Ember POV
She had been staying at a hotel ever since the death of her parents. She couldn't bear going back to the house again.
What she had packed was what she was going to take with her. Mismatching black clothes, her white gown, her steles, her knives and knife jacket and, of course, her crossbow.
She left the room holding her two duffels. She hopped into her car, keyed the ignition, but paused at the wheel.
She didn't want to go to the Institute. Everyone, she knew, wouldn't like her. Except Alec.
Oh, one more thing to add, I think she formed a small crush. She pulled out her stele out of her weapons duffel, and made a love rune as close to her heart as possible. But most of her chest was covered by her angelic power rune.
The rune gave her strength and courage. With that, she put her foot on the pedal, and sped off to the Institute.
The gates loomed before her, she didn't feel comfortable. All her courage was gone now, and fear clouded her mind. She paged the house, and Alec answered.
"Hello." said the Intercom. Or Alec depending on how you look at it.
"It's Ember...can I come in?" she replied, pressing the button.
"Sure. Do you have any bags or boxes that I can help you with?" Ah, such a gentleman, Ember thought.
"I only have two bags, I'll be fine," she buzzed back.
"Ok! Come in!" he said, just as the iron gates opened. She took a deep breath, and walked up, through the garden, to the heavy set door.
After Ember had unpacked, she went down to the kitchen to see cooking dinner and Alec leaning up against the kitchen counter.
"Ember!" Alec exclaimed. His eyes seemed to be taking her in, head to toe. She suddenly felt insecure, she fixed her, and straightened her dress that suddenly felt too revealing.
"Hi Alec," she responded, blushing.
He smiled at her, then tapped his mother's shoulder. Maryse turned around.
"Yes, Alec?" she said, still a bit startled. Alec was usually pretty silent.
"Mom, this is Ember," he said. "Ember Grove."
Maryse smiled at him.
"You don't need to introduce me, Alec," she replied. "We're already good friends."
Alec looked at Ember, startled.
"Hello ," Ember said, smirking at Alec. His surprised look turned into confused.
"You're friends with my mom?!" he exclaimed as he looked at Ember.
"Yes. Or rather, my parents were..." said Ember, looking at the floor as her voice trailed off.
"But we don't need to talk about that now, hon," Maryse said as she gave Alec a dirty look. He shrugged it off.
"Can I talk with you in the hall, Ember?" he said, smirking at Ember.
"Sure," she replied hesitantly. Where is he going with this?, she wondered.
"Will you go out to dinner with me?" Alec asked politely.
Wow, yes, she thought. But she didn't want to say that, sounded too desperate.
"But your mom's cooking dinner..." she replied. Alec grimaced.
"Yeah but it's Isabelle's recipe. I don't want to scar you for life," he said with a smirk. She smiled.
"Sure, why not?" she said.
"Great, let's go!" he said. He grasped her already bruised forearm and almost dragged her out the door.
She threw her head back and laughed. She thought it was funny when Alec was funny.
He seemed pretty quiet. But once you get to know him, or he gets closer to you, he is pretty hilarious. She drank some water to sooth her throat.
She could feel eyes on her. Usually it was because of the runes, but in such a dress, she couldn't tell.
She noticed Alec was looking at the runes on her chest. She knew exactly what he was looking at. The love rune. Oh crap.
"So, who's the lucky guy?" he asked inquisitively. He had his eyebrows raised in a playful manner, but his eyes were clouded with worry.
"What do you mean?" she said, trying to sound innocent. Hoping he thought she had no clue. But she did. Completely.
"You have a love rune. It's close to your heart, which means it can't be family. So, who is he?" he responded. "Or she," he added, averting his gaze.
Damn, he was good. Smart and nice. And he was 18, almost finished his training.
She fiddled with her napkin, how was she supposed to respond to that? "That's um..." she stammered. "That's personal."
She looked up to catch his gaze. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. She continued to fiddle with her napkin. He smiled.
"Ok," he replied. They continued to pick at their food for a while longer. Until Alec paid the bill and they started to head back to the Institute.
When they were halfway there, Ember looked down at her phone. The lock screen read 12:17 a.m.
"Oh no," she said looking up at Alec, who was staring at her jacket. "It's 12:17, the others might be worried," she added, eyes wide.
"That's ok. I'm sure they know we're fine." he said with a smirk. "We are shadow hunters you know." She smiled at his remark.
His expression became more serious.
"What's in your jacket?" he asked.
She looked down, she was wearing a long overcoat. It was the one she always wore...for protection.
Knives of all different shapes lined the sides of the jacket. Although it was odd wearing it with a dress, it still felt comfortable and familiar.
She looked up at Alec, smirking.
"Protection."
When they arrived at the Institute she thanked Alec for dinner.
Then they both went up to their rooms, quietly so they wouldn't wake anyone, and said goodnight.
As she lay down on her bed, she thought of Alec. She couldn't wait to see him tomorrow. She read a book for a little while before falling asleep.
Emily POV
"She can't come and stay at the Institute, there's no room!" Emily said pleadingly.
Hodge was sitting in the front seat running his fingers through his old gray hair.
"There's lots of room, the Institute can house more than 5 people. Anyways she's an orphan now, just like you!"
"She'll NEVER be like me!" Emily muttered, turning her body to look out the window.
"Now, that attack was sudden, and the planners might have other attacks planned. So for the rest of the night until dinner, I want you to stay in your rooms," Hodge said sternly.
"But I was planning to go get a mani pedi!" Izzy said whining.
"Well you'll have to reschedule," Alec said leaning on the back of her seat.
"Its my final decision, at dinner I will send Church to fetch you," Hodge said turning his attention back to the road in front.
"Fine!" Emily and Isabelle said together.
It had been almost 2 ½ hours since the coach had dropped them off at the institute.
Its 5:30, now and there had been no sign of Church. Emily thought staring up at the ceiling.
What have Izzy, Alec and Jace been up to there had been absolutely no footsteps outside her room all day.
No one is ever going to come, Emily thought standing up and walking into the shower.
When she was blow drying her hair she heard a knock at the door.
"Finally," She said opening the door "Church!"
"Umm, its not Church," Izzy said standing in the doorway.
"Now, I'm going to do your hair, when I'm done don't look at it or touch it. You need to wait for Church to come and get you for dinner ," Isabelle said wrapping her hair around the wand of the iron.
"What have you done to me?" Emily said reaching up to her hair.
"NO!" Izzy jumped swatting her hand away "You'll wreck it," Izzy said annoyed.
"You really have all the gadgets don't you" Emily said leaning her head back.
"Mmm Mmm, Before you come down for dinner, make sure you've put on the outfit I've chosen for you, but don't look at it, keep your eyes closed." Isabelle said pointing to the chair across the room.
"Umm. Izzy, I can't exactly put the dress on if I have my eyes closed," Emily pointed out.
We're having Mac and Cheese for dinner tonight," Izzy said ignoring Emily's question and packing up her make-up kit.
I'll see you there," Emily replied opening the door for her.
"Don't forget do not lie down or shower or wash your face or put on any other make-up or..."
"Bye Isabelle" Emily said closing the door in her face.
"Hey Church, you've come to get me for dinner have you?" Emily said standing in the doorway.
Church breathed in and out exasperated.
"What? Did you expect me to be wearing something fancier?" Emily replied looking down at her gown Izzy had chose her.
Church breathed in and out exasperated.
"Ok,Ok lets go!" Emily said closing the door behind her.
They walked down the staircase that lead to the kitchen. Two steps down Emily tripped.
"Oh my stars, these high heels are death traps, how does Izzy do this." She slipped them off an tossed them of the banister.
Church sighed.
"I now Izzy won't be happy but I want to make it to dinner alive," Church sighed once more
"Are you grumpy."
Church glared at her, turned away and headed for the kitchen. Emily followed .When she got to the kitchen door she stopped.
"Thanks, Church, I think I can take it from here" She said nodding to him.
He walked through the cat door into the kitchen. Hmm whos in there, Jace, Maryse, Isabelle, No Alec? and no Ember GOOD! She thought opening the door.
"Hey guys,"Emily said spinning.
Isabelle gasped.
"What's wrong" Emily questioned.
"Nice outfit"Jace sputtered out between laughs.
Emily raced to the mirror to look at herself. She saw an old women!
Isabelle had given her bright pink makeup and induced stress lines. She was wearing 60's style dress and her hair was all slicked back!
"Isabelle" Emily said tears streaming down her ran out or the room ripping at her hair.
"Isabelle Lightwood! You have no right to humiliate Emily like that" Maryse said heading for the door.
" I thought it would be funny" Izzy said looking over at Jace for some help.
"I can't say it wasn't funny" Jace said looking at Maryse.
"Jace watch the food" She said walking out of the room.
"Why can't I" Izzy cried.
"You can't cook!"
"Emily are you in there?" Maryse said knocking on the door
"What do you want?" Emily said between sobs
"Can I come in?"
" I guess so"
Maryse opened the door, and walked inside.
"Aww, Em" She said sitting on the edge of her bed. "Are you ok"
" No. Izzy totally embarrassed me in front of you guys!"
"You mean Jace?"
"No" Emily snapped back.
"Isabelle only wanted to have fun"
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
" Go get yourself cleaned up, and come down for dinner," Maryse said standing up.
"By the way, wheres Alec?" Emily asked picking up a towel.
"He went out in the hall to talk to Ember, but I'm not sure where they went from there," Maryse said walking down the stairs.
"See you in the kitchen" Emily said closing the door behind her.
Time to do this again.