When Dahlia arrived with Jace at Magnus's place, she spotted somebody familiar there.
"Hey, Catarina," Dahlia greeted, "You here for Magnus?"
The blue skinned warlock sighed. "We were supposed to go to London together but it seems as though Magnus either left or doesn't want to open the door."
"I bet he's got music turned up in there," Dahlia said as she slipped her keys out of her pocket.
"Who's this?" Catarina asked, nodding her head toward Jace.
"That's Jace," she replied and as soon as the door clicked open, she heard the music.
"Magnus!" The annoyed warlock moved past Dahlia and into the apartment. The Shadowhunter chuckled nervously, glancing at Jace.
"She's not usually like that," she assured him with a slight smile.
"Not convinced," Jace replied with a nervous smile of his own.
She heard the arguing voices from inside and her eyes drifted from the door to Jace. "You don't have to come in, Magnus and Catarina'll Portal from inside and I won't take too long."
"Okay." He looked relieved. "I'll just wait out here for you."
She was about to turn around when Jace caught her by the wrist. She frowned in confusion. "What is it?"
"Are you okay?" He asked, "Your hands, they're—"
"I'm fine, Jace, you don't have to worry."
She entered the apartment, pocketing her keys and leaving the door open behind her. She turned the music down and looked the two warlocks, raising her eyebrows.
"Lia!" Magnus exclaimed upon seeing her, he sauntered over to her and wrapped his arms around the girl.
"Magnus, are you drunk?" She questioned as she returned the hug.
He scoffed. "I can hold my alcohol, thank you very much."
"Magnus." She pulled away from him. "Wouldn't it be more suitable to turn up completely sober?"
"She's fifteen and she gets it," Catarina said, glancing at the Shadowhunter, "You think he'd know better by now."
Magnus feigned offense. "I'm not drunk."
"It's whatever, Mags," Dahlia said, "I have to go get my stuff."
Magnus nodded while Catarina looked at her, puzzled. "You're not staying here?"
Dahlia shook her head, glancing at Magnus momentarily. "Apparently I'm too reckless and can't be trusted to stay on my own."
"So where are you staying?"
"The Institute," she deadpanned.
"Don't sound too excited," Magnus chimed.
"You know, you're being a bit irrational," Catarina said to Magnus, "Dahlia's perfectly capable of staying here alone."
"They had to call the Silent Brothers," Magnus said impassively.
If Catarina could pale, she would've. A look of surprise took over her features—her eyebrows raised, eyes widened and lips parted.
"But they would—"
"I know," he looked frustrated.
"You guys are speaking like I'm not here," Dahlia piped up.
Both warlocks glanced at her then looked back at each other. Magnus was the first to speak, "It's nothing, Lia."
"Right." She looked down at her feet, rocking back on her heels. "Just so you know, I'm not a child. I'm perfectly aware of what the Clave would do if they knew I was here."
They were both silent for a few moments before Catarina spoke up, "Why didn't they search for you—the Nephilim?"
"They'd most likely presumed me dead. What with him being dead, they'd probably just assumed that I was, too," she said stiffly.
"But they found his body, did they not?" Magnus asked, "They should have looked for you—and never stopped."
"It's been two years," she defended.
"What else do you expect from Shadowhunters?" Catarina mumbled under her breath.
Dahlia turned to her. "I'm a Shadowhunter."
"That's different—"
"We really have to get going," Magnus said, cutting Catarina's sentence short
"Right." She broke eye contact with Dahlia. "I'll start on the Portal."
Magnus's hand brushed through the Shadowhunter's hair and rested on her shoulder. She looked up at him, her lip caught between her teeth. "You alright?" He asked.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she replied, shaking her head.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. "You'll be okay? And you'll call me if you need anything, right?"
Her arms circled around his torso, cheek resting on his chest. "Yeah, of course."
"And please don't forget your phone like you did," he said with a slight laugh.
"I won't." She grinned as she pulled away from him. "You should probably get going now."
"Probably," he agreed. He looked down and took her hands; they were shaking. "Did you have another nightmare?"
"Yeah, but it wasn't that bad," she declined.
"It must've been if the tremors are back," he inspected.
"Okay." She sighed. "Fine, you got me, it was bad but I'm okay, I promise."
"And I trust you," he said, smiling, "But—"
"There's always a 'but'," she grumbled.
"But you've got to let me know if it gets too bad again." His hands glowed blue and her hands stopped shaking. "Okay?"
She smiled. "Yeah, thank you."
"You don't have to thank me."
Magnus left with Catarina and Dahlia stepped outside. Jace looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"You can come inside," said Dahlia, "Magnus and Catarina have left already."
When Jace stepped inside, Dahlia closed the door behind her and sighed. She turned the music back up and smiled as the familiar song played through the apartment. Dahlia looked at Jace who looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Don't tell me you've never listened to Mundane music before," she said, raising her eyebrows in his direction.
He shook his head. "As a matter of fact, I haven't."
"Next thing you're going to tell me," she said, "Is that you haven't danced before."
He didn't say anything but that was the only answer she needed. "You've got to be kidding me, I mean, I knew Shadowhunters didn't like Mundanes but I didn't know they have no appreciation for Mundane culture."
"You say it like you're not a Shadowhunter," he mumbled.
She ignored him and turned up the music. The song filled the emptiness of the apartment and Dahlia grinned, holding her hand out toward Jace.
"Dance with me," she insisted.
"I don't know how to," he said but he still took her hand. She pulled his body closer to her, guiding his hands. One of his hands was holding hers, the other placed on her waist.
"This song is from one of my favourite movies," Dahlia said, leading the both of them.
"I've never watched a movie," he said softly, eyes on his feet so he wouldn't step on hers.
"I'm going to show you just how much you're missing out on," she promised, "Then you'll know why I find Mundanes so fascinating."
"They're so...normal," he replied, shaking his head. His hair covered his eyes and she reached up to brush it away, her hand leaving his shoulder for a moment.
"They are—but their minds, they have such vivid imaginations you wonder why shadowhunters and downworlders think they're so, well, mundane."
Jace pursed his lips. "You really are something else."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, eyebrows raised.
"Nothing bad," he assured her, "But it's not everyday you meet a Shadowhunter with such interest in Mundanes."
"I didn't grow up a Shadowhunter." She shrugged. "I've always been one but for most my childhood, I was raised as a Mundane."
"Not to mention," she continued, "I've been living with a warlock. I barely know any Shadowhunters—as a matter of fact, I haven't met any in a long time—not until you—and the rest of the Institute."
"It doesn't make sense," he said finally.
"What doesn't?"
"You weren't raised a Shadowhunter," he stated, "But you're one of the best fighters—Shadowhunters—I've ever met."
"All I've done for the past few years is train, read up about demons and Shadowhunters and more training," she explained.
"But how can somebody live like that?"
"It's not living, Jace, it's just not dying."
The song ended. When the next one came on, Dahlia's eyes lit up noticeably. She hummed the tune of the intro music.
"The other night dear, as I lay sleeping," she sang, letting go of Jace and dancing around the kitchen on her own, giggling slightly, "I dreamed I held you in my arms."
She hummed the next two lines, not knowing the words but Jace could easily tell how much she loved the song.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." She took his hand again and twirled herself around before pulling herself close to him again. She grinned when a smile found a way on his face. "You make me happy when skies are gray."
Jace wasn't smiling because of the song, he was smiling because Dahlia was perfectly clumsy and beautiful and adorable. He wanted to see her grin and laugh like she did while dancing around her kitchen and singing her favourite song every day.
And her voice—he was mesmerized by the sound of her voice. It was sweet and gentle and if your favourite dessert in the world had a sound, it would sound like her voice does.
"You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." She grinned and looked up at him. She stopped when she noticed him staring. "What?"
"You—" he paused, "You have a really beautiful voice."
"Thank you," she said softly, her face flushing pink.
He just looked away, trying to hide the grin that spread across his face.