Chapter 2. Reconciliation

Clary approached the door of the training room with a silent caution. Just inside she could hear the faint clattering of training blades and the light footfalls that accompanied them. Leaning against the doorway of the large room she pushed the long red hair that had worked it's way to the side of her face behind her ear. The two boys paid her no attention as their blades clashed with desperate ferocity.

Alec stepped back and raised his blade to block Jace's downward swing and in return swung for the boy with his right fist. He missed only barely, and Jace took the opportunity to jump backwards, spinning his sword to line his toned arm. Both of the boys were sweating profusely, and how long they had already been sparring for was hard to say. Alec's hazel eyes rested on the boy before him and seconds later he lunger forward, blade slashing in a wild arc, but Jace had read his movements, he jumped and flipped forwards over the dark haired boy and with a swift kick to the back of the knee Alec went down. Before he could reach the floor Jace had grasped his arm firmly and pulled it behind his back, pinning the boy.

"You're getting slower Jace, normally you'd have had me down by now" Alec groaned releasing his muscles. With a laugh Jace released his grip allowing the taller boy to slide to the floor.

"Yeah you're not so bad, but we both know I'm the best" he grinned and wiped the back of his had across his forehead, pushing the dirty blonde hair to the side as he did so.

"Did you come here to train Clary? Here Alec give her your training blade" Jace said unexpectedly, and not wanting to ruin the happiness that seemed to be infecting him Clary stepped forward and took the offered seraph blade.

"I need to go have a shower and grab something to eat anyway, I'll talk to you later" Alec smiled, stretching out his long arms and rolling out his shoulders before he left.

"Have fun with Magnus" Jace called after him, laughing at the muffled response that emitted from the hallway.

Clary set her feet apart and held up the training blade the way Jace had shown her how to before, she raised her left hand with an open palm, ready to strike or steady her blade. Opposite her Jace mirrored her position and together they began to move clockwise slowly, both watching the other for a sign of an impending strike.

"Training is a good idea, we need to talk anyway" Clary began, blocking a tentative strike from Jace with ease. He made a sour face at her and went to strike again, without thinking Clary whipped her hand back and made to slash at Jace's hip. Their blades met with a clash and both braced with their left hands, pushing hard as the metal ground together.

"Fine, I'll talk and you listen then." She said breathlessly and they both fell back, each giving the other a slightly wider berth than before. "Honestly with all that's happened I'm okay with us just being siblings. I almost lost Simon and I did lose my mom already. Anyway a relationship isn't really the most important thing right now, I just want to be around people and find out who I am y'know? I know it's weird going from well.. whatever we had before to whatever we have now.. but I think it's important that we both move past it for ourselves. It wont do either of us any good to deny it anyway."

They both stopped moving then, and she could almost see the cogs turning in his head. Seeing an opening Clary lunged forward, her blade raised high above her head and brought it down swiftly. Jace caught her blade with his but not quite quickly enough, the dulled blade had manage to barely slice his left shoulder and slowly began to weep.

"Ah Clary you wound me" he said offhandedly, and she couldn't help but giggle. She faltered as she did so and was pushed back firmly by Jace's strong hand. "Can I be honest with you for a moment Clarissa?" he asked, sitting down on the cold tiled floor as he did so. She nodded slowly, sitting down to face him and began playing with the lace of her sneakers.

"I've never felt the way I do about you for anyone else before. I don't know if that's because you are my sister, or if it's because I love you. I thought I knew, but having had time to think about it I realized that I've never given myself a chance to try and love someone else before, and I think that it was easier for you because we are related.. It makes sense anyway.." He trailed off for a moment, looking thoughtful. "That doesn't mean I don't feel bad or sad about it though, y'know?" After his speech he looked up at her, his gold eyes locking with hers for the first time in days. She couldn't help but smile, he didn't need to say anything else, she knew exactly how he felt.

"I know" she said, a wry smile plastered on her face "I can't say that I was initially very happy with it but brooding over it isn't going to help us find the mortal cup now is it?" he laughed heartily, tears springing to his eyes. It was an unexpected sight but not one that she didn't like.

"We wont be finding that until Valentine wants it to be found, but who knows maybe someone will invent super tracking." Jace said sarcastically, Clary just smiled in response.

The lead up to the arrival of the inquisitor the next day left the members working frantically to make sure everything was up to standard. Luke had excused himself to spend time with his pack for a few days with the promise to call, Magnus had insisted on using his magic to clean every inch of the institute before he too left (after emerging from one Alec Lightwood's bedroom that morning, which had left Jace and Isabelle smirking for the rest of the day), Alec and Isabelle worked to set up a room for the Inquisitor to use for questioning as well as a bedroom on an entirely separate floor for her to reside in.

Jace and Clary had been tasked with checking the weapons catalogues and ensuring that all of the local shadowhunter files were organised. Clary had taken a peek at her own file, though because of how new it was it hadn't really had much of interest.

Then, after all of that they had arrived. Mayrse and Robert appeared through the swirling portal first and then, after a few moments an older woman stepped through. Her grey eyes scanned the room quickly, and her blonde- white hair shone under the light of the entrance hall as she strode across the marble hall towards the Lightwood patriarch.

After a few moments of whispering in Robert's ear the man sighed, a hint of exasperation evident in his features. "Isabelle, Clary will you walk with me for a minute?" He asked, stepping towards them and motioning to a door that led to one of the many hallways. Clary and Isabelle silently shared a look as the followed him, they both knew this meant that they weren't considered mature enough be present for the questioning. Clary frowned, she wasn't sure why Alec had been allowed to remain. Perhaps because he was Jace's parabatai, or maybe something else?

"I'm sorry girls, but inquisitor Herondale has asked that you not be involved in the trial. I know you don't like it and you want to help, but the best thing that we can all do now is just do what she says. You understand right?" He smiled sadly at them, and Isabelle nodded bitterly next to her. Clary bit her lip, not wanting them around for the questioning seemed fair but she couldn't see why Isabelle shouldn't be allowed to attend her own brothers trial.

Robert led them to one of the lounges through a door on the left hand side of the hall which he unlocked with a small silver key. Inside the room appeared surprisingly modern, inside a comfortable leather couch sat in the middle of the room, the back walls where lined with book cases, some holding books while others held DVD's and games for all the latest consoles. Attached to the opposite wall a large flat screen TV sat proudly, it's remote laying on top of a long pine unit that was pressed up against the same wall.

She heard Isabelle gasp as they entered the room, and relished in the look of confusion the crossed her face. Her dark eyebrows bunched up towards the centre of her forehead, her teeth worrying her lip, she turned to her father "I've never seen any of this before.. I didn't know we had things like this in the institute" she said quietly, wandering over to look at the television and the consoles and other equipment beneath it.

"Your mother didn't want you to have access to it until she thought you were mature enough, you know these games and whatnot can be very.. inviting and she didn't want it to distract you" Robert said simply. He left the room shortly afterwards, leaving Clary and Isabelle to play the long waiting game.

"I can't believe we had all this.. this whole time. I just don't get why he kept it from us" Isabelle said out loud. It was true, it felt like they thought that she and her brothers couldn't be trusted. They all took their jobs as Nephilim very seriously, it was their duty, but she couldn't help but think that maybe access to some of these things wouldn't have been so bad..

"Don't take it too hard Izzy" Clary said softly, sitting next to the dark haired girl, she took a slender fingered hand from Isabelle's lap and held it with her own. "It's actually kinda common for people to become addicted to video games and movies because people view it as an escape from their own reality. They just did what they thought was right to protect you." she smiled sweetly at the dark haired girl and leaned forward to grab the TV remote.

"Okay.. I get where you're coming from.. So anyway, do you have any movie recommendations? It'll probably be a while before we hear any news and it will probably be from Alec when we do." She leaned back into the couch as she spoke, endeavouring to find a comfortable position, she let out a squeak of delight when she found the reclining function.

Clary laughed at the cute noise and scanned the shelves for movies she thought the dark eyed girl might like and once satisfied with her choices made her way over to the DVD player.

"Okay so we have to start with some of my favourite animated films, I promise I will teach you to love Disney and together we will both clock in hours of movie time to make up for every moment you've missed so far, sound good?" She asked smiling as the Lion King disc disappeared into the DVD player.

"Clarissa Fray, has anyone every told you that you are incredibly sweet? That sounds wonderful" Isabelle blushed lightly, and Clary just smiled back at her.

"I know, I'm amazing." She winked, enjoying the slight darkening of Isabelle's blush, and together they got situated into Isabelle's first movie marathon.