"Please, Alec."

"Tell me why—"

I stood up from the couch.

Pacing the area bounded by the small living room, I said, "Please; as your sister, just do this one thing for me. Please," I was begging; I, Isabelle Lightwood, was begging.

Alec scoffed, and shifted in his seat, but his expression was the perfect definition for stern and unyielding.

"And because you are my sister, I won't agree to what you want me to do without first knowing why I should allow you to go out into harm's way." He wouldn't give up without a fight, I realized with much annoyance. He was making this harder than it already was.

"I just need to do this Alec." I didn't know what else to tell him actually.

I saw the first signs of anger dawn his face. The preceding minutes I was trying to persuade him, the only manifestation of emotion he'd shown were confusion, determination, and hard headed authority. But now, as he finally rose from the sofa, I saw how heavy this decision must have weighed on him. And that brought a whole new level of pain unto my already guilty heart.

He waltzed over to the window, where the darkness of the night made his features manlier and older. Alicante was totally quiet and the streets were void of any bystander.

When he refused to speak, or even look at me, I took the liberty of breaking the silence. "I'm asking you to believe in me."

"You ask me to make Magnus open a portal for you; a portal that'll lead you somewhere you won't even tell me—somewhere where the only one you'll bring with you is Simon—somewhere, by god Izzy; somewhere I'm not that sure is an all around safe place! Now, you ask me to believe in you. Believe in my younger, 16 year old sister—Izzy, you're barely an adult nephilim!" This would be the second time I was scolded and yelled at by someone I truly cared for; the first one being Simon.

And the pain it brought my heart, bled out like the venom I spat out with my words.

"Jace wasn't an old enough shadowhunter when he set out to hunt Valentine and Sebastian. And you let him go!"

Alec's eyes widened; the words hurt right where they were meant to. I realize now, that my whole life could account to how much I've screwed up in a period of 48 hours.

"Oh so now you're comparing Jace's suicide mission to your little trip across the world?" He finally turned to look at her, and being Alec, his emotions were not concealed, not in the very least.

"What happened with Jace was different, and you know that." he said. A hazy glaze was overlapping his stone hard eyes; a sign of tears being held back. "If we had known his plans earlier on, I wouldn't just have been one of the people who opposed—I would have been first in line when it came down to barring his way."

Alec ran his hand through his hair once, and then turned away from her again, leaving his words at that.

Mom always told me I had an ability to read people; Lightwood females were a strong and dominating breed. I saw the hurt on my brother's face and I knew that I had gone too far this time. The feeling of remembering the past, and realizing what you could have done to change it. I, despite the passing of time, cannot ever forget what happened to Max. I could replay the blurry memory over and over, and every time I do, break my Lightwood female shell until there's nothing left but a shattered me. The pain of being let out of the loop of God's grand plan for the fate of your loved ones; having the benefit of the doubt on whether they live to see tomorrow, or, in Max's case, they live to see ten years old. I knew how horrible that feeling was.

Jace's suicidal undertaking was Alec's version of my trauma over witnessing Sebastian murder my younger brother. I had no right to tread into that part of Alec; I had no right to use something which should have been long put to rest.

I had no right to put him under a decision like this. But I had no choice.

"Alec, I'm sorry." There was Max again, turning the pages of his picture book; there he was, smiling up at her, his glasses tilting and hanging imbalanced on his nose. "But if you won't ask Magnus… then I will."

Alec said nothing. When I walked towards him, I had no clever plan to make him comply with me—when I walked towards him and reached out to touch the back of his hand, I only wanted to soothe him like a sister would.

I took a deep breath, and let the emotion from my heart, flow out as words. "I know you feel scared."

I took his hand firmly in mine now. Both our hands were hard; a result from many years of holding weaponry and fighting demons. "I know you think this is a bad idea. Call it whatever you like—hard-headedness being your favourite choice—but no matter what you're going to say, I am determined to go."

I felt the pressure Alec put on my hands. That proved that what I said was true.

He jerked to face me, and embraced me; never letting go and never letting the safety his hug promised, for the first time in the night, I felt my burden lighten.

I pushed him back, and I felt my shell crack open again.

I stared into his orbs, it surprised me how similar in that dark shade they were, and said, "Believe in me."

He held my gaze, even as he released me. My brother was the type to look and consider before acting upon a subject (An OCD most probably caused by Jace and his do-now-think-later perspective on life.) but for once he didn't annoy me with the options and the better judgement speeches.

Instead, he closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. Then he went on saying, "You may not tell me where you're going; you may not tell me for sure you are coming back alive—but at least tell me why, Izzy." He slowly opened his eyes, and searched mine. "Why am I agreeing to send you through a portal headed to Forks, Washington, a place more likely known to house a number of downworlders?"

I was unaware of how much my face gave away, but I knew that it wasn't giving off the best aura in this world. I felt my burden come back to me, not so heavy any more, but the pain being very excruciating.

The last thing I wanted was to go back to last night and remind myself of how much of a bitch I must have been. I refused to meet Alec's eyes; instead, I searched the outside through the window somewhere across me. There was darkness out with no sign of starlight tonight.

"Because," A long string of memories choked me, and cracked my voice, ever so slightly. "I owe Maia at least that much."

REDEMPTION
Part One: Izzy

The small town house Magnus owned a little outside Alicante wasn't exactly what it used to be. Previously owned by the warlock who worked his magic on Clary's mom, Jocelyn, the small cottage was once homey, filled with different spell books and enchantment files… but now, the only books that are shelved are cookbooks (Alec said Magnus recently took a liking into the Culinary Arts) and The Book of White. The Book of White, of course, was separated from Magnus' How to properly dice your grilled cheese collections, or whatever they were called. It was encased in a Rune-proof voice activated glass container, and only with Magnus saying a particular magic word could the lock be opened.

To sum it up, I would say the house reminded me of a bachelor pad; minus the dirty laundry lying around, as well as pizza rotting somewhere under the couch.

A relatively male voice coughed somewhere near me. I was in the living room, and Magnus was back in New York, promising to be back in five minutes. (Teleportation; warlocks and their tricks)

I was not alone in this house, but I might as well have been.

"Simon?"

And like he's done for the past 2 days, he ignored me.

I said I was sorry! "Simon talk to me,"

When he said nothing again, I figured it was better this way and walked to look over Magnus' Make Five Star Pancakes in Less than ten set.

I wouldn't expect Simon to forgive me that easily, after all, being a shadowhunter, it has been engraved in my being to live the words You have to earn trust; you have to earn clemency. We learned that in latin though.

"—Alec, this is—oh damn it," The voice belonged to Magnus. I was jolted when he just popped out from nowhere, and I was used to this sort of thing. You could only imagine how Simon reacted.

"What the hell, Magnus!" He was seated at the couch earlier, now he was on the rug.

How such an easily scared vampire attracts me very much, is something I shall never know.

I smiled. Never leaving the small shelves corner, I called to Magnus. "What were you and Alec talking about?" I knew Magnus was a smart cookie enough to see the slight teasing in my voice. He scoffed as a reply, and plopped down on a beanie.

I returned back to browsing through books, secretly pleased with myself, when his voice broke the sound barrier again.

"We talked about your little favour," I felt the book slowly slip from my fingers.

Glancing at Magnus, seated in that neon green cushion, I felt myself gulp.

"You did?" I had to keep my voice neutral even if my insides were practically shredding themselves.

"Yes," He was twirling something in his fingers; a string, a yarn, I don't know.

"And I have to agree that I'm not at all in favour of it." Before I could see what the small piece he had was, he jabbed it into his pocket.

Surprisingly he didn't have his usual Magnus style outfit today; he had a grey turtle neck on, with flared jeans. He wore a belt that glittered endlessly, but I couldn't help feeling it was missing a few Magic-Magnus touches.

Simon, all through out the exchange, said nothing. He sat, Indian style, on the floor, looking at Magnus blankly.

"There were no citings of paranormal appearances there, according to some tabloids." I defended, feeling very much alone in my plea. Alec was against it, Magnus was against it, if I had told Jace about it myself instead of making Alec do it, he'd be against it to, and Simon isn't talking to me.

"That's because newspapers don't print that sort of thing. To the mundane world, it's all superstituous nonsense." He bent over, so he could set his elbows on his knees. "We won't be able to protect you once you're out of my area, kid. I can try checking on you daily, but I can't be sure if I could contact you, or know if you are in danger. If I sent you over to Forks, with just a year old fledgling—I don't care if he's the Daylighter or not—it'd be like I was throwing you in a pit full of snakes."

Okay, I've had enough of people telling me I can't do it. "Magnus, nothing you can say will change my decision. I'm going to find Maia, and that's final." It was the irritation speaking.

"Then what?"

Magnus has a new trick! He can speak through his mind, because I heard a voice, but his lips never moved!

"What?" I asked.

"Then what?" The voice sounded louder, like it was said somewhere near me.

It later dawned on me that Magnus couldn't be saying it. He was sitting there on his oddly shaped cushion; he wasn't standing beside me; and he wasn't the one asking me that question.

Then, by the stars, who did?

I turned and saw two eyes, pinning me with their stares.

This moment that Simon finally talked to me, I found myself at loss for words

***

A/N: The plot isnt well defined yet in this part but I assure you, it'll begin to make sense somewhere in the middle of the plot. :D Did you like it? did you hate it? did it suck? did it hit somewhere between NOT SO SUCKISH and POSSIBLY GOOD? :D Please please tell me in a review!

I would just like to make this clear right now, that I WILL NOT UPDATE WITHOUT REVIEWS :D
So if you like the story, tell me, and please dont keep your ideas to yourself! :D I'm quite open and nice when it comes to comments and stuff :D As long as it is in constructive criticism line ups :D heehe

This story connects with my other story Glamours, so if you want some more whatevers, you may go read it if you wish :D
Well, this is where I stop! Please review me, my lovelies~~ they are my energy against writer's block! (so if you want to finish this forsaken story, i suggest you click the button and TYPE~ :D:D)

thank you so much for listening to this A/N :D