"We know where the Cup is" I repeat for the seventeenth time to Magnus and Jace

"Come again?" Jace stutters, shocked

"The tarot cards" Clary explains, "Mom must have painted them years ago, but the Mortal Cup has to be hidden inside the Ace of Cups. The card looks exactly like it!"

Jace and Magnus exchange wary glances and I frown, gesturing between the two of them, "Why aren't you happy about this? You've been looking for the damn thing for nineteen years and now we tell you we know where it is and what...you've got cold feet?"

"Yeah, guys, all we have to do is find..." Clary trails off, realising the problem, "Dot."

"If Dot had the cards when she was taken, we don't have much time." Jace points out, master of the obvious, "If Valentine gets his hands on the Cup-"

"We get it, Buffy" I interrupt, crossing my arms over my chest

"If Valentine had started creating Shadowhunters or gaining control of other demons it would be like Beyoncé riding around Times Square on a dragon - people would notice" Magnus chimes in, snorting when I call Jace 'Buffy.'

"But he can control demons" Clary protests, "I've seen it."

"Mm, paying off a few demons is easy, especially since they rarely live long enough to collect" Magnus utters

"Still waiting on Valentine's thank-you card" Jace snarks

"Opening the gates of hell..." Magnus ponders, "That's a little more tricky."

"Valentine doesn't have the cards" Luke interjects triumphantly, "I do. They're in my desk back at the precinct. When Cami and Clary went missing, I went to the loft and cleared everything out, 'cause I didn't want the Circle to track her."

"That's great!" Clary beams, "This should be easy, then."

"Mm, that's what General Custer said" Magnus retorts

"Magnus is right" Luke agrees, "Valentine has spies everywhere, even in the NYPD. We have to be discreet."

"Discreet?" I scoff, "What makes you think Buffy could ever be discreet. Not to mention, you look like something out of the Mummy movie."

"Stop calling me Buffy!" Jace snaps, but even Clary laughs along with us

"We'll go in the morning" Luke chuckles, "Werewolf healing, remember? This is nothing a couple hours of beauty sleep can't fix."

"You're gonna need a lot more than a couple hours to make yourself a beauty Luke" I joke and Magnus titters silently from the couch

"You're not coming" Clary speaks up and I turn to look at her, wide-eyed

"Excuse me?" I scoff, "Yes I damn well I am!"

"No you're damn well not" Another voice chimes in...Alec, "You should still be resting after everything that happened tonight."

"You're still here?" I breathe, surprised, "I thought you'd left to go report to your mother or something"

"I done with that" Alec growls and something tells me there's more to that story, "And don't change the subject, you're not going in this state.

"I'm fine" I assert, resolving not to wobble or wince as I stand from my chair

Alec raises an eyebrow, walking towards me and lightly pushing my shoulder. I let out an involuntary gasp of pain and slump back into the chair, feeling winded and sore.

"Sorry, did you say you were fine?" Alec sasses and I glare at him

"Okay, maybe I'm a little sore" I concede, "But that doesn't mean I can't go. I need to be there. To protect Clary."

"Cami I have to agree with Alec and Clary" Luke sighs, "You'll draw too much attention. You can barely stand, let alone walk. If it's just Clary, Jace and I, it should go down a lot smoother."

"Should?" I repeat, scowling, "You're not making me feel very confident."

"Buttercup, let it go" Magnus instructs, "I know it's against your very cursed nature to be away from your sister, unable to protect her. But you're not going to be of much use hobbling around like a wounded bird."

I let out a long, exaggerated sigh, "Fine."

"Good" Magnus remarks, "Now pop off to bed, you really do need rest"

I sigh again, carefully pulling myself up from the chair.

"Let me help you" Alec whispers, so low only I can hear. I consider brushing him off but, after setting the slightest of weight on my feet, I silently accept.

Alec, once again, swoops me off my feet and into his arms, walking steadily towards the bedroom I'd been in before.

"I thought you were going to help me walk" I huff, crossing my arms stubbornly

"You're supposed to be resting, not walking" Alec retorts and I keep my steely scowl firmly in place

The next few moments continue in utter silence. Alec opens the door, places me on the bed and pulls some blankets over me and settles into the chair from earlier. I decide, in my lucid, aware state, not to invite him to the bed this time.

"Why did you leave?" my weak whisper breaks the silence and Alec's eyes connect to mine, drifting away from the ceiling, "You know...before I woke up?"

"I didn't think you'd want me there" Alec shrugs and I laugh gallantly, "What?"

"I asked you to stay with me, begged you to come here in the first place and you think I didn't want you there?"

"Well, I figured you were a little out of your right mind" Alec counters, "Besides, I couldn't just lie around and do nothing, I had things to do."

"Oh yeah, like what?" I ridicule

"Secure the perimeter, ensure there are no Circle members around, check on everyone else" Alec lists frustratedly, "You know, my whole word doesn't revolve around you"

"Whatever" I huff, unwilling to get into an argument. Now that I was actually in the bed, I realise how tired I actually was. An involuntary yawn escapes my lips and Alec's face softens, not considerably, but enough to notice.

"You need to sleep" Alec demands

"Sir yes sir" I mumble sarcastically, allowing my eyes to slip close and the room to fall dark

***

The light streaming through the open curtain awakes me suddenly and I squint, trying to block out the harsh sunlight.

When it doesn't work, I turn my head and spot Alec. It was surprising how peaceful he looked when he wasn't awake. In sleep, he looked four years younger than he was...like a boy. His lips were parted ever so slightly and his chest was rising and falling in perfect time to his breathing. He looked beautiful.

"Mmm" Alec grunts, his eyes squinting open as the sun hits his face, "What time is it?"

I reach for my phone, "11 AM"

"11 AM?" Alec repeats, sitting up straighter, now completely awake, "I shouldn't have slept so long"

"And why not?" I sigh, stretching in the bed lazily, "Damn that's the best night's sleep I've had in a while."

"Because, I have things to do"

"Like what?" I query, cocking my head to the side curiously, "What's on the agenda for today?"

"I..."

"Let me guess" I smirk, "Keep an eye on me, protect me, report to Mother dearest?"

Alec scowls but doesn't disagree.

"I knew it" I chuckle but before Alec can conceive a comeback, his phone chimes

"Look like I've got something to do after all" Alec murmurs, standing from the chair and grabbing his jacket

"Cool" I jump up from the bed, too, collecting my phone and reaching, unfortunately, for Izzy's shoes

"Woah, woah, woah" Alec stops me, "You're not coming"

"Yeah, actually, I am" I retort, flipping my hair over the collar of my jacket "Because there's a 99% chance that text you got has to do with my sister. Along with that, I'm rested, I'm better oh, and...I don't actually have to listen to you. Gasp! Shocker, I know!"

"Okay, enough with the sass" Alec voices, "Not so soon after I've woken up"

"Stick to your own lane and there's no need for sass" I provide, simpering, "Now, what was that text all about?"

"Clary and Jace failed to get the Cup so they're coming up with a new plan...but they need backup"

"Text them back" I gesture, "Tell them we're coming"

***

"You said you needed backup?" I smile, turning the corner and spotting Izzy, Jace and Clary by the front doors of the NYPD

"Cami, what are you doing here!" Clary frets, "You're supposed to be resting!"

"I did. For 11 hours, time to get to work"

"What took you guys so long?" Jace accuses, turning to Alec and I

"We were resting, Buffy, chill out."

"Stop calling me Buffy" Jace growls through gritted teeth

"Best get over it, the name's sticking, sweetie" I smirk and Jace glowers

"Buffy?" Alec frowns

"Mundane thing" Clary and I chorus

Alec shakes his head, bewildered, and returns back to business.

"We found the Cup" Clary begins

"The Cup?" Izzy echoes, surprised

"Yeah, we figured it out last night, you have a lot to catch up on" I announce, patting Izzy's shoulder

"Yeah, but then we lost it" Clary finishes, "We have to sneak back in the precinct to get it."

"This is a disaster" Alec renounces

"Hey, demon pox is a disaster" Jace counters, "This is an inconvenience. We just need a plan. That's all."

"What about a glamour?" Izzy suggests

"We tried that" Jace confesses, "But anyone working with Valentine will see right through it."

"I can ask Magnus for a portal in?" I offer, moving for my phone

"No use" Izzy shakes her head, "Magnus can only portal us to somewhere he's been before."

Clary's phone rings, cutting through Izzy words, "It's Simon."

"Take it" I encourage her and she hits 'answer', moving away from us for a second. It isn't a long conversation and she comes back quickly, "What's up?"

"Oh, I don't know...Simon says he's sick, seemed kinda freaked out but Jace hung up before I could talk to him about it" Clary glows accusingly at Jace

"There are more important things at hand. I have a plan" Jace informs

"Yes, because your plans have worked out stellar for us so far, right?" I scoff

"Shut Up, Camille"

***

I had to admit, the plan sounded good. The only problem was putting into action. Alec, Izzy and I were on distraction duty. Our job was to somehow swipe a key card to get into the control room so we could trigger an alarm and leave Jace and Clary free to sneak into the evidence room and swipe the Cup.

Sounds easy enough.

"Okay, I'm guessing you're the distraction?" Alec addresses Izzy as we emerge into the main lobby

"Uh...I think our distraction would be better preoccupied if you were the one speaking to her" I chuckle, motioning towards the woman at the information desk

Izzy laughs with me, moving to her brother and starting to unbutton his shirt.

"What-What are you doing?" Alec stammers, trying to push Izzy away

"Unbuttoning your shirt, what does it look like I'm doing?" Izzy retorts

"Izzy this is not really my department" Alec protests, struggling against her

"Oh, come on" I sigh, "All you have to do is smile and I have no doubt she'll turn to jelly"

Alec rolls his eyes but straightens up slightly, walking incredibly awkwardly towards the woman at the desk.

It's apparent from the first sentence he spoke that the woman was not interested and Izzy and I share a childish giggle.

"You know my big brother is totally into you, right?" Izzy smirks and I roll my eyes

"Yes, actually, I do" I admit, "And I like him too, but we already agreed to just stay friends. He need to focus on being a Shadowhunter and I need to focus on Clary and this mundani crap. Romance can wait."

"Maybe it can't" Izzy whispers, a look in her eyes that said she knew something I didn't but before I can speak, a commotion at the information desks turns my attention away. Alec, in an attempt to distract, had knocked over an open bottle of water which had spilled everywhere, "That's my cue."

Izzy, acting like she owned the place, strut across the room, reflexing catching the badge as Alec flicked it forcefully with his hand, concealed by his shoulder and the watery distraction.

Knowing we had what we needed, I ran to the service desk, putting my best smile on.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about him he can be such a klutz" I apologise, taking Alec's hand in mine, "Wait...Rosa, is that you?"

"Camille Fray" Rosa's stony face split into a massive grin, "It's been a while since I've seen you here! How are you?"

"I'm good what about you and the husband?" I look at Alec pointedly at the word husband and his mouth drops

"Good, good"

"I'm sorry about the mess. My boyfriend is so clumsy" I chuckle and Rosa chuckle's with me

"Oh, it's no problem"

"Okay, well, we best be off then, say hi to Carl for me!"

As I walk away with Alec, he pulls his hand from mine, frustrated, "'Say hi to Carl for me?!' You knew her this whole time, didn't you?! And that she had a husband!"

"Yeah" I laugh, nodding, "Oh, you're face was priceless"

"If you knew her so well, why weren't you the distraction?" Alec whines, re-buttoning his shirt

"Oh, darling" I mock, "Where's the fun in that?"

***

By the time Jace and Clary finally come back out, it's dark and there are several cops and fire chiefs surrounding the building.

Izzy had fried the control to black the place out and get everyone out of the precinct...and it seemed to have worked.

"Did you get it?" Alec demands

"Theoretically" Clary responds

"Theoretically?" Alec echoes, exasperated

"Yeah, I-" Clary sighs, "I found the card, I just have to figure out how I reached into my notebook before, it's...it's not an exact science."

"Can't you just pull the Cup out?" Alec interrogates

"You never listen" I groan, "She hasn't really honed that skill yet, just leave her be, alright? We've got it, not Valentine and that's all that matters, right?"

"Listen, you three can discuss theory as much as you want when we get back to the Institute. But right now, considering we just stole from the cops, I suggest we go home" Jace interjects

"Guys..." Izzy warns us, her demon-sensor necklace pulsing, "I think the mundane might be the least of our worries"

"Well, at least we know the necklace works" I comment

"Never a dull day" Jace sighs, "Let's go."

We all start of hurriedly, walking ten paces faster than Clary but before anyone could realise...I hear a gasp and whirl in the spot to see Jace plunging his seraph blade into an old woman...an old woman with a lotus-flower, fanged face.

"Clary, are you okay?" I gasp, rushing to her side and helping her up, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Cami, jeez" Clary huffs, brushing me off, "Stop with the mothering already!"

"You know I can't" I point out and Clary's face loses it's aggravation

"You're right, I'm sorry"

"No need to apologise, we need to go. There's too many people."

"I don't say this often" Alec utters, "But I agree with Cami. We gotta get out of here."

"Hey, this way!" Clary urges, striding towards the side, secluded entrance we used to hide down as kids. The same entrance we'd fled from not even a week earlier.

How time's change.

Clary reaches the electrical room door and turns to us, her stele in hand, "What's the unlock rune again?"

Jace takes a step back and kicks at the door. It flies open harshly and Jace smiles smugly, "Open sesame."

We all enter the room quickly, Alec the last one in. As the door shuts, Alec de-glamours his bow and quiver, pulling an arrow from his back and nocking it into the bow.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jace asks

"Holding them off" Alec responds, "Take Clary and Cami back to the Institute."

"No way, I'm staying with you" I blurt out and everyone looks at me, but no one is more surprised then myself..

Every single thought in my brain was thinking about Clary, protecting Clary, staying with Clary...all but for one, which was begging me to stay with Alec, to protect him.

"No, if you're staying, I'm staying!" Clary protests

"Don't be dumb" I sigh, "If the demons get the Cup, we're dead anyways."

"I'm not leaving anyone behind" Jace retorts

"You don't have a choice" I fire back, "If Alec stays, I stay. And I have a feeling Alec's not going."

"This is insane, you don't even know how to protect yourself" Jace snaps at me

"I've got Alec"

"What about Clary, aren't you supposed to be protecting her?"

I know I should...but I don't want too.

It's peculiar, even though every part of me feels like I need to protect her, the part of me that wants to protect Alec, to stay with him, is struggling against everything else. And so far, it was winning.

"We need to go" Izzy interrupts, "It's not safe here."

"She's right" I point out and Clary runs to me, hugging me tightly

"Don't die" she whispers

"Not planing too" I chuckle, squeezing her tightly

"Here, take this" Jace says, giving me one of his seraph blades, "You'll need it."

I nod curtly, thanking him and then Izzy, Clary and Jace disappear around the corner. I feel as if a magnet was tethering me to Clary, trying to pull me towards her, to follow her but I wrench myself away from it, fighting against it with all I have.

The effort alone was exhausting.

"You shouldn't have stayed" Alec sighs, pulling his bow upwards, aiming at the door, "This is too dangerous"

"I didn't hear you complaining before" I scoff

The sound of footsteps rushing to the door brings me back on my guard and I grit my teeth, attempting to lower into the crouch I always slipped into when I went sleeper. The door opens and...it's just Luke.

"Fuck me" I gasp, clutching my heart, "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Where's Clary? Did she get the cup?" Luke asks

"She's with Jace and Izzy and...yeah, theoretically"

"Theoretically?"

"Don't ask" Alec huffs and Luke nods

We all turn and head in the direction the others had gone off too and, a little ways down into the room, we find Clary, her sword clutched in her hands, her eyes widened and terrified.

"Clary!" I exclaim and she whirls on us, bringing her sword upwards protectively

"Get back!" she screams and I automatically raise my hands in surrender, "How do I know you're really Cami?"

"When you were four, we went swimming at the beach and you touched a piece of seaweed. You thought it was a sea monster, remember?" I recite and Clary slowly lowers the blade, exhaling in relief, "What happened? Why are you down here alone? I'm gonna fucking murder that little Buffy bitch-"

"We got separated, don't blame Jace" Clary sighs shakily, "Demons were down here...one disguised itself like Jace...I had to-to kill it. Where have you been, Luke?"

"Jail" Luke admits, "I ran into Alec and Cami, we thought you might be down here...Thought you might need some help."

"Sounds like she took care of it herself" I smile proudly, hugging Clary

"Shouldn't we get going or something?" Clary breathes, still rattled by the face-off with the demon, "More demons could be coming, right?"

"Don't worry about it" Luke assures her, "I've got the pack on lookout. If there's any other demons, we'll take care of them."

"Look at you" I chuckle, "Leader of the pack."

"Well, you know, it has it's perks" Luke confesses

"Shall we?"

***

"Right now, Clary is the only thing that matters!" Jace's voice echoes through the main area of the Institute and I can't help but smile.