My apologies to everyone for making you wait so long for the second chapter. Several things came up at the same time including me getting sick for a while. I hope to have he rest up soon

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter for their kind words. You guys are amazing.

The song I had in mind for Jace to play in this chapter is I Give Up by Elijah Bossenbroek.

All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

-Krow

Church finally stopped at the doors to the library, purring like a thunderstorm. Alec paused, he could see a faint light coming from under the carved double doors. Who could be up at this hour? Isabelle he dismissed out of hand, his sister would be more likely to be sneaking out of the Institute in the middle of the night not into it. Clary was unlikely, he would have heard the lift and besides, she wasn't really the type. Mayris was a possibility, has mother had been getting little sleep for the past few months but she would have had to pass Alec's door.

The tinkling notes of a piano confirmed the identity of Alec's fellow insomniac as he crept closer to the door, then hesitated. Did he really want to talk to Jace? His parabatai had the unnerving ability to see strait through you, to what you least wanted other people to see. Then again, Jace had enough of his own problems, lately Alec's had rather gotten the backseat. He pushed one door inward as quietly as he could.

Moonlight spilled through the huge windows at the back of the library, filtering through the runes set into the frames and casting strange shadows in the room. In daylight the library was majestic, at night the room took on an unearthly quality. Shadows clung heavy in the corners of the room and the only other light came from the small fire burning in the grate on the left-hand side of the room. The light of the later did not reach the lean figure at the other end of that huge space however.

Jace's body was curved over the keyboard of the baby grande, his hands moving quickly but still gracefully over the keys. His face had taken on that particular expression he normally only got when he played, although Alec did sometimes see it when Jace was with Clary. It wasn't anger or pain, but it contained the same kind of intensity. It was a look that was both profoundly private and mesmerizing. Alec found himself drifting closer, down the stairs and across the room, grateful for the silencing runes on his boots. It wasn't so much that he wanted to sneak up on his blood brother, as not wanting to disturb him.

The pale light turned Jace's hair from gold to silver and softened his sharp, angular features. His slender hands looked deceptively fragile as he coaxed the haunting melody from the instrument in front of him.

Alec carefully placed one hand against the side of the piano, feeling the subtle vibrations. While he didn't share his friend's innate talent for music, he could appreciate it. Something about this piece seemed oddly fragile and vulnerable. Alec had long ago learned to gauge Jace's moods from what he played. This piece stirred a hint of worry in his mind.

"This one's new," he said stupidly. He tried to keep his voice low but it still seemed too loud.

"House arrest doesn't agree with me. I considered waking you up to spar but I thought you might try to use me for target practice." Jace's eyes flicked upward to meet his own. "Perhaps I should have reconsidered."

Alec shuffled self-consciously while Jace's gaze dropped back to the black and white keys. "Are you just going to stand there?"

He blinked, surprised. Hesitantly he moved around the piano and without even pausing in the music, Jace shuffled farther down the bench to give him room. Alec kept his eyes on him as he sat down. They had only done this a few times when Jace had first come to live at the Institute. He had never felt it was his place.

"I always wondered," Jace's eyes remained downcast, "why you never learned to play. You always watched me and I used to catch you humming the songs when you thought no one was listening."

Alec flushed. "There didn't seem to be any point. It wasn't something I needed," he muttered.

This time Jace slanted a look at him, smirking slightly. "Now that sounds like something I would say. What's the real reason?" As usual, his voice was wryly amused but he thought he could hear actual curiosity there as well.

A long pause fallowed in the which the song came to a close. The final notes hanging poignantly in the air and he blond turned to look at him. Alec ran a finger along the keys, not meeting his eyes.

"Because it was yours," he glanced up briefly and saw his friend's puzzled expression. "When you first came here, you didn't really have anything. Clothes, some weapons, your ring, and all you ever did was train and study and you never complained about it like Izzy and I did, not really. I know I'm supposed to be the quiet one, the one everyone notices second, but you were a ghost in some ways." Alec finally looked up at Jace. His expression had closed, become unreadable, a definite warning sign.

"Your music, it was always the only thing that seemed entirely yours. The one thing you claimed. I couldn't take that away from you."

Something odd flickered in Jace's expression as he studied him intently. Then he raised one thin hand and for a moment Alec thought he was going to touch his face. Instead it moved to his forearm and pushed up the sleeve of his shirt. He looked down, puzzled . One finger touched his skin, tracing the lines of his parabatai rune. Jace's hand was warm, almost hot, a side effect of the of the heavenly fire contained within him. Jace tried his best not to touch anyone these days because of the risk of burning them, but now he pressed his palm briefly against the black mark he had once drawn on Alec's skin. Alec shivered.

"Not the only thing."