Clary had begun to doze off just as the click of the front door being shut snapped her out of drowsiness, and she looked up with slight curiosity, not really interested in what had made the sound.

"Clary? Are you here?" The voice was female, deep but soft. In moments, blond hair gleamed in front of her. It was Stella, smiling. Actually smiling. Clary was too exhausted to even ask what the matter was, and just kept hanging her head.

"There you are. Where is Ash?" asked Stella, innocently.

Her jaw set, she glanced at Stella like she was dead, and looked away just as quickly.

"He left." Her answer was short, pain shooting up her chest in sharp tingles. Stella raised an eyebrow and sighed, sitting beside her on the bed. Clary hadn't looked at her, but knew that she was beside her from the heat and impact of her friend’s weight on the bed.

"Come on, don’t lie to me." Stella held her hand and smiled softly. Clary finally looked up, making Stella flinch.

"Oh, by the moon, Clary. You look horrible." Clary couldn't agree more. Her once soft hair was in tangles, falling in curls on her shoulder. Her face was pale, all life drained from her lively expression.

"Clary... come on tell me what's wrong. You know you can tell me anything." She gave her a weak smile and hugged her friend. Clary managed a weak smile herself, and started telling her about Ash, how he had transformed into a werewolf, how he had tried to apologize and begged her for forgiveness but she had pushed him away.

Stella listened with a frown, nodding her head now and then. Truth was, it was very difficult not to say anything, for Clary sounded as if she was very hurt, and she probably was.

She finally couldn't take it anymore and took a sharp, shaky breath. Clary gave her a puzzled look but quickly masked it with a blank one. Stella stroked her head, making Clary flinch at her touch.

"Clary...I--" She was at a loss for words, for she hadn't comforted anyone since that day long ago when she found Clary sobbing in the corner after her parents were killed. So, Stella stretched her arms wide, and Clary quickly clung onto her, sobbing violently as her chest shook.

Stella rubbed comforting circles on her friend's back, and made soothing noises until her sobs had quieted to silent whimpers.

Suddenly, they heard the voice of a man clearing his throat, making them both flinch and turn around to stare at the doorway. Silver hair glowed in the light, and blue eyes bore through their own.

"Ash?" The look on Clary's face made Ash stare with anxious blue eyes. "No. Go. GET OUT!"

When he didn't budge, she stood up and flung herself at him, pushing at his chest.

"Leave..." He grabbed her wrists, squeezing softly as he took a shaky breath.

"Clary, please…" His voice was desperate and gentle, and it made her pause as she escaped from his hold.

"Just let me explain. If you still don't want me here, then I PROMISE you, I will leave."

"I lived with my parents and little sister, Rose, who was only 8. I loved them all. But one night my dad went out to get some firewood, and didn't come back. We waited and waited, while my sister kept sobbing in my arms telling me he wouldn't come back, that he was taken by the wolves.

I tried to comfort her, told her it was alright, but I knew in my heart it wasn't. Dad, no matter what he did, always came back. Days passed, and still no sign of him.

I grew wary that maybe he had tripped and hit his head somewhere, so I offered to go look for him, though I wish I hadn't. I wish I had stayed with my family while I could before everything happened.

"So, I headed into the forest after saying goodbye, not knowing it was the last time I would actually see them. I kept going, calling out my father’s name, looking under and over every bush and tree.

But he was nowhere to be found. And just when I had decided to go back, I heard a horrible sound, like the screech of metal on metal.

Somehow, there was something so-- so familiar about it. When I figured it out, the forest was already silent with the rustle of leaves and bushes against the wind. It was my father's scream.

"I didn't know what to do. I was scared. For the first time in my life, I was really scared. If only I hadn't been so pathetic and had run over to the location of the sound, maybe I could have saved my father's life.

"But no, I just stood there like a statue and didn't move. Then, there was a loud rustle. I was still frozen as ice from fear, and I didn't make any move to run.

"I couldn't move. Then a head shot out of the nearby bush. At first, I thought it was my dad, alive and well. I thought that the scream was just a figment of my imagination. And then, I realized with a sudden horror, something was holding my father's head!

"It was severed from his body like a doll. I tried to scream, but no sound came out." Ash paused, looking grim. He did look scared, even now, as he remembered the horrible events of that one night.

It was just one night, and yet a lot happened to change his life. No, change him, Clary thought with a shudder. Ash then continued:

"I stood still, hoping that the wolf would leave me alone and keep going. I was so very wrong. The wolf riveted its golden eyes onto me and stalked forward very slowly, like it was trying to calm a scared prey.

"I finally found my voice again and screamed as it threw itself at me, and then everything went dark.

"And when I woke up, I was in your apartment. You know the rest." Clary let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and patted him on the back.

"My parents were killed by werewolves as well." Clary started, but Ash only offered one of his heart melting smiles.

"I know. Stella told me all about it." Clary stared in wonder, and before she could say anything else, her body moved to him on its own and then her arms were around him in a warm and comforting hug. Ash was startled for a brief second, and then he was returning the hug tightly.

"I’m sorry. You don’t have to leave," Clary whispered softly in his ear, startling him even more. And then he was chuckling, his chest vibrating in the process.

"I wasn't planning on leaving anyway."

"HEY! You lied!" And then they were both laughing, clinging to each other until someone cleared their throat.

"Ahem. I'll just…uh…leave you to it then, Lovebirds." It was Stella, grinning broadly. Clary felt heat rush to her face and let go of Ash quickly, looking away. But with the glance that she did spare him, she knew he was blushing as well, and they both shouted in unison:

"Shut up!"