i never asked to be saved [r], mortal instruments - Seren

[Yunalesca]

It was a struggle for her to relax as she found herself dancing with Eli, his touch was light and clearly he was leaving her an opening if she wanted to step away, but it was still intimate in a way which was not something she was ever warm to. She was aware that he was probably confused at her wanting to keep everyone at arms length but she wasn't about to explain it to him. It'd been hard enough the first time she'd had to say it to the others when Hodge took her in at the Institute. Reasons behind her cold exterior were traumatizing and she didn't feel like exposing the wounds any further. All she could do was manage to let the alcohol slip into her synapses and make her relax against him.

The moment 'Blurred Lines' came on she felt the demeanor of the shadowhunter change, his hands pulling her a little closer and once the lyrics repeated themselves, he was singing them to her. She was well aware of what the song was about and felt her mood turn a little dark as his vodka laced breath wafted over her. She was tensing again before he spun her out, leaving her too surprised to pull away before he was twirling her back and she was even closer to him than before. He almost held her there as she looked up at him disapprovingly, though she had yet to pull away as the heat from him washed over her own skin. She could feel her pulse race as his hands ran over her skin, an unnatural reaction for her and she felt the need to pull away in that moment. Her drinking was making her not think straight and causing reactions she would never have sober. She opened her mouth to say something along the lines of they should leave when someone interrupted.

Eli's hands loosened as he turned to face whoever had imposed and Audrina had a feeling before she even peeked out from behind him. It was the mundane, having skimmed through the dance floor to find her and by the look on his face, she'd say he was not amused to see her with someone else. "Get your hands off my girl." Came from the shorter man and instantly the blonde bristled, stepping up beside Eli and more into his arm. The moment he turned to her she pulled back her arm and nailed him with a well placed fist to his cheekbone. "I'm not your damn girl!" She yelled at the mundane as he faltered on his feet and nearly went down from the blow. She turned back to Eli thinking the matter had been settled, but the human was back on his feet and didn't seem to like she had hit him.

A crushing grip wrapped around her wrist and she was pulled back around to face the mundane, coming full on into a hard slap to her own face. She hadn't been expecting it and almost went down from the strength behind the hit, the mundane yanking on her wrist about the only thing that kept her standing. Her hand went to her face as her heart pounded, the alcohol and mere shock of the incident slowing her reaction time and thought process down so thoroughly she couldn't even react beyond holding her face. Any other time she would've pummeled the man into the ground for thinking he could lay a hand on her, but it wasn't something she could even think of at the moment. Her pulse hammered in her ears as she felt the raw heat coming from where he'd hit her and ever so slowly her eyes were turning gold as the realization of what'd just happened began to set in.

[Serendipity]

Your girl? Your girl! Eli thought furiously as he bristled all over from the absurdity of the other male’s words. He actually thought he’d shouted the words out loud, but realised as Audrina came to stand close beside him and the mundane looked expectantly at her and paid no further attention to him that he hadn’t said anything at all. His mind trying to focus on what was about to unfold, a tug-a-war over Audrina. He would have laughed in the male’s face and told him to piss off if his reactions weren’t so slow now from drinking far too much.

Audrina beat him to it, landing a fair whack into the side of the mundane’s cheek as he turned to her and Eli smirked in satisfaction. He wasn’t unmindful of the fact that Audrina could handle herself more than any ordinary mundane female; she’d gone up against a lair of vampires and for the most part had done pretty well. This little boy wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. But he’d forgotten they’d both been drinking, and alcohol even in a shadowhunters system could slow anyone’s reaction time down.

Audrina turned to him so they could both walk away from the possessive male. He hadn’t expected the male to recover from the blow to the face as quickly as he had which was why he didn’t notice at first that he was the only one still trying to make his way through the crowd and Audrina had been pulled back. It was only a few seconds until he noticed she was missing from his side, but a few seconds was enough it seemed as he quickly turned around to see where she’d gone when he saw the mundane slap her hard across the face, his grip on her wrist unyielding.

Anger coiled through him, hot and fierce and he didn’t care that they were in a public place he was going beat that boy black and blue. Before he could about what he was doing exactly, he sprang forward pushing his way through the crowd which had started to close around him almost separating him from Audrina. With a feral growl he leaped the moment he was close enough into the male’s side in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. However he didn’t calculate the move correctly in his fuzz filled mind and only grazed the male, knocking him back a few steps and ended up sprawled on the sticky dance floor.

“Fuck,” Eli grunted bad-temperedly and silently cursed himself for having consumed so much alcohol. He’d never missed his mark before sober. He felt a heavy boot on his back pushing him back down as he tried to get back up. Eli rolled non to quickly to the side from under the boot and caught the mundane’s foot in his hands, dragging him down to the ground beside him.

The male scrambled to get back up, but Eli had hold of his foot still but as he kicked out a few times Eli let go no longer able to hold on. He felt the male’s booted heel connect to the side of his ribs and flinched away before as quick as lightening the male was on top at him pummelling a fist into his chest and then another into his jaw and Eli cursed in shock more so than pain as the side of his lip split open.

His limbs felt heavy and not as nimble as usual but he managed to take control of the situation and his hand shot out to stop the other’s fist. He gripped it tightly with what he hoped was bone crushing strength. The mundane was distracted by the pain shooting through his crushed fingers and up his arm, shouting angrily in pain and Eli rolled them both over so he was the one on top, pinning him down to the floor with a hand around his throat in a tight grip. Eli glared at the dark haired body beneath him and drew his elbow back, his hand closing into a fist at the same time. Still holding the male’s throat tightly cutting most of his airway off, he slammed his fist into the side of his face as he struggled beneath him.

He hit the male once more before his arm grew suddenly too tired to do so again, but he was pretty sure he’d made his point, and rolled off onto his back breathing heavily. That had taken a lot more effort than it should have. He didn’t say anything as he pulled himself to his feet, a crowd had formed and he hadn’t realised some of them had been cheering for the fight to progress. He scowled at the male still on his back and stumbled away wiping the blood from his lip. His blue eyes searching for Audrina amongst the crowd of people, he saw her and made his way over to her, it was probably time that they left.

[Yunalesca]

She had only just started to regain her senses when the tall form of Eli was coming back and trying to take down her current captor. The drunken shadowhunter was easily sidestepped and only managed to connect his fist partially with the mundane. As Eli hit the floor in a grunt, Desmond threw Audrina to the ground before turning to beat down the male that had put himself between them. AS she went down she felt her ankle twist in the boot, the stiletto heel not helping her descent to the dance floor. She felt hands on her as she looked through her wash of blonde hair as Eli took a kick to the ribs. People began to take notice of the fight going on and it turned into a spectator sport as sets of hands were pulling the blonde shadowhunter to her feet and seemingly trying to keep her out of the action. “Let me go!” She yelled as she pulled against the hands of the club-goers. Only when Eli had landed his final punch did they release her and she nearly fell to the ground beside him.

As he stalked up to her she immediately slipped her arm under his and didn’t even think about the intimacy it may draw. He was severely intoxicated and had taken a bit of beating; he would need her help getting him up the stairs. “Come on, we need to disappear.” She said loudly to him, though she felt he was aware of the fact as she was steering them toward the stairs and the exit of the club. She half limped up the metal steps as her ankle tensed and the stiletto heels refused to offer much support under Eli’s weight and her own. This was the second night that she was playing support to him and she made a mental note to use that against him in the future. Assuming he would be around in the future of course. If he hadn’t followed her out he wouldn’t be in the drunken mess he was now,

As they started out the front door she couldn’t help but think about how he had managed to defend her even in his drunken stupor. He’d been quick to come to her aid and had seemed to be beyond the normal rage as he beat the mundane down that had hit her. Was it because he’d hit a girl or was it specifically because he’d hit her? Given the chance she would have been more than capable of handling the situation herself, but a part of her was thankful Eli had been there. She could’ve gotten herself into a lot of trouble if she hadn’t been able to slip to the dance floor with him or if he hadn’t stepped in on the beat down of the mundane.

The cool night air hit them as they stepped out and she began to feel the effects of the alcohol and the club itself wear off almost immediately. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything to him as she guided them down the street and to the alley she’d hid her bike in. She stopped once they were beside the Ducati and leaned him against the brick wall. “You okay to ride?” She asked softly, her voice tired and distracted as her fingers ran over where the mundane had hit her. She couldn’t feel any swelling but had no doubts the side of her face was red. She only hoped the others would be asleep or out when they got back. It was bad enough they were coming back together, she didn’t need them to also see that she’d been hit at some point in the evening. She turned her attention back to Eli at the thought, he’d been to one to really get hit after all.

“Let me see your ribs.” She demanded gently as she stepped up to him. Her apprehensions from earlier in the night had dissipated as she felt herself being genuinely concerned about him. Alec was right, she wasn’t acting like she had a hide made of iron anymore. “Don’t look at me like that either.” She scolded as her hand gently ran over the side he’d been kicked on to feel for broken bones. His skin was hot and still wet from perspiration under her fingertips and the acknowledgement of it made her cheeks turn pink again. She took a breath to dismiss her thoughts as she removed her hand from his abdomen. “Nothing broken. I think you’ll make it back, so long as you’re not too drunk to hold on.” She said as she could feel herself trying to put up walls again rather desperately.

[Serendipity]

Eli was grateful that Audrina met him on his way back to her and slipped an arm through his, he tried not to lean too much of his weight on her, but his ribs hurt a little (and would probably hurt more in the morning) and he wasn’t all that coordinated when he was full of alcohol. He nodded as he barely registered her words, something about getting out of here, he’d been thinking along the same lines. The crowd seemed to part for them as they made their way through and up the metal steps. If he’d been more focused her might have noticed that Audrina was limping and he might have not leaned into her so much.

He could still feel the irritation burning through him from the nerve the mundane had to think he could take possession of something that wasn’t his and use force to get it. But as they stepped out into the cool night air, some of that anger washed away now that they were out of the club. Eli groaned a little, the cool air was making his head spin a little or maybe that was from the fist that had connected with it several times. Touching his lip tentatively he winched at the sting but could feel that it would only be a small cut and would heal without the need for stitches.

Eli wasn’t aware how far they’d walked before Audrina was leaning him up against a brick wall; he sighed and leant his head back against the bricks, peeking from behind his lashes at her bike. When she asked him if he were okay to ride, he grinned crookedly but raised a hand, “Give me a minute,” He announced. He’d had his eyes partially closed but they opened as he felt Audrina step closer to him, and thought he heard concern in her voice as she asked to see his ribs.

His gaze held no mockery behind it as he watched her intently, her admonishment not registering in his ears as her hands slid beneath his jacket and over his shirt. He thought he felt his breath hitch but he couldn’t be sure, suddenly he wasn’t aware of any pain in his ribs and could only concentrate on her gentle hands. Eli’s gaze lifted from her hand as she felt around for anything broken, and it was then he noticed her cheek was still marked red from where the mundane had hit her. Without thinking about what he was doing, he lifted a hand to her face, the backs of his fingers moved over the spot with a feather light touch.

He withdrew his hand quickly as she spoke, her words snapping him out of his own thoughts and he blinked almost dazed. “I haven’t had... that much to... drink,” He defended lightly, but his words betrayed him as they came out almost inaudible. But he was nodding and pushed himself from the wall to make his way towards the bike as Audrina got on; luckily it was only a few steps away. “Let’s go,” He said. He was a little wobbly on his feet but he managed to get on the bike behind her and slip his arms around her waist, careful not to hold her too tightly this time because of the bruising on his ribs.

[Yunalesca]

Her breath caught noticeably as she felt his fingers brush over her cheek, the gesture gentle and almost intimate as he seemed to notice the mark left by the mundane who'd hit her. She managed to not shrink away from him as he did so. She could almost feel enjoyment out of the act before his hand pulled away. She smirked almost playfully as he proclaimed he hadn't had that much to drink. He was a piss poor liar and she'd remember to bring that up on another occassion as well. "Right. And you don't smell like a distillery either." She said before turning away from him and slipping her leg over the seat of her bike. She tilted it off the stand and waited for Eli to get on behind her. Once his arms were around her waist she started the engine and let it roar to life before slowly pulling around and out of the alley. For the first time she wasn't quite so repusled by him holding on to her, probably due to the fact he was severely inebriated and had just beat the hell out of someone who'd hit her.

She didn't say anything on their route back to the Institute, spending more of her focus on making sure his grip on her didn't loosen as the bike rumbled down the streets and she took care in avoiding potholes. The first night they'd met she'd had no qualms about leaving him if he fell off, but this evening she found herself more focused on making sure that didn't happen. She didn't race down the highway or struggle against his grip to make him fall. It was an odd feeling for her to be concerned about him especially when she'd been so cold to him from the get go. Maybe things were changing inside her, but she seriously doubted it. A mixture of alcohol and grogginess made people do and think stupid things. She pulled the bike gently around the corner of the Insititute and parked it. Her hands drifted down to his as she wondered if he were asleep seeing as he had yet to move. "Hey drunko, we're back." She said over her shoulder to him as she realized she was still essentially holding his hands. Biting her lip, she separated his hands from around her torso and lifted herself off the bike before, almost begrudgingly, offering her assistance to him once more.

"You know, I think we've already been in this position before. And...both times...you've had your ass kicked." She said in broken sentence as she started to take on more of his weight as though the full effects of the alcohol were starting to wear. She managed to both hold him up and reach into her corset for her stele to unlock the front door.
She sidestepped the door open and nudged it closed with her foot before starting forward again, ignoring the protests from her ankle as she started to bring Eli up the steps. She wasn't going to say it out loud, but she had a feeling she was going to have to take him all the way to his door. She would not, however, undress him and get him into bed. Her concern with him would stop at that door and that was final.

"Sorry we couldn't bring one of your girlfriends back. I'm sure you were looking forward to that." She managed in slight sarcasm as they got closer to his door. He was humming the tune of 'Blurred Lines' as they made their way up the hall and she rolled her eyes. Apparently he had gone from pissed off to sleepy to happy drunk all in the matter of an hour. She only hoped he didn't get into the super friendly drunk or she'd have to drop him on his ass outside his door and be done with it. She was reaching the end of the being nice train and just wanted a shower and bed. Now that they were back inside the Institute and safer, she found herself caring a little less about his wellbeing. "I think you can find your bed on you own." She said in a biting tone as she turned the knob of his door and nudged it open.

[Serendipity]

Eli shook his head as she pointed out that he smelled like a distillery, completely in denial that he had drunk all that much at all. The drinks had seemed to blur into each other as the night had progressed as had the girls he’d danced with, he couldn’t recall how much he’d had to drink or even how many women he’d danced with, surely it hadn’t been that many? From the look on her face, her nose a little scrunched and her head turned away from his face maybe he did smell as bad as she’d said. Oh well, he thought and shrugged in response the crooked grin still in place, he couldn’t do much about that now.

As she pulled away from the curb he had to grip her a little more firmly around the waist, as he suddenly felt like he’d fall right off the bike if he didn’t have a good enough grip around her waist. This didn’t seem to bother her like it had on the way to the club as though little by little she was growing accustomed to him being that close to her. Something he would try to remember in the morning, but honestly doubted he would. As they moved through the streets, Audrina swerving as many potholes as she could he felt his head grow heavy and he had to rest it on the back of her shoulder.

Eli hadn’t realised he’d closed his eyes or that Audrina had kept grabbing his hands to make sure they were still firmly around her. It wasn’t until they’d stopped outside the Institute and she nudged him gently to inform him they were stopped and it was time to get off that he lifted his head groggily and looked up at the Institute to confirm that they were indeed back. “Cool,” He mumbled, the only response his scrambled brain could come up with and started to get off the bike.

Audrina was beside him and helping him off, and again if he hadn’t been so drunk he might have realised without her saying so that they’d been in this situation before. He was grateful for her support otherwise he may have ended up face down in the curb. He chuckled but lifted a finger and shook it side to side, or at least thought he did and glanced down at her. “I…both times I’ve had my ass kicked,” He admitted, he had been about to argue with her, but she made a point. “Tell anyone…I was beat up by a mundie…” Eli began as she dug through her dress to find her stele, but he lost his train of thought halfway through, his eyes closing as he struggled to keep them open, although this time it wasn’t due to loss of blood.

Once Audrina opened the door they both stumbled through, well Eli stumbled, and the blonde shadowhunter lead him out of the entrance and down the corridor towards their rooms. He scoffed a little and shook his head as Audrina mentioned him bringing one of his ‘girlfriends’ home. “One of them pinched my bum,” He said as though that explained everything, and he scrunched his nose.

It was when they were half way down that Eli began humming the tune to the song at the club that he’d thought was catchy. Blurred lines… It seemed it was stuck in his head, and he even swayed to the beat of the music playing in his mind along with the words. He didn’t even think much of it as Audrina let him go outside of his room, opening the door for him and announcing that he could find his own bed. Suddenly he didn’t feel sleepy at all, and his mood brightened forgetting about the fight he’d gotten into with the mundane completely.

Eli walked into the doorway of his room, still swaying his hips to the tune of the song in his head, and turned back to Audrina standing just outside the door. “Just let me liberate you
Hey, hey, hey.” He stopped humming and sung the words not worrying about the slurr to them. His eyes locked on hers, some part of his brain thinking she’d enjoy his little performance. He clapped his hands and bit his lip, trying to be seductive, as he wiggled his hips back and forth. “The way you grab me, must wanna get nasty,” He continued.

He reached for her hand and caught it before she could sntach it out of his way, “Dance with me,” He told her, a playful note in his voice and drew her into his room. “I know there’s a fun side of you in there somewhere…come on.” He urged and backed her further into the room so she wasn’t so close to the door, by no means did he mean his actions to come off malicious or that he was trying to take advantage of her. He ignored her protests and as he had done on the dance floor, spun her out and twirled her back to him once again singing, “I know you want it…I know you want it, but you're a good girl!”

“I hate these blurred lines!” The words that he was actually singing didn’t register in his head, he was simply singing what he thought was the catchy part of the song. He spun himself around this time instead of Audrina as he sung some more “I feel so lucky…you wanna hug m-…” But his foot caught on something or maybe it didn’t catch on anything, and he stumbled backwards against the bed. In his surprise he tugged her arm to try and steady himself. Audrina came against him and from the extra weight against his chest he stumbled back falling onto the bed bringing her with him. “what rhymes with hug me?” He finished a little sheepishly and chuckled at his own unsteadiness. “Oops.”

He forgot about the song now that she was on top of him; suddenly his playfulness wasn’t turning out so playful. Her nose was inches from his, as was her mouth and he found himself looking at it wondering what she’d do if he kissed her. “Must wanna get nasty?” He asked innocently as his brow quirked.

[Yunalesca]

The shadowhunter stayed where she was as she watched the ridiculous show going on before her, trying to decide if she was amused or genuinely embarrassed for him. He was so drunk that he didn't care a bit that his lyrics were slurred or that his motions were getting closer and closer to staggering the longer he did them. She was so caught up in deciding what her reaction should be that she completely missed him coming for her and he had hold of her hand before she could pull away. "I already did, it should've been enough." She stated flatly as he pulled her into his room. She knew full well she could get away from him if she wanted, his drunkenness no match for her sobriety, but some part of her was mildly intrigued. She'd never seen a shadowhunter drunk before. "I don't have fun. It's not what I do." She said in protest and tried to pull away, but was turned out into another spin as she had been at the club. He pulled her back and made her sway with him, his hands keeping her pressed close as he continued to sing, the lyrics making her roll her eyes. If she never heard the song again she would be content, even if he was being mildly amusing with it.

She sighed irritably and wondered how much longer this would go on when she felt his hands grabbing for her and pulling her back with him as he fell to his bead. She let out a quiet cry of surprise before she was full on him and went on with his song again. She barely heard what he said as she stopped breathing, realizing just how close they really were. It was quiet for a moment as they looked at eachother and he then averted his eyes quickly to her lips. Don't... her mind whispered, almost sounding pleading as she feared he would close the distance and actually kiss her. The way his hands were on her coupled with his obvious thought of turning this far too intimate made her almost paralyzed. It didn't feel like fear controlling her, as it had with the mundane at the club, but something else entirely and that made her want to run. Some part of her buried so deep she thought it was dead wanted him to close that space, to run his hands gently up her sides and hold her face as he kissed her, wanted to actually find out what he tasted like underneath the booze that currently overpowered his breath.

As quickly as she thought it, it was fleeting due to her anxiety over it and what he said next. She felt herself take a breath finally and retreat from what she was feeling. She locked away those intimate thoughts and looked at him with different eyes, the cold eyes that had become part of her for so long. "Don't ever say that to me again." She whispered to him, the threat lying in her voice as she said it. Her voice carried the anger and cruelty that the words didn't. They were simply words until her voice brought them to life and made them something much darker. After she said them she forcibly pushed herself off him and slipped off the bed to stand on her feet. She didn't look at him again before turning away and crossing the short distance to the door, her boot falls sounding harsh and pointed in her ears. If they didn't make the statement, her rough closure of the door did. It didn't slam, as she didn't want to wake anyone sleeping, but it did carry a harsh sound down the hall after she closed it. Her hand stayed on the doorhandle for a second more, gripping it tightly as though she meant to crush it before she finally let go and started down the hall to her own room.

Whatever warmth she had been feeling was locked firmly away by the time she closed her own door and began pulling her boots off, throwing them into the closet aggressively. She unsheathed her hidden knives from under the bodice and tossed them to the bed with her stele, trying hard not to think about what had almost just happened, what she had almost -wanted- to happen. Feelings hurt more than they healed and she was reminded again of what Alec had said. Be careful, your skin is showing... he had warned and she'd thought little of it. She should have taken his words to heart and not let herself fall into a situation like what had just occurred, or even what had happened at the club. Her life was already dangerous, she didn't need to let someone in who would make it more so. She'd lost everyone she'd ever loved and couldn't afford to learn how to feel again. She had a duty and she had to remember that. Her eyes trailed down to her forearm where the mourning rune was etched into her skin. It was the only reminder she needed. She quickly loosened the bodice after that before pulling the dress over her head and leaving the clothes in a pile on the floor. She made for the bathroom in her underwear and turned on the water to the shower, making it piping hot before stepping in. She could feel her skin burning under the scalding temperatures, but it was what she needed. She needed to remember pain to remember why she kept herself at a distance from everyone.

She couldn't be sure how long she had stood in the hot water before she exited and slipped into a chemise to sleep in. Her skin tightened at the cooler air as it hit her skin and she felt a new wave of pain at it. She had been very foolish tonight and had to be sure it didn't happen again. Eli was thinking more of her and she had to be sure he didn't imagine anything going further. He most likely wouldn't even remember half the night by the time he woke up in the morning, but the point was that she would. She couldn't let him get close and she had to shut him down quickly. By morning she would be her old self again. That was her last thought as she lay her wet head to her pillows and closed her eyes.

[Serendipity]

Eli, who had been all laughs only moments ago, saw the dark look in Audrina's eyes; it was unlike any look she had given him before. Even in the state he was in he knew he'd made a mistake. He winched and a hiss of pain left his lips as she pushed off of him not concerned about being careful to his bruised ribs. Eli sighed heavily and watched her go, unable to form any words that might have been consolable to her. If he opened his mouth again he could very well just make it worse instead of better.

He stared at the door as she left through it and shut it behind her firmly, frowning at himself as he tried to figure out exactly what he'd done wrong. In truth he was a little bemused, but that was most likely due to the fact that he'd been drinking. If he was in a sober state he'd have known. In a sober state he wouldn't have been singing some stupid song to her and dancing, and he wouldn't have accidentally tripped over his own feet and she wouldn't have landed on top of him. He hadn't purposely fallen onto the bed with her in his arm, but obviously Audrina had thought he'd done it on purpose, that he'd get some kind of kick out of it and they'd end up sleeping together.

Eli continued to stare at the door for some time, still lying half on and half off the mattress the same way he had landed on it, his booted feet dangling just above the floor. He couldn't find the energy to move into a more comfortable position, because every part of his body suddenly felt ten times heavier then normal and his head felt like it was full of little leprechauns dancing around on his brain. All in all it wasn't a good feeling and he passed out five minutes later in that same position.

--

His morning shower didn't fix the pounding in his head as he first thought it would, although he was clean and he even managed to shave his stubbled jaw, being careful around the area of his split lip. Upon seeing the cut and bruising there he'd stared at it for quite some time trying desperately to remember how he'd gotten it, the same went for the bruising on his ribs. A quick feel of them let him know they weren't broken just sore, although he was still baffled at how or when he'd been kicked in the ribs. Because that's what it felt like, like someone had kicked him while he was down, but he couldn't recall it happening.

The only thing he could recall were flashes of what he’d assumed had been a dream, a dream of him and Audrina at the club. Eli didn’t usually dream but he didn’t usually do a lot of things when he was drunk so it wasn’t that surprising really. He remembered bits of the dream, him dancing with a mundane with red hair, then a brunette who was wearing very little, and he had even dreamed of dancing with Audrina but that was it and even then it had all been a dream…hadn’t it?

Eli made his way back into his room, a towel around his waist and collected bits of the clothing he’d worn which he’d dumped on the ground on his way into the bathroom. He bought them to his nose and grimaced, they smelled of stale alcohol, smoke and sweat. They were definitely in need of a wash, but he had nothing else to put on so reluctantly he dressed in the same outfit, minus his boxer briefs, he’d worn last night and checked that his stele was still in his boot where he’d tucked it last night.

He had no idea what time of day it was but guessed it was still morning, although he wasn’t planning on staying around this morning – he really needed to go out and get some more clothes. So with that in mind he exited his room and left the Institute, thankfully not bumping into anyone on the way out. He didn’t really feel like explaining where he’d gone last night or that he was hung over, it wasn’t really something to be proud of after all and then they’d want to know what had happened to his lips. He didn’t even know himself.

--

Eli returned to the Institute around lunch time with an armful of bags filled with newly purchased clothes. Luckily as he was walking through the gate someone else was leaving, Isabelle, and held the door open for him obviously aware that he might not know how to unlock it. That was something he was going to have ask Hodge, he couldn’t always rely on someone else letting him back in if he went out. Isabelle raised a brow as he got closer and she noticed the bruising to his jaw and the small split along his lower lip, there was a silent question in her eyes. “Don’t ask.” He answered as she let him through the door.

“Glad to see you’ve finally got some new clothes, Alec was looking for those pants this morning,” Isabelle chuckled softly before he disappeared through the door and shut it behind him. Typical. He’d found these pants in the very back of Alec’s wardrobe indicating that the other shadowhunter hadn’t intended to wear them any time soon, and now he was looking for them. Eli sighed and quickly made his way back to his room. He thought he’d made it without being spotted, but as an unhappy voice sounded behind him he grimaced. Shit.

“Those are mine,” It was Alec and he looked extremely unhappy that Eli was wearing his leather pants, belt and shirt. Even though he had borrowed Alec’s clothes without asking and the male had every right to be displeased about it, Eli rolled his eyes and turned around just as Alec stepped up beside him.

“Really? I found them in a trash bag ready to be thrown out.” Eli answered and smirked when Alec’s eyes narrowed on him in a glare and he looked ready to have a fit. Eli held up a hand to cut him off before he started and sighed. “Okay…I borrowed them…from your wardrobe. I’ll make sure they’re washed and returned straight away,” Eli explained he wasn’t in the mood to have a full blown argument with the other shadowhunter about it. “Won’t happen again. I officially have clothes,” He lifted his other hand which now held four bags of clothes.


“What happened to your face?” Alec asked as though he’d just noticed Eli’s split lip and had distracted him from the fact that Eli had gone into his room to without permission and had rifled through his wardrobe.

“When I find out, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know.” Eli said with as much sarcasm as he could muster and opened his door, “Now if you don’t mind…” Eli didn’t feel the need to finish that sentence as he stepped into his room and shut the door on the male.

--

Half an hour later he made an appearance in the kitchen, dressed in a pair of grey tracksuit pants and a white singlet, he almost looked like he was ready for bed and truthfully he was. He could probably sleep all day if he wanted, and something told him he should have, that his presence might not be appreciated by a particular blonde shadowhunter, and it wasn’t Jace. Eli grabbed an apple and a bottle of water out of the fridge which was about all he could manage when it came to food at the moment and then decided to take a walk.

At first he wasn’t sure where he wanted to go, the study, the sparring room or maybe even back to his room. But then decided that now might be a good time to pay Hodge a visit if he could find the older shadowhunter and smooth out some finer details of his stay, he also wanted to ask the man if there were any painkillers anywhere he could have for his throbbing head and aching ribs.

[Yunalesca]

The sun was shining brightly on Audrina's face when she finally woke up, the amount of light indicating she had slept in late. Well, late for her. Most of the others weren't up until now or much later with their schedules being nocturnal to match that of the demons haunting the clubs. She on the other hand had tried to retain any sense of normalcy and rose before the sun was up, slipping out of the Institute before anyone was aware she was even awake. They didn't know what she did most of the day when she was gone and she intended to keep it that way. They didn't ask and she didn't offer. It was more of the keeping at arms length in play. Something she was sorely wishing she had thought about when it came to last night.

As she slowly sat up against her headboard she felt the memories of last night resurfacing and playing over in her head like a bad film. She'd danced with Eli and more importantly, he'd wanted to kiss her. He may not have said it out loud but she hadn't missed how his eyes went to her lips after she'd fallen on him. Based on his last statement before she'd walked out on him, he'd been contemplating other things as well. The mere thought of it now made her both shrink away from it and make her blood boil. She'd never been intimately touched by anyone and couldn't say she knew what to expect when it came down to the knitty gritty, but in her mind it couldn't be pleasant. She'd put up so many blocks over the years that anything sensual was repulsive and she didn't want it in her life.

She sighed heavily before drawing back her covers and, painfully, swung her legs out and tried to stand. She instantly sat back down as her ankle flared in pain and reminded her of how she'd let the mundane throw her to the ground last night. She'd frozen and it had cost Eli dearly in the form of a rough kick to the ribs. She rolled her eyes at the memory as she recalled he probably couldn't even remember why his ribs would be aching this morning. She could tell him if she wanted, but she didn't want to and so she wouldn't. If she could go all day without making contact with him it'd be fine by her. She wasn't ready to face him after what had occurred in his bedroom even if he once again didn't remember what happened.

Taking it a little slower, she pulled herself out of bed again and felt the tension in her ankle. As if her whole body still aching from being thrown down some stairs wasn't enough there was a rolled ankle added into the mix. She would have to make herself take it easy for a few days so she could actually recover. She wasn't so stupid as to try taking on more vampires while injured. The last encounter with a set of pointy teeth was enough to scare her into staying out of the scene for a while. She could still feel his breath on her neck and it made her break out in goosebumps, not even the good kind. She rolled her neck and shoulders to get her joints to crack before half hobbling over to her closet to find some more relaxed clothes for the day. She had to stay in, she convinced herself. She would just have to find a spot in which Eli wouldn't find her. It shouldn't be all that hard, he didn't know much of the Institute.

*

The blonde had remarkably been able to avoid most everyone during the morning, making a batch of hard boiled eggs and having one for breakfast before putting on her tea. While waiting for it to simmer she had slipped away to the library and pulled out the rune book once more. She wasn't sure what it was that constantly drew her to it, but each time she reached for a different book she found her hand wanting to travel back to the book of runes. She had no intentions whatsoever to place another rune on herself, but there was a reason for her need to read the book and so she took it. She hadn't seen Eli yet today and thought of the best spot in which to escape to make sure it stayed that way. She took the whole pot of tea along with a mug and the book up to the greenhouse and nestled herself at the top of the spiral staircase in the center of the room. Her silver legging clad knees scrunched up in the form of a book holder as she pulled at the oversized sleeves of her tunic sweater (here). Finding herself comfortable she began slowly flipping through the book to see why her mind was constantly intrigued by it and see if it held answers to the hundreds of questions she had.

[Serendipity]

After wandering the halls and corridors of the Institute without running into a single soul, well apart from Alec earlier, it became clear to Eli that the rest of the shadowhunters who called this place home weren’t usually up at this time of day. It made sense since demons and vampires only frequented the streets of Manhatten and Brooklyn after the sun had gone down. Eli used to be the same, sleeping through most of the day, only waking up in the late afternoon hours. But these few months that he’d been searching for his brother his body clock had changed, he needed most of the daylight hours to travel from town to town and city to city.

Thinking of his brother had him frowning and feeling guilty once more. He hadn’t been very productive these last few days in his attempt to find him, the leads he’d had or thought he’d had were definitely frosted over by now. He’d have to start pretty much from scratch and it was all thanks to Audrina. He really couldn’t blame her, he knew that, but she was a distraction, a very big distraction. Why that was exactly he still wasn’t even sure, it had been made clear from the beginning that she wasn’t interested in anything other than slaying vampires and other Downworlders that got in her way of whatever it was she was trying to accomplish.

He should have given up his pursuit of her days ago; in fact he should have never started one in the first place that was his own dumb fault. He’d thought she’d only been playing hard to get at first, he knew how some women could be like that, and she was a challenge, but now that he was aware that she didn’t want any kind of relationship with him or any man he suspected, he wanted to know why. He guessed his pride had been hurt a little because she hadn’t responded to him the way other females did, even if they weren’t interested, they’d still smile at him. He didn’t think he’d seen Audrina smile yet, smirk yes, but a smirk was a far cry from a smile.

And there he went again! His thoughts straying to Audrina again, his brother pushed to the back of his mind once again to make room for her. Shit! Eli growled under his breath in frustration and bit into his apple harshly; he was half way through eating it and the bottle of water was almost gone. He chewed and swallowed roughly before pausing in front of a set of stairs almost hidden off to the side in one of the corridors, it looked like it lead upstairs somewhere, possibly even to the roof.

He had originally been looking for Hodge, but the curiosity got the better of him and instead of continuing his search for the older shadowhunter he took the stairs he’d just found two at a time. Eli’s jaw almost dropped as he came to the very top of the stairs and realised they had led up to the roof, but you couldn’t really call it any ordinary roof. It was magnificent. An oasis in the middle of Manhattan that no one but those who stayed in the Institute knew about and even then if you weren’t looking for the stairs you probably wouldn’t have found it.

It was unlike any greenhouse he had ever come across, he hadn’t come across many, but this one topped all those that he had. He grinned, pleased with himself that he had found it, perhaps amongst the quiet serene he could think properly and concentrate on where to start next when it came to looking for his brother. He walked further into the greenhouse, following the path carefully so he didn’t step on anything he shouldn’t. His eyes spotted the set of spiral stairs situated in the middle of the greenhouse and he looked up wondering where they led too.

The only thing he saw was a pair of legs covered in silver leggings, but he knew they were legs that belonged to a female. It could have been any of the other girls, Isabelle or Clary, but as he started up them to see who it was he quickly found out that it wasn’t either of the two. It was Audrina. Could he ever just avoid her for one whole day? He had a feeling, and had had the same feeling all morning, that she wouldn’t want him around her today. Something had obviously happened last night, he wasn’t sure what, but she knew and he decided then that he should just get whatever it was out in the open between them.

“Runes again? I would have thought you’d have that book memorised by now,” He commented, recalling that she’d been reading the same book the other day before he’d interrupted her in the study and she’d pretended as though she hadn’t. He raised a brow as he waited for her response, appearing nonchalant, but on the inside he winched because he had no idea how she would receive him.

[Yunalesca]

The blonde shadowhunter had felt herself grow aware of someone else stepping into the greenhouse and had been dismissive of it at first, thinking it was one of the others. She turned another page and started to pour herself another cup of tea from the kettle when she felt the other person stop somewhere below her. She stopped mid motion before the shadowhunter spoke and when he did she felt herself visibly stiffen. She finished pouring the cup of tea and set the kettle back on the iron steps before readjusting her position as though she were trying to get more comfortable. "I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about." She said without emotion as she turned another page and tried to be dismissive toward him, hoping he would just go away. She didn't want to be around him, not after last night. He had been tolerable up until that point. What he said may not have been meant to come across in the way it did, but she didn't care.

She sighed heavily as it appeared Eli was going nowhere and was intent on bothering her. The book of runes slammed closed in her lap and she half turned to him so she could see him better. "Why are you here? Other than the fact you've been put on this planet to bother the shit out of me, why are you here? Hodge doesn't let just any shadowhunter stay here." She said darkly as she looked down at him, the pink side of her face turning toward him, left over from the hit she'd received last night. Honestly, she didn't have the slightest interest in why he was staying around, but maybe if she pressed he would go away. He hadn't told any of them what he was doing here, as far as she knew, and she felt that maybe he didn't want to talk about it. Any normal person would find kinship in the fact that they were the same way, but she didn't. She had her own personal demons and didn't want to admit other people did too. 

"Nevermind. I don't care what your answer is." She said before standing somewhat shakily from her previously seated position and stepped over the tea kettle and cup, she would come and clean it up later. She started down the spiral stairs and nearly fell near the bottom, gripping the iron rail tightly and cursed out loud as her ankle gave out on her again, having not fully woken up from its relaxed state. "Fuck. Gah!" She yelled in frustration as she found her feet again and stood still for the moment. The worst part about this was she was going to have to get past Eli to make her exit and she wasn't warm to the idea of even brushing against him at the moment. She was finding she was still rather furious with what he'd said to her when she was atop him last night. Based on his current reaction she couldn't say he even remembered any part of the ordeal last night. She didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Would you move." She said as more of a statement, a threat even, than as a request.

[Serendipity]

He didn't bother responding to her comment about not knowing what he was talking about, he wasn't interested in why she was reading that particular book, just mildly curious. Talking about runes wasn't the most pressing matter he wanted to discuss with her. The hangover he had was a definite indication that he had been drinking last night, and more then he should have; something he didn't do often but Audrina probably wouldn't believe him if he told her that. Now he couldn't remember what had unfolded last night, between them or anyone else for that matter, all he knew was that they'd gone to the club together and obviously came home together otherwise how else would he have gotten back into the Institute?

He blinked somewhat in surprise as she slammed the book closed in frustration and looked down at him with another one of her famous glares. Put on this earth to bother her? Did she really feel that way? Eli frowned and shook his head about to argue that he hadn't sought her out to be a nuisance, promptly ignoring her question as to why he was here. She didn't mean the greenhouse, he could tell by her tone, that she meant why was he staying in the Institute. A conversation he wasn't ready to have with her, mostly out of stubbornness because even if he told her what he was doing here and opened up, he wouldn't be granted the same explanation from her. "I didn't know anyone was up here, I came across this place by accident..." He began to explain but paused as she turned her face towards him and he noticed her cheek was pinker then her other one.

Eli pointed to it forgetting that it was rude to point, "What happened to you? I thought you said you weren't going hunting last night," He said trying to keep some of the accusation from his voice. At least he remembered that much, but then he hadn't started drinking when Audrina had told him that. He remembered his own bruises and wondered if they'd gotten into a fight, hopefully not with each other. He didn't hit women, at least not human or shadowhunter women. And only downworlder's if they were trying to kill him; he couldn't be chivalrous all the time. He waited for her answer as she rose, a little shakily, to her feet but it appeared she dismissed his question as easily as she was now dismissing him.

The dark haired shadowhunter sighed and realised that she was pissed at him for something he must have done last night, and clearly she didn't want to talk about it. He was about to move aside to let her move past him when she stumbled on the stairs, her ankle giving way and he went to steady her in case she tumbled right down the stairs. But she righted herself before he could and descended the stairs standing in front of him now demanding he move.

"Look if I did something last night, I'm sorry. But from the split lip and bruised ribs it appears you've already gotten your revenge for whatever it was. " Eli said apologetically and moved out of her way so she could walk past him. "What happened last night? I don't remember coming back here from the club. Honestly I never normally drink as much as I must have last night." He continued as she walked past him down the stairs, he followed her down two of the stairs before stopping just before the bottom, suddenly feeling the need to point that out even if she wouldn't believe him.

[Yunalesca]

She slid past him easily as he stepped aside for her, eager to get away from him to avoid the conversation he obviously wanted to have. She didn't offer an explanation on the state of her face. If he couldn't remember she wasn't going to jump to remind him that he'd gotten into a fight over her. Well, no, it hadn't been -over- her, it'd been over the fact the mundane wouldn't let her leave and had hit her. She couldn't believe for a second the fight had really been over her, that would have to mean Eli even remotely liked her and she had worked hard to make sure he didn't. What he'd said last night didn't necessarily mean he felt anything for her, she was just the most convenient piece of ass in his vicinity at the time. Even thinking about it made her cringe. It made her sound like a possession to be tossed around.

She found herself pausing at the bottom of the stairs as he made the assumption that -she- had done the number on him. All she could do was laugh before turning back to him. "I wish I could say I was the one who beat you senseless, but I didn't. You got in a fight with a mundie last night over 'his girl'." She explained rather simply and didn't offer up that she had been the girl. She was still pissed she had been called anyone's girl and wished she'd done more than whack the guy. She started to shake her head at Eli then as he asked what had happened. "You really don't remember anything, do you? Wow." She said as she looked up and let out a short laugh before turning her attention back to him. "You got drunk, danced with some mundane tail, got in a fight with some guy, I half carried your ass back to my bike and brought you home. You went to bed, I went to bed. End of story. I didn't have time to go hunting since someone had to babysit you!" She half yelled as she was stepping up closer to him. In reality she had never had intentions of going hunting and wasn't upset about having to bring him back, but she wanted him to feel guilty. She didn't want to get into the details and hoped her demeanor would distract him from the small holes in the story.

"So you're welcome for waking up in your own bed this morning." She finished as she stepped up on the step he was on, not liking that she had to look so far up at him. She hated looking up at anyone and hated them looking down on her. The point never got across when you had to look up at the person you were addressing and she didn't want him to think for a second he had any kind of upper hand on her. She was prideful. "Or are you looking for an apology? I'm sorry I didn't leave you to go home with some mundie. I won't make the mistake again." She said harshly to him before turning her back to him and stepping down off the step and away from him. She realized as she did so how the last sentence may have come across. It was almost jealous sounding and she wished she could take it back. She felt nothing but frustration for Eli and feared the shadowhunter would think differently of her because of what she said.

[Serendipity]

Eli tried not to winch as the longer Audrina spoke the louder her voice seemed to get and he was still sporting a headache, albeit only a dull throbbing now. He pursed his lips, an attempt for him not to interrupt her while she was explaining what had happened last night, and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at her. The water bottle dangled in one hand and the apple still held in the other now forgotten and turning a brownish colour. He’d gotten into a fight with a mundane? He didn’t recall it happening, and over a mundie girl? Honestly why would he bother? He wasn’t the possessive type; it would take more than one or two dances for him to grow that fond of a girl –mundane or not- that he’d purposely get into a fight with some guy over her. Then again he’d had far too much to drink.

“She must have been some girl…” He exhaled wistfully trying not to smirk, “I don’t get into fights over just anyone.” He pointed out and frowned as he realised that she had avoided his question about her face and got the feeling that she hadn’t told him everything, she was purposely leaving something out – a few things even. Why? He couldn’t help wonder as he voice rose another level and she came to stand on the same step as he, so close they could almost be touching, but by the look in her eyes he didn’t dare touch her. “Only bits and pieces, but certainly nothing about getting into a fight,” He answered and could only shrug. He wished he did remember, because then he’d know what really happened and why she was so pissed at him, and more importantly he could try and fix it.

Eli raised a brow as she announced that that was the end of the story, he’d gotten drunk, danced, apparently liked a mundie girl so much that he fought another male over her, and Audrina had been kind enough to make sure he got home and they’d both gone to bed…separately. So why did he get the feeling that some parts of her story had holes in it? He didn’t ponder that question for long as turned to walk back down the steps and shouted at him once more. Was that a hint of jealousy he heard? She was jealous over some mundane girl who had prevailed in getting his attention? Surely not…

“Hey!” Eli called after her and descended the stairs quickly in order to catch up to her fast retreating figure. He would have reached out and grabbed her arm to spin her back around to face him, but he had his hands full and that may not have been the best thing to do. “I’m sorry I ruined your night, whatever you might think it wasn’t intentional. And you didn’t answer my question about what happened to your face…” Eli said although his words trailed off as he suddenly decided that with the mood she was in there was no point in trying to talk to her about last night any longer.

“It doesn’t even matter.” Eli shook his head before she could respond and moved past her. “Stay up here, I’ll leave.” He stated firmly and started down the path that would lead him back down into the Institute. Before he disappeared completely he turned back around, “Has anyone ever told you that talking to you is like talking to a brick wall? You don’t let anyone in Audrina and you might think that’s a good thing now…but wait until your old and grey and no one’s there at your hospital bed if you get sick…not a single soul at your funeral.” He said, rather bluntly and seemingly out of nowhere. He guessed he was simply getting tired of constantly trying to penetrate through her thick layered exterior only for more layers to replace the ones he’d thought he’d finally managed to get through.

“What’s the point in living if you’ve got all these defensive walls up and don’t have anyone in your life?” He asked finally on a sigh, but wasn’t really looking for an answer and before she could give him one he turned and disappeared down the stairs he’d come up. Now he wasn’t just hungover, but in a bad mood to top it all off.

“Elijah,” It was Jace’s voice, the boy was walking towards him as he descened the last of the stairs. He had a welcoming grin on his face, but Eli’s didn’t match it. “I see you’ve got yourself a new wardrobe.” He continued as he met Eli had the bottom of the stairs, it looked like he was on his way up to the greenhouse.

“Sure did.” Was all Eli responded with, suddenly not in the mood to talk to not just Audrina but anyone else. “I’m not feeling the best. I’ll talk to you later, Jace.” He excused himself quickly and received a quizzical look from the young shadowhunter, but then he shrugged and let Eli past before making his way up to the greenhouse.

[Yunalesca]

She stopped in her tracks as he yelled after her and braced herself an argument to go down. She wouldn't budge in the details of what'd happened last night, she couldn't bring herself to remind him of what he'd said. He had a right to know, but she was far too enraged by it to think of bringing it up. Nobody had ever said that to her, well, nobody had said it and lived. More than a few vampires had got ahead of themselves and tried making the move, but their lives had quickly been snuffed out. Eli was just lucky she hadn't done something along those lines to him when he'd said it. She wasn't exactly sure why she hadn't hurt him for saying it, instead choosing to let a very predatory threat hang in the air as she'd left. Her actions usually spoke a lot louder than her words. Maybe it was due to the fact he was drunk and likely wouldn't remember what he said or hadn't even been fully aware of what he'd been saying. She'd taken some sort of pity on him and had spared him for it. She was going soft, just like Alec had said.

She let him go without argument as her jaw tightened at the mention of her face once more. She wasn't about to let on that he had in fact been fighting because of what happened to her face. Letting him think he'd been all over a mundie instead was safer than the truth. When he wheeled about, however, she stiffened and wiped her face clear of any expressions as he yelled back. She couldn't lie and say she wasn't taken aback by what he said. It wasn't something she would have ever expected from him, someone who barely knew her. He said it in such frustration she almost wondered if it was because he had been trying hard to penetrate her barriers since she'd brought him to the Institute a few days ago. She hardly considered it, however, as she felt somewhat stricken by what he said. He clearly didn't know why she did what she did. She didn't offer an explanation either as he stormed out after having said what he wanted to say. She stood rooted to the spot after he left, feeling suddenly very cold and...hurt. 

The worst part of it was the fact she didn't feel she would have the chance to grow old and grey as he said. She was aware nobody would be at her funeral as she was laid to rest in the city of bones. She wasn't such a fool as to believe when she finally found that last vampire lair, the one that held her mother, she wouldn't die while burning it to the ground. She was the last member alive in her family and would take her mother down with her as she had always intended. At the thought of it she felt one tear sliding down her cheek before she delved her hand into her boot and pulled free a metal throwing dagger and launched it at the door paneling, screaming in pain and anger as she did so. The door was opening as she did so and Jace barely missed being sliced by the weapon as it landed in the wooden frame, buried deep. "I don't think Hodge will appreciate that much..." the blonde shadowhunter said before pulling the knife free with some effort. "Nice throw, though." He said before twirling the metal in his hand.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jace." Was all she said as she ducked her head and started past him. His hand shot out and grabbed hers to stop her. "We know you want nothing more than to be alone and believe me, I felt the same for a long time. You don't have to live your life that way. We're all waiting for you to realize it." He said and she turned her grey eyes to him, her stare intense as the anguish left her and she felt something more feral coming out of her. "You'll be waiting a long time. I'll only get you killed. Let me go." She said darkly and the shadowhunter did so almost unwillingly and she left him behind. Their constant offering of companionship was irritating to her. If it wasn't that, it was Alec trying to veer her off her path and threatening to wipe her memory. She began to feel it might be time for her to be leaving again. She enjoyed having a bed to sleep in, but it was coming at more of a cost than she wanted to pay. They had really started to break her down and she couldn't afford to lose herself.

[Serendipity]

Eli was sure that he’d had no right to say those things to Audrina, and he wasn’t even sure where those words had come from; some deep recess of his mind maybe. Still it didn’t give him the right to say such things out loud to a person he’d only known a few days, and even then he wasn’t sure if he knew her, he just thought he did. It was that arrogance of his that had always gotten him in trouble in the past; his mother had always said that he jumped to his own conclusions too quickly, that he only saw or heard what he wanted to see and hear. Like the way Audrina was with him, putting her attitude down to simply playing hard to get, and secretly she was attracted to him but just wouldn’t admit it. He wanted to believe that. But it didn’t mean that was the case he now realised and thought how stupid he’d been in thinking it was.

She wasn’t interested, in him, or anyone for that matter. She was only interested in seeking revenge on vampires for reasons he didn’t know and suspected neither did anyone else. He was still curious why she had such a deep seeded hatred for the Downworlders, but he no longer felt like it was his job to find out why. He had other things he should be focussing on anyway and should never have become side tracked by a bristly blonde who clearly detested him.

As he continued down the corridor his long strides taking him back to his room, Eli thought about leaving, it wasn’t the first time he’d thought about it, but then quickly dismissed the idea. He needed to be here, he had resources here he hadn’t had on his own and obviously Hodge thought he needed help. Hodge…he’d been looking for the man earlier before he’d gotten side tracked once again by Audrina, but in the mood he was in it was probably a bad idea to have a conversation with the older shadowhunter. Perhaps when he cooled off he would go and speak to him, maybe even ask if he’d heard of any rumours of his brother’s whereabouts or of other shadowhunters going missing.

Eli was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn’t see another figure racing around the corner and slammed right into them. Clary gave a shocked squeal as she ran straight into Eli’s chest; her small figure went flying backwards and fell to the ground sliding along the polished marble floor a little ways. The water bottle and half eaten apple Eli had been holding tumbled from his hands and rolled along the ground before slowing to a stop half way around the corner. “Shit. Clary, are you alright?” Eli asked and stepped towards her leaning down a little as he offered her his hand so he could help her up.

“Sorry. Yes, I’m fine.” The red head nodded and pulled herself up with the help of his hand, dusting herself off as she stood. She looked rather agitated, and clearly she was in a hurry to get somewhere or to someone. Eli wasn’t about to hold her up any longer and stepped aside so she could continue past him, she did and he was about to continue on himself when she stopped and turned back to him. “I was looking for Jace…but it’s Simon, and he doesn’t like Simon very much.” The girl said, changing her mind about seeking Jace out for Eli’s help instead, though she must have missed the absent look that came over Eli’s expression as she continued, “He’s missing, and I have to find him. The last time I saw him he wasn’t…himself.”

Clary had walked back towards him and without realising it she had fallen into step beside him and he was listening intently to what she was saying, already deciding he would help the girl before she could even ask. “Who’s Simon?” Eli found himself asking eventually as he followed beside Clary who didn’t seem to be leading him anywhere in particular; they were just simply walking and talking at the same time. She told him about how Simon had ended up in a vampires lair, and how they’d had to rescued him a few months ago, but she still hadn’t clarified exactly who Simon was.

“He’s my best friend. He’s...a mundane.” Clary explained and Eli nodded as everything seemed to become a little clearer. “It’s my fault that he knows about the shadow world, I dragged him into all this and he ended up getting kidnapped by vampires, and beaten and bitten and it’s all my fault!” Clary had spoken the last part so quickly, becoming more frustrated with herself the more she explained what had happened, that Eli almost missed what she’d said entirely. “Whoa, wait! He was bitten by a vampire?” Eli stopped suddenly and placed a hand on the girls arm getting her to stop too.

“Yes! I haven’t told anyone but Audrina – not even Jace. She told me to kill him or she would.” Clary sighed in frustration and began walking again, this time her pace more urgent.

“She would.” Eli muttered and shook his head as Clary looked back at him questioningly. “He might not turn you know; sometimes the venom –if it doesn’t kill you- doesn’t take.” He tried to reassure the girl. “But…how can I help?” Eli asked, he had a feeling Clary wasn’t even sure how he could help but thought he might be more willing than Jace with whatever she decided to do.

[Yunalesca]

Clary stood contemplative after Eli asked what it was he could do. She hadn't thought to actually come to him seeking help, but Jace had been out of the question and likely anyone else. She couldn't do this on her own even if she often thought she was capable. She wasn't a mundane like Jace and Alec liked to tease, but she also was new to the shadowhunter world that included the downworlders who had bitten her friend. She wouldn't know where to begin and realistically couldn't handle a demon or downworld situation that could come with finding Simon. She was powerful, that much had been established, but she was inexperienced. "Can you track? I have no idea where he would go. Luke won't leave my mom's side to help..." She tapered off, thinking now of her still comatose mother and her best friend. Luke was in love with her mother and refused to go anywhere far from her since her abduction. He partially blamed himself and Clary could find no way to comfort him. It was more her fault for what happened than anything.

"He wouldn't go to a lair. Not after what they did to him. I just don't know where he would go." She stopped mid sentence and looked at Eli in some fear. "She...Audrina didn't go after him last night did she? I know you went with her when she left..." Clary pressed, more intuitive than most of the shadowhunters enjoyed. She may be clueless when it came to her own love life, but she noticed how Eli watched the passive aggressive shadowhunter. Whether it was true attraction or the fact she was a girl who actually denied him she didn't know, but he followed her even when she aggressively pushed back.

*

Audrina had just put the book of runes back when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She tensed as she felt it was going to be another pep talk from Jace or Alec, but it turned out to be neither. As she turned around her eyes were on Hodge as he stepped down to her level with a piece of paper in his hand. "I had hoped you would be here. I have something for you." He said quietly before stopping in front of her. Her eyebrow raised expectantly as he handed the parchment off to her. She had expected something along the lines of shadowhunter work, but it wasn't exactly that. "Nutmeg, parsley, Earl Grey? What is this?" She asked, thinking maybe he was asking her to gather something from the stores to heal someone or possibly make a potion of some sort. She'd never been down there herself and wondered why he would give the list to her and not Isabelle.

"Shopping list. What I personally need. Alec will be joining you." He said simply and she brought her eyes back up to him. He had to be kidding. Her and Alec going grocery shopping? "Isabelle is quite capable." She said and handed the paper back. This made the elder shadowhunter merely smirk and firmly place the paper back in her hand and close her fingers around it. "Isabelle wouldn't know what ingredients would go with what meal. That is why I pick you to do it." He said and turned away from her. Her eyes narrowed before looking down at the paper again. If both shadowhunters came back in one piece she would be amazed. She sighed irritably before stalking out of the library andamazed. She sighed irritably before stalking out of the library and going in search of Alec.

She couldn't find him in the sparring room like she imagined she would and ran out of most of her options before reluctantly going to his room. It was down that hall that she saw Clary speaking with Eli. She paused involuntarily as the girls voice carried toward her, though the words were muffled. She wondered what could possibly be discussed between them before remembering what Eli had said to her. She turned her attention away and stopped before Alec's door and rapped her knuckles loudly. "What? Oh great its you." He said rather sarcastically and tried closing the door on her. Her hand slammed on the wood door and stopped him.

"Let's go. Hodge has a list for us." She said and turned about. She heard a heavy sigh come from Alec before he was shrugging into a black button down and closing his door irritably behind him. "I refuse to ride on the back of that horrendous bike, DuPage." He growled at her. "Much less if you're driving." He added as he balked after her.

"Its not horrendous, I'm a good driver, and don't call me DuPage ever again." She warned as they passed Eli and Clary without so much a glance from them. She heard Alec mutter something but couldn't quite hear it. Like they could bring back groceries on a bike.

[Serendipity]

Eli thought about his brother when Clary asked him if he could track. Tracking his brother had led him to Brooklyn and Manhatten; there had been a few stops along the way but he had managed to find out that this was the last place he’s brother was seen. The Clave had been unwilling to digest information on exactly where the attack that had killed ten shadowhunters, including his brother, who had been doing some investigative work for them. So Eli had had to do his own investigating. But he wouldn’t say he was highly experienced at it, otherwise wouldn’t he have found his brother by now and discovered what had really happened.

He suspected that he had more experience in it then Clary did though. It hadn’t been established out loud, but Eli had sensed that Clary hadn’t been in the shadowhunting business, so to speak, for long. Unlike Eli and the others she didn’t have any Rune’s marked on her skin, none that he could see anyway. Eli had them marked up his arms, legs, torso and even his back a sign that he’d been hunting demons for the best part of his life. Demons were a lot easier to track then other downworlders and shadowhunters were but, “I’ll see what I can do,” Eli agreed, and thought that maybe he might regret offering his help by the end of all this.

“Are you sure he wouldn’t go back to the lair? If he’s becoming one of them…” Eli tapered off as two figures joined them in the corridor they had stopped in. Audrina and Alec walked straight past them; Audrina didn’t spare him a second glance, but Alec shot Clary and he a curious look before they both disappeared around the corner. “He might return to their lair, you know, because he might be drawn back there.” Eli finished, his gaze fixed firmly on Clary. He would not look at Audrina he reminded himself, he’d decided to keep out of her way, take no interest in what she was up to. Which could be why he was agreeing to help Clary with finding her friend, it would be a nice distraction, although it would also be yet another distraction in finding his brother too. “Well…maybe, I don’t know.” Clary shrugged her face falling a little as checking out the lair suddenly became an options of places Simon might go.

Eli shook his head quickly, hearing the worry in Clary’s voice as she asked if Audrina had gone hunting with him last night. “No, she didn’t – we didn’t go hunting. We were out at a club, that’s all.” Eli explained just as quickly to put Clary’s mind at ease. The girl sighed with some relief and Eli offered her a reassuring smile in order to calm her nerves further. “We’ll find your friend.” Eli said, “Let me go and change and I’ll meet you by the entrance in a few minutes,”

When Clary nodded he moved past her so he could make his way to his room in order to change. He stopped a little ways down the corridor and turned back to her. “Could you find me some aspirin? I have a killer hangover,” He asked and pointed to his head. He grinned when Clary nodded and continued on his way to his room.

Eli changed out of his tracksuit pants and singlet and into jeans and a t-shirt, strapping his knives onto his back and his stele in his belt. He picked up his jacket on the way out of his room and shrugged it on as he made his way to the entrance where Clary would be waiting for him. She handed him the aspirin he’d asked for and a bottle of water which he took gratefully and swallowed the pills down before they both left the Institute.

The others would wonder where they were, but he had a feeling that Clary didn’t want to tell them what they were up to, at least not yet. He also had a feeling he’d cop some backlash for helping the girl and not telling anybody – Jace being that anybody. But he guessed he would just have to deal with that later, Clary was sincerely worried about her friend and wanted to find him before anything happened to him.

[Yunalesca]

"I can't believe you took a cab. Shadowhunters don't take cabs!" Yelled Alec's voice as Audrina made for the kitchen with several bags in her owns hands and the brunette shadowhunter followed after her, bogged down with the rest of the groceries. She rolled her eyes at his incessant complaining. She'd wanted to strangle him most of the time they'd been in the store and their arguing in the produce aisle had surely turned heads. It may have been better if they'd just sent someone else out with the list instead of trying to coexist. "You didn't want to ride the bike so you had to take a cab. Shut up." She said back to him as she set the bags on the counter and reached in to start unpacking.

"Why did Hodge insist on saddling me with you?!" He said in frustration as he dropped the bags on the floor and looked as though he were about to pull his own hair out. Not feeling particularly jovial herself, she voiced her own opinion even knowing it was way over the line. "Maybe he's hoping I'll turn you..." She started but never finished as Alec crossed the room in lightning speed and had a hand around her throat, cutting off her words as her head slammed into the refridgerator. "It's not funny." He said darkly to her as he stared her down. She fought for her own breath as his fingers dug into her throat around her wind pipe. She'd known better than to provoke him, he'd already been pissed off to begin with. "I never...said...it was!" She hissed through broken breaths, not even bothering to try to release his hand from her throat. After a few seconds of silence from him he finally let go. She took in a deep choking breath and nearly doubled over in the effort as he started to walk out. "It's not a handicap, stop treating it...like it is!" She managed to say which made him pause. He didn't say anything as he stood there before he took the last steps to leave the room. Once her breathing was back under control she moved back to the grocery bags and began unpacking.

*

"They's make the perfect pair if he wasn't..." Clary had started to say once Audrina and Alec were out of earshot, stopping herself before she came out with Alec's little not so secret secret. He'd threatened to kill her if she said anything to anybody about it and she took him as a man of his word. She tried to get along with the shadowhunter, but he'd been even more cold towards her since his recovery from the demon Dorothea nearly killed him. It was her fault he thought and she just tried to stay out of his way. She didn't know how the blonde shadowhunter got away with half the things she said to him, but she figured it was they were pretty alike in personalities and Alec recognized that. They'd be two peas in a pod if they didn't want to kill each other every five minutes.

Nobody else was around as she left the Institute with Eli, a prospect she had never considered before. She'd thought she might be able to talk Audrina into coming with her to look for Simon, a chance to bond with the female, but that had been struck down quickly. Nobody told her why the girl hated vampires so much and she wasn't about to ask. She wouldn't help with Simon if she thought he was turning into the thing she hated. She'd made it pretty clear she would sooner kill her friend than help him. It seemed the newcomer, Eli, was the only one who would help. Except maybe Isabelle, but she'd tell Jace and Clary wasn't so ready to be asking for the other females help with Simon. It wasn't jealousy, she firmly stated in her mind. 

"Alec tracked Audrina with the mark he put on her, but Simon's a mundane. How do you track that? I don't think Luke would appreciate me taking a shirt to him to smell and follow down the streets." She remarked as they were outside the Institute and she was looking around as though she didn't know where to start. In reality, she really didn't know where to start.

[Serendipity]

Perfect couple? Eli’s brow’s shot up and he stared at Clary in disbelief -no, he glared at Clary who wasn’t looking at him but had turned to watch Audrina and Alec disappear further down the hall. Alec and Audrina…a couple? That was ridiculous! For starters Alec was a lot younger then Audrina and it would just be weird. Suddenly he realised that Clary hadn’t actually said ‘couple’, she’d said ‘pair’ and the bubble of jealously that had seemed to spike out of nowhere burst and Eli quickly looked away from Clary before she caught his expression. Pair was lot different to couple; pair didn’t mean that they might have dating potential. Not that he should care; he scolded himself quickly and told himself he didn’t.

He’d been so caught up in his sudden bout of jealously that he’d missed that Clary had been about to say something else, about Alec. He didn’t know what Clary’s relationship with Alec was, but he got the feeling it was rather tense, a little like his and Audrina’s but very definitely for different reasons. Eli bought his attention back to Clary in case he missed something else she might say, keeping his expression stoic. But he was finding it difficult to rid the image of Alec and Audrina as a couple from his mind which was causing him to frown even though he thought he wasn’t. Clary didn’t seem to notice though, her thoughts already turning back to Simon and how they could find him.

“You go to their homes and ask around for them, or to their favourite hangout spots and see of they’re there.” Eli answered after Clary asked how they could track a mundane without a rune mark. “But I take it you would have already gone to Simon’s house to see if he was there, possibly even his hangout spots?” Eli sighed as Clary nodded; he’d assumed as much, they would have been his starting places. But he did have one other place in mind, although he didn’t think Clary was going to like it.

“Who is Luke by the way; you’ve mentioned him twice now. Is he another friend of yours, another mundane?” Eli questioned out of curiosity alone. When Clary laughed and shook her head he raised a quizzical brow. “No. He’s my Uncle. Luke is more like a father to me really.” She clarified and Eli nodded; now he would at least know a little bit about this Luke character she spoke of.

“Why would he sniff Simon’s shirt?” But as he asked the question it had already begun to make sense, sort of. He’d never known a shadowhunter to have a werewolf as an Uncle. Clary didn’t need to answer, he’d already guessed, but he let her explain that Luke was a close family friend who she’d called Uncle over the years but had really been more like a father to her, and that she’d only recently discovered that he was a werewolf but had once been a shadowhunter. It was a long walk to the nearest subway station, which Clary had suggested they take, and to fill the silence between them Clary explained that she had also only just discovered that she was a shadowhunter. It explained the inexperience and why she had a mundane for a best friend.

“I think we should go to the Night Children’s lair, the one Simon was taken to before. He mightn’t be there, but it’s the first place I’d look if I were looking for a fledgling.” Eli suggested. He saw Clary stiffen a little but she quickly made herself relax and nodded in reluctant agreement. “You’re not suggesting we go inside or anything, though. Are you? Last time we were there we barely escaped with our lives.” Eli looked at the red head in a kind of ‘do you take me for a fool’ kind of look and shook his head.

Clary sighed heavily with relief, she still had nightmares about the Hotel DuMont, it was a place she was very reluctant to return to.

--

The Hotel DuMont wasn’t a place that Eli would enter alone, vampire lairs were nasty things, just recently they’d all been in one because Audrina had been stubborn enough to go it alone and they’d barely gotten out. He hadn’t planned to step one foot inside the rundown hotel, though. They wouldn’t need too. If these lairs had one thing in common it was that someone, vampire or other –depending on the time of day- was always keeping watch for intruders and he and Clary would certainly be classed as intruders.

It was mid-afternoon, luckily for them, and after snooping around the outside of the hotel for a few minutes a rather bulky mundane made a sudden appearance. He was a lot bigger then Eli, almost twice his width, but Eli had his shadowhunters strength on his side. He had the male pinned against the dirty brick wall of the hotel in a flash the moment the man had reached into his jacket. He hadn’t waited to see what it was he’d pull out; it wasn’t hard to guess that it would be a weapon of some sort.

“I told you…” Eli shoved his arm into the man’s throat a little harder and he spluttered some more. “We’re looking for someone; we suspect he might be here. A mundane, about sixteen…” Eli looked back over his shoulder towards Clary as he trailed off that was all he knew about Simon and even that had been a guess. Clary seemed to gather that he wanted to continue the description and jumped in quickly. “Dark curly brown hair, glasses-“

“He was…here…he…left…when I didn’t…let…him in,” The burly man gasped between trying to catch his breath as Eli’s forearm pushed harder into his throat. “Where?” Eli asked through clenched teeth, his question coming off as more of a growl then an actual word. The male shook his head or at least tried to but he was restricted by Eli’s arm and instead narrowed his eyes on Eli angrily. “How…would…I…know!”

“How long ago and which way?” Eli demanded, getting every bit of information out of the brute before he let him go and he and Clary took off quickly out of the alley in the direction the other male had pointed. Apparently they’d missed Simon by only twenty-minutes.

[Yunalesca]

Clary, still being rather inexperienced, hadn't thought much of the mundane skulking around the hotel as they were examining it. She'd grown up in Brooklyn and should have learned to watch her back, but with how things had been of late she hadn't thought twice about anything. Her mind was often tangled around her discomfort with the fact she now had a brother that she was, rather unfortunately, in love with. She was well aware that Jace felt the same. He'd jumped to confessing his feelings before she had, which had been a bit of a surprise, and the blow dealt by their apparent father had them dancing around eachother. Well, she was the one who was dancing. The blonde shadowhunter was unconvinced in Valentine's conviction and tried to tell her often of it. She just didn't know and wouldn't ride that line. As much as it bothered her to think of Jace not being with her in an intimate way, she avoided all interactions that could turn that way. She already had issues. Adding the fact she was in love with someone who could be her brother was just too much.

She gasped as Eli slammed the mundane to the wall and threatened to cut off his air supply. "Elijah..." She half whispered as she watched, fully realizing at that point she hadn't matured much since the last time she'd been to the Hotel Dumont. She had no qualms about taking care of demons, but mundane's apparently working for the downworlders was still something she was uncomfortable with. She had never been a defensive or forceful person and didn't see herself starting. Maybe that was Alec's other problem with her, she wasn't like any of them. The tactic seemed to work however as Eli got the answers they needed. She half shot the mundane an apologetic look before she was nearly sprinting down the alley toward the direction the man had pointed. She slid to a stop before running head on into traffic, her chest heaving. "Now which way?" She asked in panting as she looked back and forth down the street. Where would Simon go?! Her eyes closed and she tried to imagine where her friend would turn when all of the options ran out. "This way, I think I know where he'd go." She said, tugging on Eli before turning and sprinting down the street once more.

She stopped before the locked doors of Pandemonium, where all of this had started. She had never thought of it before since it seemed so long ago since she'd first witnessed the demon slaying in the club, and the fact Simon hadn't been quite so fond of the place to begin with. "This is where I first saw them, the others. It's the last thing that would be somewhat familiar to him and still had a downworlder presence." She explained before going up the steps and tugging on the door, even knowing it'd be locked this time of day. "Damn. Can you...?" She started to ask as she turned back to Eli and insinuated he use a rune to break in. She had yet to learn that one. She'd been so caught up in her current life predicament she had little time to learn more of the runes.

*

"Have you seen Clary?" Came from the doorway as Audrina sprinkled salts into the cooking pot before stirring the contents. After her encounter with Alec she had taken to preparing lunch in the form of soup, hoping it would have a calming effect on her. She needed to think and it was hard to do so when she was mad at the world, which was a lot more often than usual. "I saw her talking to Eli earlier today. Haven't seen her since." She offered emotionlessly before turning to the cutting board and quickly slicing down the herbs into tiny bits to be added to the stock. She didn't bring her head up once as she did so, concentrating on her work so the conversation wouldn't somehow delve more into how alone she really wasn't and that they were all there for her. It was a load of bull and she didn't buy it. Hodge wanted her there and so everyone else followed suit reluctantly. "Glad it's you making that. Isabelle would have added something ridiculous like peanut butter..." Jace started and she dropped her knife to the board.

"What do you want, Jace? I'm not about to have a heart to heart with you over your pain at her possibly being your sister and you're in love with her and how so alone I am. If that's what you wanted you can get out." She said as she leaned forward a little on center island counter as she looked across to him. She saw him visibly stiffen at what she said, but he was better at controlling his temper than Alec, that or she hadn't quite found the right buttons to push with him just yet. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything." He finally said before turning away and exiting the kitchen. She rolled her eyes at the door as it swung shut and turned back to her preparations. Any lecture from him or anybody else was lost on deaf ears and it seemed he was recognizing that. She'd heard enough today from Eli alone and wasn't in the mood to get another 'rude awakening' talk. Everyone else had their own demons to deal with. It'd be best if they simply left hers alone.

[Serendipity]

Eli wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was relieved that they wouldn’t be going into the old hotel to look for Clary’s friend. If there were more of them, sure he would, but the two of them against hundreds of vampires? He didn’t like their chances, especially since he wasn’t equip to fighting vampires at the moment. Eli sneered at the mundane disapproving of his involvement with the downworlders, but dropped his arm from the man’s throat after he gave them the information they needed; it wasn’t much to go on but it was better than nothing.

He followed after Clary, jogging to catch up to her hurried strides and didn’t spare a second glance for the man who was clutching at his throat and trying to catch his breath. They rounded the corner out of the side alley of the hotel in the direction the mundane had pointed them in. “Clary wait!” He called, for a moment he thought she was going to run straight into traffic, but she stopped by the curb and he was by her side again as she looked this way and that trying to determine which way they should go next. Eli followed her gaze in either direction as she asked which way they should go and drew a blank. “Is there anywhere near by that you might think he’d go?” Eli asked, but she had her eyes closed and looked deep in thought.

When she opened her eyes she was tugging on his arm, remembering a place nearby that she thought her friend might have gone next since he hadn’t been allowed access to the hotel. Eli followed as Clary led the way and the eventually came to a stop outside a club named Pandemonium, Eli frowned wondering why her friend would chose to come here in the middle of the day, but he didn’t question it. Clary must have had her reasons for thinking Simon would be here and it wasn’t far from the hotel.

Eli was already retrieving his stele from his belt, knowing that the doors would be locked since it wasn’t even close to opening time, as Clary asked if he could open the door. He stepped around her closer to the door and ran his stele over the metal, drawing black marks there that slowly began to take shape. The marks glowed a hot red for a few seconds and he heard the familiar click of a door unlocking. He pushed it open cautiously as the marks slowly began to fade and stepped inside the club first. Clary followed him, and unlike his cautious steps, pushed right past him before he could halt her steps. “Simon!” She yelled her friend’s name, looking around frantically for any signs of the boy.

“Simon!” She called again and pulled out her witchlight so the room lit up around her. Eli reached inside his jacket pocket for his witchlight and light illuminated around his figure, with two witchlights active it was easier to see what was in the room. Mostly it was empty space, a few tables pushed to the far side of the club, chairs turned upside down on top of them. It was a nightclub after all; the more space there was the more people could fill the place up. “Clary, just be careful!” Eli shouted as the girl disappeared into one of the restrooms, whether she heard him or not he wasn’t sure.

Eli made his way over to the other side of the room, towards the bar, where Clary hadn’t checked for her friend yet and walked around behind the bar. He stopped when he saw a figure curled up at one end of the bar, it was still, hardly breathing and Eli hurried over to it, his witchlight casting a glow over pale skin beaded in sweat, dark curls flattened against the males forehead A pair of glasses sat askew on the bridge of the boy’s nose and his eyes were shut tight behind them, almost painfully so. “Clary!” Eli shouted for the girl as he knelt down beside the half dead looking boy who he guessed was Simon.

"Oh my god, Simon!” Clary was behind him in an instant and sank down next to Simon wiping his sticky hair from his forehead tenderly. “He’s not breathing!” She exclaimed in a sudden panic, pressing her ear to his chest. “He is, but barely. We have to get him back to the Institu-“

“No!” Clary lifted her head, “No he can’t go to the Institute.” She said shaking her head furiously.

“Where then?” Eli asked.

--

They found a van parked at the back of the club which Clary explained was Simon’s friends and loaded the boy inside, lying him across the back seat. Eli hopped into the drivers stead as Clary climbed in beside Simon on the back seat and he started the engine, moving the car forward and out from behind the club. He sped up as he turned into traffic, not abiding by the road rules as he cut across lanes to get into the one that Clary indicated would take them to Williamsburg which was where she wanted to take Simon. Apparently her Uncle Luke would be able to help them with Simon or at least have a better idea of how to help them then they did.

Once they were in Williamsburg, Clary directed him towards Luke’s house and he pulled the van into the driveway. The two of them carried Simon inside the house and laid him down on the couch. Clary raced off into the kitchen to get something to cool Simon’s fever and Eli stayed in the living room assessing the boy carefully. The boy was turning; any experienced shadowhunter could see it, sense it even.

--


Eli returned to the Insitute later that evening; Clary had stayed behind at Luke’s place to watch over Simon who seemed to slip in and out of consciousness. The conversation he and Clary had had relaying over and over in his head. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. Help her find her friend, yes he’d agreed to that, but he hadn’t agreed to be a babysitter! However Clary was very persuasive and he’d found he couldn’t say no to her request.

She didn’t know anything about people turning into vampires, and in all honesty neither did he, but she’d pointed out that he would be more capable of handling Simon’s new found strength then she would. He suspected that a small part of her just didn’t want to be alone with Simon when he woke up and found out he was now a vampire. She’d promised him Luke would be home soon and then they could all figure out what to do and how to explain to Simon that he was no longer human. Eli figured the boy would know straight away, how could you not? But he didn’t say as much to Clary.

So now he was back at the Institute, only for a brief visit to collect a bag of his clothes so he could go back to Luke’s house and watch over a newly turned vampire, and help him adjust – if that was possible. Clary had also made him promise not to tell the others, she was worried that Audrina would turn up and kill Simon before he even had a chance to get his head around what had happened. So in return Eli had asked Clary to do something for him, well it wasn’t exactly for him, it was for Jace. He’d made a deal with her that if he watched over Simon for a few days, she had to talk to Jace, and not just say a quick ‘hello’ but talk to him properly. Eli had seen how Jace had wanted to talk to Clary, but at the time she hadn’t wanted to talk to him.


Eli went to his room and packed a bag of clothes, but before he left the Institute he had to speak with Hodge, to let the man know he would be away for a few days but was planning to come back. He was on his way out of his room when he saw Audrina walking to hers. Eli didn’t look at her for long and slung his bag over his shoulder as he shut the door and made his way down the hall, planning to walk straight past the blonde shadowhunter without a word.

[Yunalesca]

Audrina had been leaving the kitchen and headed for her room to try and rest when she saw Eli leaving his room with a bag packed, full of the new clothes he'd clearly bought she presumed. She felt some part of her almost...hurt at the thought he was leaving, but it was an extremely odd feeling for her. She felt nothing for the shadowhunter other than pure annoyance and some form of hatred even, after what he'd said to her. Why would she feel anything now? She continued toward her room, but couldn't stop herself as their paths crossed and she found herself stopping short. "There's minestrone in the kitchen, but I take it you wouldn't accept that from someone with such a cold heart as myself." She said rather coldly to him and felt herself wondering why exactly she was saying anything to him at all. Her eyes drifted to his bag then back up to him again.

"Though I see you've finally worn out your welcome and took Alec's advice in deciding to leave. Au revoir then. Try not to get your ass kicked by anymore vampires while you're out there." She said darkly before starting toward her own room again. She found herself suddenly very irritated and she couldn't find the source of it. The things that had been said to her in the past few days had begun to wear on her, but surely that wasn't what was causing the newfound emotion. She had been relatively calm when she left the kitchen and now, upon seeing Eli leaving, she was almost...defensive and even hostile toward him. What was it about him that drew that out of her? It was more than what he had said to her last night. She had felt rather annoyed with him ever since she'd dropped him on the floor of the Institute the night they met. He had done something to her and she still couldn't figure out what exactly that something was.

She stopped before her door and reached for the handle, feeling that she wasn't quite so tired anymore. She was hesitant in turning the knob. Why was that? Her eyes shifted to look out the corners and see Eli down the hall. He was the reason for a lot of her issues the last few days and there was no reason to think differently now. What got to her was the fact of -why- exactly he got under her skin so easily. She'd been putting up with what the others said about her and to her for some time and never felt remotely bothered until Eli had come along. It was unnerving to not be able to understand why something occurred in her own head. It was something that didn't seem entirely under her control and she hated it. So much of her life had spun out of her control that she was fearful of when it did. She generally gripped the familiar really tight and refused to let go. To want everything to be the same and under control was not the way a shadowhunter should ever live and yet she tried. Although that still didn't explain the underlying reasons. She couldn't understand why he slipped under her layers the way he did and why she so desperately had to throw up new walls every time he did so. She didn't let -anyone- in and he had been managing to see through parts of her, something nobody else was capable of.

[Serendipity]

Eli hadn’t expected Audrina to say anything to him as he past her in the hall, so when she did, he stopped suddenly and turned curious blue eyes on her. He should have guessed that nothing she would say to him was going to pleasant, especially after what he’d said to her earlier – which he still felt guilty about. His gaze narrowed on her, frowning and he shook his head not sure how to respond. Perhaps he should have taken the opportunity to apologise to her about what he’d said. But he realised he wasn’t that sorry for his words, as much as they had been harsh and probably hard to hear it was how he felt, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel guilty over them.

At the mention of taking Alec’s advice about leaving, Eli almost scoffed at her, but held back any remark he might have said regarding the other male. “Without you around to save my ass, I wouldn’t dream of it.” He said sarcastically, and should have stopped at that. But the coldness in her voice seemed to provoke him, “But then again, you’re a magnet for the bloodsuckers. If I’m not around you, I think I’ll be safe.” He finished and turned his back on her to continue down the hall, he didn’t spare her a second glance, although a small part of him wanted to turn back around and have it out with her further, see if he could get some other reaction from her other than just that cold exterior she put up.

Now was not the time for that, though. He’d made other arrangements and Clary was expecting him back at Luke’s house soon, he knew she would be getting anxious over Simon and now the sun was setting he might just wake up. It did feel wrong, keeping this information about Simon between just the two of them and not telling the others, but he’d made a promise to Clary that he wouldn’t say a word about Simon and would leave it up to her to tell the others when she was ready.

Before the shadowhunter left the Institute he found Hodge in the library, he was getting good as finding his way around the building now; Hodge was sitting behind a large desk mulling over a thick leather bound book. Hodge looked up as if sensing someone came into the room even though Eli hadn’t said a word, he’d only set his bag down by the door. “Ah, Elijah…” The older shadowhunter smiled and plucked the reading glasses from his nose, resting them on top of the book in front of him. “Is there something I can help you with?” he asked, suspecting straight away that that was what Eli was there for.

“There is actually.” Eli nodded and returned the other shadowhunters smile before he came to stand in front of Hodge’s desk. He didn’t sit down because this would just be a quick visit; Hodge, seeming to sense that, stood up. “First I’d just like to say thank you again for allowing me to take up residence here.” Eli said, “It’s been…interesting.” He chuckled and saw Hodge raise his brow, but there was hint of amusement in his eyes and Eli suspected he didn’t miss anything that went on under his roof.

“Are you leaving us?” Hodge asked and Eli thought he looked a little disappointed, but the glint in his eye was only fleeting. “I thought you’d be staying with us longer,”

Eli shrugged and shook his head, “Only for a few of days,” He explained and at Hodge’s curious look he continued. “There’s…agh…something I need to do which will keep me away for a while. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention anything to the others, but I’m helping Clary with something and she’s asked me not to tell them anything,” He felt he needed to explain a little further, he might have only spoken to Hodge a few times, but he was a hard man to look in the eye and lie too that was for sure.

--

The talk with Hodge had gone quickly and Eli was on his way back to Williamsburg just as night fell. He’d taken the van they’d used to get Simon to Luke’s house and driven it to the Institute to get his clothes because it was the quickest way of transport he had at his disposal. He pulled up in the driveway behind a pickup truck that hadn’t been there earlier. It must have been Luke, Clary had said he might return home, or maybe she’d called him and told him about Simon.

“Clary, get him down to the basement.” Eli heard a male voice say as he walked through the half open door. The man who’d spoken spun around and tensed when he saw Eli walk through, Eli realised it was probably rude to just walk into someone else’s home, but sometimes he forgot his manners. He saw the man’s jaw tightened as he looked at him and realised he was a shadowhunter, he took a step towards Eli and Eli could see he was about ready to pounce.

Clary quickly stepped in front of the scruffy looking werewolf and blocked his approach. “Luke, this is Elijah. I told you about him earlier, he’s helping me with Simon.” Clary explained and Luke relaxed, but only a little. It was Eli’s turn to speak, as two sets of eyes turned in his direction. “Elijah Ashdown,” He introduced himself but stayed by the door, his bag slung over his shoulder. “Clary’s asked for my help, if it’s okay with you that is. She mentioned your busy…with other things,” Like sitting vigilantly by Clary’s mother’s hospital bed waiting for her to wake up.

“Luke Garroway. If you’re a friend of Clary’s then I guess we could use your help with Simon,” Luke nodded and relaxed further, but there was something about the way Luke was looking at him that left Eli a little on edge. It was almost as if Luke recognised him from somewhere, but that was impossible because Eli had never seen this man before.

“Help me get Simon to the basement, who knows how he’ll react when he wakes up,” The werewolf said and indicated towards the figure still lying on the couch where Eli had left him earlier. The shadowhunter nodded and sat his bag down by the door and moved over to the couch with Luke, they both picked Simon up at either end and carried him down to the basement. Eli was wondering what difference it would make if Simon woke up in the basement or in the living room, but as Clary turned the light on as they reached the lower room he understood why the basement was the better choice. There were shackles, both for hands and feet cemented deep into the wall on the farthest side of the room. Simon wouldn’t be able to escape once he woke up if he were chained to that wall.

--

“Have you spoken to Jace?” Eli asked a few days later as he and Clary made their way back to the Institute. All in all Simon’s transition had gone well, although there were now some considerable differences he was still the same person, at least Clary had thought so. Eli couldn’t be sure since he’d never met the boy when he was human, but both Luke and Clary seemed to be happy that the change hadn’t affected his personality or attitude much, a side from the blood craving he had now; apparently he’d been a vegetarian before, but now he couldn’t consume anything but blood. Luke had made sure they stock piled bags of animal blood in the fridge for the boy who would be staying with them for a while longer.

“No…” Clary answered in a voice so low that Eli almost missed it. He turned a sharp glare at her and she sank back from him a little at the disapproval in his gaze, “I’ve been too busy with Simon. I will talk to him, that was the deal after all,” She sighed. Eli supposed that was true, they had both been with Simon around the clock for the past few days and hadn’t stepped foot outside of Williamsburg.

Eli didn’t like the boy all that much, for no apparent reason he irritated him, but he’d kept his cool with the boy turned vampire and played nice for Clary’s sake. Clary he got along with, the last few days hadn’t turned them into great friends or anything, but she was tolerable and he could see what Jace saw in her. “Good, I’ll be making sure you do.” Eli warned but his lips turned up in a smile showing he wasn’t all that unhappy with her after all.

Clary let them into the Institute and walked Eli to his room before she went off to find the others; she’d decided that they now needed to be told about Simon. Eli had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation, and since he already knew about Simon he was staying in his room which had been left untouched since the last time he was in it. He also wasn’t looking forward to them questioning him about his whereabouts, though they would all soon know once Clary told them he’d been helping her

[Yunalesca]

After several days of Eli's absence, Audrina had thought he had truly left and felt herself returning to normal. Although she was a lot more quiet than usual and didn't go about baiting the others. They were all on edge about something and none of them were sure why. It didn't help that Clary had become quite aloof as well, leaving and coming back only to keep them satisfied that she wasn't up to something. They were all aware she was indeed doing something, but none of them particularly cared to pursue the matter except Jace. He was frustrated by the whole business and never found alone time with the red head to ask what exactly was going on. Audrina observed this and was almost pitiful toward him. Love and attraction did things to a person, even a shadowhunter. It was something she chose to never take part in. She didn't want to be reminded of just how human she was.

The blonde shadowhunter looked up from her curled up position in one of the chairs in the library as Jace and Isabelle entered, drawing Alec's attention and bringing him to stand down on the main floor near to where Audrina was currently seated. She gently closed the book she had been reading and drew herself out of the cramped position as she felt something was about to happen. "What's going on? Are we going after a demon?" Alec said as Audrina rose out of the chair while the two shadowhunters made their way to stand near her and Alec. "No, Clary has something she needs to say, apparently." Jace informed in a tense fashion. Audrina felt her interest begin to fade and thought about excusing herself from the conversation. She had serious doubts it had little to do with her. She looked up as the red head stepped almost nervously into the library and slowly made her way down the steps to stand before them. She pulled at the hem of her sleeves and was hesitant in making eye contact. It was unnatural for her to behave this way.

"What's this about?" Isabelle inquired and the new shadowhunter sighed heavily. "I've been keeping something from you." She started. Audrina felt Alec cross his arms over his chest beside her as he waited for what discomforting news they were about to hear. "Simon went missing a few days ago and I ended up finding him." She paused again and even Audrina had to roll her eyes now. "He's...well. Eli was helping me, that's where he was the last few days." She continued and instantly the blonde shadowhunter stiffened at the name. So he hadn't really left at all. "You could've asked us for help, Clary. You could've asked me." Jace interjected, voice sounding almost painful which in turn made Alec flinch. This was not going to end well by any means.

"I couldn't. You hate Simon." She shot back and Audrina felt herself hold her breath. She could almost feel what was coming. It was what the girl had come to her about. Her eyes looked darkly up at the red head and the girl pointedly looked away. "He was bitten that night we brought him back from the Hotel." She informed quietly and she heard Alec take in a sharp breath before Isabelle breathed an 'I knew it'. "He's turned..." She started, but Audrina had heard enough. She brushed past Clary as Jace turned his back on her, thinking over what had just been said. "Audrina...Audrina don't! He's not like the..." She heard Clary call after her as she was out the door. Luckily for Simon he wasn't the first one she was going to deal with. He would be easy in comparison to what she was about to do.

She was at Eli's door in moments, her blazer having been shed somewhere along the way leaving her in a tank top and jeans tucked into boots, more casual than usual. She didn't even bother to pound on the door. He'd never answer, he knew what was coming. She turned the handle and nearly kicked the door open. "You helped a vampire! You kill vampires, you don't fucking help them!" She yelled, muscles tightening as adrenaline took her as she looked down at the shadowhunter darkly. She could feel her eyes turning gold from high strung emotion as she looked at him, the rage almost flowing off her. She wanted nothing more than to grab him and throw him out the window, but somehow managed to keep her ground. "You crossed the damn line. How I hated you before is nothing in comparison to now!" She half screamed at him.