CHAPTER SIX
AN HOUR AWAY

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     Simon's band was rehearsing inside of a very small bar, primarily empty when Adrian arrived with Alec, Isabelle, and Jace in tow. He stepped in carefully, eyes raking over the place out of habit, since it was poorly lit and there were quite a few dark corners. When he realized it was still daylight outside and that Simon and Clary surely would've noticed if there were demons in the small establishment, he relaxed and tugged his cardigan off. The heat was blasting inside the place, despite it being barely chilly outside. He threw it over his arm as he looked over the place once again, looking for a head of red hair. It didn't take him long to find Clary. She was sitting towards the back in a booth, bent over her sketchpad and drawing away. Adrian started to smile, but stopped when he remembered what he had discussed with his friends the previous night.

His hand went to his pocket, where the compass was resting. He hadn't let the token out of his sight since he got it, either playing with it or keeping it resting nearby. Even when he was showing, he had the compass resting by the sink and the door locked, somehow paranoid that someone would appear and take it from him. He had a feeling it was quickly becoming a comfort object, because as his anxiety rose over what he was going to ask Clary to do, he found himself reaching into his pocket and touching the compass again. A hand touched his lower back before he could sink fully into his own thoughts, jerking him back just in time. He blinked and turned his head, then sighed and leaned into Alec's side, his anxiety dwindling as Alec wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer.

"I'm going to order something to eat," Jace said from behind them. To Adrian, it already felt like they'd been inside the bar for half an hour, but to the rest of them, it had only been a minute or two. Isabelle and Jace were still checking out the place, looking for danger longer than Adrian and Alec needed to. Jace brushed past them, briefly smacking Adrian's shoulder as he went. "You want anything?" Adrian blinked and turned his head. The menu was written on a large chalkboard above the bar.

"Onion rings and water," Adrian decided. Jace took Alec and Isabelle's orders as well, winked, then made a beeline for the bar, going so far as to lean over it to get the bartender's attention. Adrian shook his head, then nudged Alec toward the booth where Clary was sitting. Isabelle went around them to skip ahead, tumbling into the booth and greeting Clary happily. Their voices rose in excitement, and Alec took that opportunity to speak.

"Have you decided if you're going to ask for her help?" Alec asked quietly. Adrian only had enough time to shrug his shoulders, and then they were at the booth, and Adrian was sliding into the seat and bringing Clary in for a side hug. She mumbled a greeting to him, reached over to squeeze Alec's hand and grin, then picked her pencil back up and got back to work. Adrian leaned forward to take a peek at the page. She was drawing herself in a dress. Adrian nudged her to get her attention, nodding at the page in curiosity. She gave him a sheepish grin.

"My bridesmaid dress," she said with a sigh. "Or, the design I want it to be. We're going to pick one out tomorrow." She dived right back into the drawing after that, fully intent on getting it done before she had to go try on dresses for hours. Adrian decided to leave her be—especially since Isabelle was chatting away at her other side—and turned toward Alec instead. They hadn't gotten much of a chance to hang out lately, what with Alec on endless night patrols and Adrian on endless day ones.

"I'll ask her later," he murmured, just to answer Alec's earlier question, and then he was leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on Alec's cheek. Alec was staring at Simon's band rehearsing by that point, brows furrowed in thought as he listened to the sounds they were emitting with their instruments. It didn't seem like they were in sync with each other, though that was probably why they were rehearsing all day. Adrian frowned, then turned and nuzzled into Alec's cheek. That finally broke him out of whatever trance Simon's band had put him into—a trance of utter disbelief that they had even gotten a gig, maybe—and Alec leaned away, a startled laugh leaving his mouth when Adrian's nuzzling tickled him. Adrian beamed immediately, ecstatic that he'd managed to draw out one of his favorite sounds.

"What are you grinning about?" Alec asked, nudging him slightly in the side. Adrian pushed in closer, nuzzling Alec's neck this time, not really caring that they were displaying a good bit of affection in public. Their friends were used to it—it wasn't like they were making out or anything—and strangers could freely look the other way. Adrian nuzzled one last time, pressed a kiss against Alec's jaw, then drew back.

"When was the last time we went on a date?" he asked, curious. Jace had arrived at the table during Adrian's brief nuzzling session and had reached over to hand Adrian his onion rings and drink. Adrian broke away from Alec to take them, flashing Jace a wide smile. Jace winked back at him before he started pushing at Isabelle, annoying her to let him sit beside Clary until she caved and switched spots with him. Adrian smiled at them, then put his attention back on Alec.

"I don't know," Alec admitted, looking a little sheepish as he shrugged his shoulders. Adrian hummed under his breath and considered their surroundings. It could've been better. The establishment wasn't exactly winning any awards for cleanliness or food, and they were with their friends, so it wasn't exactly a date at all. But it could've been worse. Adrian took that as a good sign and grinned at Alec happily. Alec blinked a few times when he did, like he wasn't expecting it, and then his own shy smile started spreading across his face. Adrian laughed and slid closer, cupping his jaw and leaning forward to plant a kiss on his lips.

"The next time both of us are free—" Adrian's voice was a murmur as his lips moved to press a kiss against the corner of Alec's mouth, his hand sliding down to settle on the side of Alec's neck. He felt Alec's neck move when he swallowed. "—I'm going to take you out to dinner. Really fancy. You'll have to wear a suit." At that, Alec's nerves disappeared, and amusement and laughter replaced them.

"Really fancy?" Alec echoed, wrinkling his nose a bit. Adrian nudged his nose with his own before he nodded, leaning forward to kiss Alec's cheek this time. They were in their own little world by that point, not even paying attention to Simon's band rehearsing, or their friends deep in conversation about whatever they were talking about. Adrian was turned completely toward Alec now, one of his legs folded beneath him on the booth while the other was draped over Alec's knee, keeping him from scooting away. Not that he would. Adrian was kissing the other corner of Alec's mouth when Alec added, "You don't have to spend money on me. Just spending time with you is enough." Adrian's heart twisted in his chest, the ache sweet, and he pulled back to get a good look at Alec's face.

"But I want to," Adrian said, widening his eyes innocently. Alec rolled his eyes at the move before averting his gaze, remaining stubborn. Adrian huffed out a breath and tugged teasingly at Alec's earlobe. Alec didn't seem to like that, because he made a sound of complaint and leaned back until Adrian dropped his hand. Adrian laughed. "Fine. No fancy dinner. What about Coney Island? A little beach-and-boardwalk date?" Alec brightened, though he tried to hide it. Adrian laughed. He should've known Alec would prefer something a little more private, where they could stick to themselves, and no fancy suits were required. He tugged at Alec's collar affectionately. "Casual date it is then. When's the next time your off?"

"I'm not patrolling at all Wednesday," Alec said slowly, his gaze lowering as he tried to remember what his schedule looked like. "I think."

"Great!" Adrian patted Alec's cheek gently. "It's a date." He leaned forward to kiss Alec again, and kissed him three more times just because he could before he felt something hit him on the cheek. He jerked away, startled, and turned his head just in time to get a fry thrown at his forehead. He flinched back, blinking in alarm, then glared as Jace threw another one at him. Instead of swatting it out of the air, Adrian tilted his head back and caught the fry in his mouth. He flicked Jace the middle finger as he chewed, twisting to sit properly on the booth again.

"Stop making out and join the real world," Jace teased, reaching for another fry to throw, though this time he had his eyes on Alec. Alec was faster, his hand shooting forward to grab one of Adrian's onion rings. Jace could've stopped it if he really wanted to, but he let the onion ring land on the center of his face. Clary and Isabelle burst into laughter. Adrian grinned and brought his food closer to him, starting to eat.

"The real world sounds particularly bad right now," Alec said, grimacing as he leaned a bit to the side and stared over Jace's shoulder, toward Simon's band rehearsing. "Literally." Adrian smacked Alec on the side of the arm with his hand, though he didn't say anything, already biting into an onion ring.

"I don't think they're that bad," Isabelle said softly, her chip cupped in her hand as she watched them rehearse. Adrian didn't really think they were that bad either—though they certainly weren't to Adrian's personal tastes—but before he could voice his agreement, Jace and Alec were raising their voices to argue with her. Adrian shared an amused glance with Clary, whose eyes were glittering with happiness that Adrian didn't really see much on her. Without thinking, Adrian reached for his pocket, feeling the outline of the compass there. He hoped he could get a moment alone with Clary soon. He didn't really want to bring the subject up now, when they were all having a good, normal time.

As if sensing his thoughts, there was a small whooshing sound above Adrian, and then the smell of something burning. He glanced up quickly, then groaned out loud when he noticed the small piece of white paper drifting down above Alec's head. He reached up to grab it right as Alec noticed and started tilting his head back to look. Smoothing the piece of paper out between his fingers, he read the message carefully, then rolled his eyes and looked at Alec.

"It was good while it lasted," he sighed, passing the note over. Alec frowned and took it from him, reading it over himself. A moment later, a grimace crossed his face. He threw the paper down onto the table, watched it burn up the rest of the way now that a Shadowhunter was no longer touching it anymore, then raised his gaze to look at Jace.

"We're up," Alec sighed. Jace paused with his drink halfway to his lips, his eyebrows shooting up.

"You're joking," Jace said, only to practically slam his drink down onto the table when Alec shook his head. "Oh, come on. I'm not even eighteen yet! Why am I getting dragged into your patrols with you?"

"Because you're my parabatai," Alec said flatly. He was turning away from Jace before Jace could respond, cupping Adrian's face and going in for a quick kiss before he poked Adrian in the side. Adrian squirmed but remained where he was, raising his eyebrows and daring Alec not to show up. Alec went further and practically attacked Adrian's side, fingers fast. Adrian shrieked in laughter and nearly fell out of the booth in his haste to get away.

"I will get you back for that, Alexander Lightwood," Adrian threatened as Jace and Alec shrugged their jackets back on. Alec grinned at Adrian once, pressed a kiss to his cheek, and then he and Jace were leaving the restaurants, off to hunt demons. Adrian huffed and slumped back into the booth, a pout pulling at his lips.

"Hey, Izzy, when do you think—where in the world did she go?" Adrian asked, straightening abruptly when he realized his future parabatai had also left the booth, probably when Adrian had nearly fallen to the floor. Clary, a fry sticking out of her mouth as she leaned over a sketchpad, used her drawing pencil to point over her shoulder. Adrian leaned over to see that Isabelle was closer to the stage, watching Simon closely, a thoughtful look on her face. Adrian looked at her for a moment, then his eyes strayed to Clary. They were alone now, and even though Adrian would've preferred if he'd had a little bit more time to pretend to be normal, it was better now than never. "Hey, Clary," Adrian said, pushing himself around the booth until he was beside her. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," Clary mumbled around the fry, only to seem to realize she still had it sticking out from between her lips. She quickly chewed and swallowed it, her face turning red. She took a long drink of her soda just to hide it. Once she was done, she cleared her throat, dusted her hands off, and angled her body toward Adrian. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well," Adrian said slowly, patting his pocket once before he was pulling the compass out. He set it on top of the table, careful to keep it far from the edge so it wouldn't fall off. "You know I've been looking for my mother, and I got a lead from Brother Zachariah, right?" Clary nodded, face oddly serious. Adrian suddenly had a very strong urge to hug her. "I followed the lead to Tessa Gray, a warlock, and she gave me this compass." Adrian tapped it with a finger. "If I spill my blood on it, it'll lead me to the Rosewell closest to me."

"That's amazing!" Clary exclaimed immediately, her face brightening. She reached for the compass, then stopped and shot him a curious glance. Adrian let her look at it, smiling. She twisted it around and opened it a few times before she glanced up. "Wait, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Your powers," Adrian said sheepishly, hoping it wouldn't offend her for some reason. To his relief, Clary just blinked slowly and waited. Adrian let out a small sigh. "I'm not ready to meet them as...myself. I'm ready to see them, but I'm not ready for them to see me. It's a very weird feeling, and—well, your powers are weird. I was hoping you could help me, I don't know...disguise myself? Make it harder to look straight at me, even for other Shadowhunters—wow, okay." Adrian broke off, startled, when Clary started flipping fast through her sketchpad. She let out a sound of delight when she found what she was looking for and quickly flipped it around to show Adrian. It was a rune, looking more like a lost tick-tack-toe game than anything else, but she looked so happy that Adrian had to bite. "What am I looking at?"

"You," Clary said proudly, "are looking at a rune that came to me in a dream last night. It makes people feel like they can't look directly at you—I tested it this morning on myself—and while people can look at you closely if they really try, they won't want to if you don't give them a reason. It doesn't last long, half an hour at most, but it's something." Adrian stared at her in disbelief. If Clary got this rune the night before, while they were discussing asking for her help, then that must mean he was on the right track. That must mean the Angel wanted him to find his mother as soon as possible. It wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be.

"I want to go see them," Adrian whispered after a while, reaching for the compass. When it was in his hand, he squeezed until it hurt. "I want to see them right now." Clary blinked in surprise, then her smile widened.

"Okay," she said immediately. "Let's go get Izzy and then—"

"No," Adrian said, looking over at Isabelle. His throat closed up. She was smiling and talking to Simon, and it seemed rude to pull her away from that. Besides, he wasn't sure if he was ready for any interactions between his future parabatai and his biological family, wherever they were. He wanted them to know who he was before he let them meet Isabelle, Alec, or Jace. "No, I think I want to do this alone, or—or with you, if that's okay." Clary blinked rapidly a few more times.

"I mean, o-of course I'll go with you, but—but don't you want to do this with Izzy? Or Alec?" she asked, frowning in confusion. Adrian swallowed.

"If I ever meet them officially, yes, but for now, I just want to...see them, I guess." Adrian sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's hard to explain how I feel about this entire situation. Sorry of I'm not making any sense." Clary shook her head, patting Adrian's hand.

"Don't apologize," she said simply. She started gathering her sketchpad and pencils and stuffing them into her shoulder bag. "C'mon. Let's go before it gets dark."

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They ended up calling a taxi, and then Adrian activated the compass while they were sitting in the backseat. What followed after that was a mess of directions and a very frustrated taxi driver. They ended up driving for over an hour, from Manhattan all the way to Bedford, of all places. They had to climb out of the taxi after that, not having enough money to pay the driver after that, and then they walked the rest of the way on foot. The compass was more stable than it had been in the car, giving them a clear path to follow. Adrian kept his eyes glued to the little arrow, not even bothering to take in his surroundings until the compass abruptly pointed right. He blinked and raised his head.

The first thing he noticed was the street sign. They were on Greenwich Road. The next thing he noticed was a white metal mailbox, and on the side were the letters 129 in black bold letters. Adrian's breath caught in his throat. The compass had led them straight to a house. Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he turned to take in the house, and blinked in surprise when he noticed a white picket fence surrounding the property. Orange and yellow leaves littered the yard, a rake left abandoned beside a very small pile of leaves. The most surprising thing was the apple tree that took up the majority of the front yard. He could see a few apples littered on the ground. The house itself was two stories and painted white, and there was no one directly across the street, just trees and trees and more trees. Adrian released a small breath and lowered his hand, snapping the compass shut.

"An hour away..." he whispered. Clary was silent beside him, taking in the area around them but keeping close. He swallowed, eyes glued to the front door. There wasn't a car anywhere in sight, so he could only assume no one was home. That was the only reason they were still standing there, in plain sight. He glanced down at Clary, a little dazed. "They were only an hour away this entire time."

"They kept as close to the Institute as they were legally allowed," Clary whispered, reaching to squeeze his hand. Adrian allowed it, as he suddenly needed the comfort. It would've been so easy for his mother and father to move far, far away, to move on with their lives and actually live. But they had stayed only an hour away, on the off-chance that Adrian would find Tessa Gray, find the compass, and come and find them.

"We don't—we don't know if that's why they stayed," Adrian said slowly, trying not to get his hopes up. It waws too good to be true, after all. "Maybe this was just my dad's family home or something. We don't even know if my dad is in there. Maybe it's just my mom. Maybe it's not even my mom at all. It could be a Rosewell I don't even know about. This was a bad idea, I'm going home—"

"Don't do that," Clary said immediately, tugging on his arm. It took him a moment to realize she was tugging up his sleeve. Her stele was in her hand. He could've easily pulled away, could've easily stopped her, but he didn't. He just watched, anxiety churning in his stomach, as she drew the rune she had created last night onto his forearm before she tugged his sleeve back down. "You came here for a reason. You want to see them. You want to be sure that they're actually okay, and that the compass worked. Don't let yourself run away from this, okay? I'm here. I got you. And if you don't want to walk up to that door and knock, that's okay. You can stay here, sit behind the fence, and I'll do it. But I'm not going to let you leave before you know for sure that your parents are okay."

Adrian stared at her for a long time, and then suddenly tears were welling in his eyes. Clary let out a startled sound, reaching for him. Adrian followed the urge from earlier in the restaurant and reached out to hug her, pulling her tightly against his chest. Clary hugged him back, patting his back until he calmed down. Once he was, he pulled away and quickly wiped his face dry, a little embarrassed. He sniffed, then ducked his head when Clary smiled at him.

"Okay?" she asked softly. Adrian nodded, tugging self-consciously at the lapels of his jacket.

"Okay," he murmured. He cleared his throat. "Okay, I think I'm ready. Well, as ready as I can be. I don't think anyone is home, though." He motioned toward the empty gravel driveway. Clary turned to look, then shrugged and started forward. At the last second, she reached behind her and offered him her hand. He took it, grateful.

"The compass leads you to someone with Rosewell blood, and it led you here," Clary reminded, stepping past the fence and starting up the stone walkway. "There is definitely someone here." Clary squeezed his hand, then offered him a small smile. "Don't worry, Dri. I'll do all the talking."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Unedited. And very late, but hey, it's here! Also, we don't deserve Clary, what an absolute sweetheart.