Title: Take a Breath

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments trilogy.

Summary: What if they weren't nephilim? What if they all were just normal kids, humans? Would everything happen differently?

Authors Note: Hey, So I after reading City of Glass I totally needed more! It was so good and I love Clary and Jace. So I thought up this interesting fanfiction. I hope you like it. And just so you're not confused the character John is Clary's actual brother. Since Valentine never gave him demon blood and Jocelyn never left Valentine he is living with his family (Clary, Valentine, Jocelyn.) And he was infact, never Sebastian, or evil, for that matter. So John is Jonathan Christopher. Clary's real brother. The guy who in City of Glass pretended to be Sebastian. Also since Valentine never brought up Jace, they have never met. And since they are ALL not nephilim Stephan Herondale never died, so Celine, Stephan's wife, never killed herself. And for Jace to exist we have to say that Stephan divorced Amatis (Luke's sister). But just because they all aren't Nephilim doesn't mean there not any Nephilim in the story… I know it is confusing. But hopefully you will get used to it =]

"You be the anchor that keeps my feet to the ground, I'll be the wings that keep your heart in the clouds." – Mayday Parade

ONE

"You've got to be kidding me!" John glared up at the bouncer in front of Pandemonium.

"Back of the line kid." The bouncer said in a deep, monotone voice, arms crossed across his massive chest. "Now." He said when John didn't move out of place.

"Come on, John. Let's just go home. I don't want to go in anyway." Clary said, grabbing hold of John's sleeve.

"Well I do." He responded, not taking his eyes off of the bouncer.

"You better listen to your sister kid, before you get punched in the face." The bouncer glared back at him.

I'm not a kid, John thought. They had waited in this line for over an hour. And he wanted to go in. Even if it was Clary's idea to come here. Both of them had never been here before. Clary had said she heard some things about this place and wanted to check it out, first thing when they got to New York. They had lived in a lot of big cities: Chicago, Las Angles, Miami, Vegas, they were all the same in his mind. Just a new house, a new school, new faces. Clary was really the only constant in his life.

"John." Clary said pulling on his sleeve, he didn't budge. "John." She said, pulling harder. He let her pull him backwards, still glaring at the bouncer, the bouncer still glaring back.

"John! What were you thinking! I mean-"

John looked her in the eye. He heard the words she was saying, but it was all just a murmur behind his thoughts. Tomorrow was their first day of a new school in New York, and it was already eleven. Good thing Dad wasn't home or he would kill him. John's eyelids drooped, but he wasn't ready to turn in for the night. He wanted to get more of a feel for New York.

"-picking a fight with a bouncer who is easily weighs 200 lbs more then you!"

"Coffee?" John said, focusing on the small coffee shop behind her. She sighed,

"Fine, coffee it is."

They walked across the street to the pink neon sign that flashed COFFEE every other second. The last E hung sideways not flashing and the other E would flash irregularly to the others so most of the time it just read, COFF.

"Home, Sweet Home." John murmured, opening the door for Clary.

Inside the walls were lined with tall wooden booths, scratchy red cushions were laid into the wood as a seat. Clary led them to a booth and they sat down.

Clary crossed her arms over the table and rested her chin on them. She hated moving, they had lived everywhere because of her Dad's job. She didn't even know what her dad did. Something with politics, she assumed. She looked up at John, he dint seem to mind moving.

"One Coffee." John said to the waitress and looked at Clary. She nodded, "Make that two." He said. The waitress nodded and walked away.

Clary looked around the restaurant. There were two girls in the booth across from them whispering and giggling. In the booth across from them was an older man, around the age of forty. He wore a brown suede hat that covered his eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. One of her fathers friends? Maybe, but what would someone that knew her father be doing in a dump like this.

"Clary? Earth to Clary?" John waved his hand in front of her face.

"What?" she asked, sitting up straight.

"Coffee." He pointed to the round mug in front of her.

"Oh." She said in surprise. "Thanks." She put both hands around the brown cup and sucked in its warmth. She raised it to her mouth and drank. It was bitter, and frankly tasted horrible. But she kept drinking. She hadn't realized how cold she was.

"You're shivering." John noticed. "You want to go home?"

Clary shrugged. "It doesn't matter. We can stay if you want to."

"You know what; I'm getting tired, so I think we should go." John said with a smile on his face. Clary laughed.

"Well if you put it that way…"

John dropped a few dollars for coffee on the table and they walked out of the store, onto the cold streets of New York City. The bitter taste of Coffee still in their mouths.