for help. She never in a million years thought she would be in a living room preparing for some catastrophe with the person she loved and hated the most in this world.

"May I have a word with Jace?" she looked at Sebastian who just stared at her for a few seconds. "Alone…" He gave a small nod and left the room and went to what Clary presumed to be the kitchen.

"You're not actually thinking about joining with him are you?" Jace stammered once he figured he was out of earshot.

"You heard what he said," she whispered.

"Yes I did," Jace said coldly.

"I could die, Jace," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. The two of them were silent for a few minutes. Only the sound of creaky steps of the floor in the kitchen interrupted the silence.

"What do you want to do?" she asked finally.

"I'm not sure," he said honestly looking down at his hands.

"You could die too," she breathed. "If his suspicions are right."

"I know," he muttered.

"I will not let you die Jace," she grumbled.

"So you just want to do what he says?" he looked up at her with fierce eyes that made her back down considerably.

"We don't really have a choice in the matter, Jace."

"I know," he said.

"Will you stop saying that!" she said raising her voice a bit. He sighed and held up his hands. It reminded her of what Sebastian did not even half an hour ago.

"What would you like me to say?"

"Something that will help us," she said pathetically.

"I think we're sort of screwed as it is, Clary," Jace said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. She couldn't help the smile that teased the corner of her mouth.

"So you do believe him?" she asked. "You think what he says is true?"

"It makes sense," he said.

Sebastian suddenly appeared in the doorway and they both looked up at him.

"I don't mean to be rude," he said slowly. "But I really do need to go. And I would like an answer before I do.

"Well mean it or not, you're a rude and arrogant asshole," Jace retorted. Sebastian was unphased and he looked at Clary and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"We don't know," she said quietly. He let out a small sigh but nodded.

"I understand why you don't trust me," he said. Jace snorted.

Clary stayed silent.

There was a rustle of movement outside and Sebastian looked apprehensive for the slightest movement.

"I'm sure Christopher will be back soon."

Still silence.

"I'll come back in three days to see if that helps any."

Silence.

"I'll be going now."

Silence.

Jace watched carefully as Sebastian made his way to the door and left without another word. He locked eyes with Clary briefly and stood up with a painful grunt. Clary was at his side in a second flat and had her arms around him holding him up. His heart was beating so fast that Clary thought it might pop out of his chest out onto the floor. He looked at her, reached out a hand, and stroked her cheek gently.

"You came here for me," he grinned and Clary couldn't help but grin back at him.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Are you going to stay?" he asked.

"I think so," she whispered shifting slightly to try to support a bit more of his weight.

"What of Isabelle and Alec?" he mused.

"I'll call them in the morning," she whispered. She kissed his cheek softly and pulled back looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Alright," he grinned.

"But right now, I want something to eat," she took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

Wayward Lovers…Wayward Lovers

An hour later, Christopher was on his way back home. He shouldn't have actually expected the boy to come. This wasn't the first meeting that he had blown off and it probably wouldn't be the last. He was, however, looking forward to the money that he would receive for taking care of the boy. At least the boy talked to him and didn't leave him useless instructions and then ignore him for weeks at a time. Maybe he should be a bit nicer to him.

He made his way down the path allowing the wind to rip through his hair and mess it up. He bit his lip softly for a moment. He would make dinner for the boy, yes that's what he would do. Make sure he was all bandaged and then contact Magnus. The boy should be suitable to go back to his friends soon. He was getting much better and he should be able to portal safely within a few days. Maybe he would be able to talk to them to. Tell them he was alright. After all, he was just supposed to make sure the boy was healthy and alive for when he was needed. He had done his share and he didn't want to hurt the boy. Despite telling himself not to he was starting to become a bit attached to him and he didn't want him to be any more upset than he was already.

Christopher heard a rustle in the trees behind him, an unnatural rustle that he knew wasn't caused by wind. He paused and put his hand on the hilt on his seraph blade. He blood began to pound as the adrenaline kicked in.

"Jonathon?" he called out. It might have been the boy coming late. He had his suspicions but it was entirely possible.

There was no response and there was no more rustling. He looked around one more time and then continued on his path this time much more focused on his surroundings than the thoughts clouding his head. He heard the sudden rustle of wind and then nothing. The wind stopped. He looked up at the starts for a moment, locating a few constellations that he could pick out. The moon was half full and shone down heavenly to illuminate the trees surrounding him.

WHAM!

His world went black.

Authors Note:

Yes I know you hate me for not updating it. But it seems I have lost some interest in it anyways. You guys know I like reviews…and I know you like chapters…so…I gots a little proposition for you.

10 reviews=the story will be updated within the month

20 reviews=the story will be updated within the week

Positive or negative, you know I don't mind. There are 60 of you on alert and I know more than that read. Have at it. Don't hate me please. At least not too much

Azallea

Very Excited About the New Mortal Instruments Trailer, Anxiously Waiting Writer, and Procrastinator Extraordinaire