Family Duty

Simon was wandering down through Magnus's house aimlessly in the early morning when he decided he was hungry. It had been a while since Simon had eaten anything, and all he had on his mind when he entered the kitchen was eggs and toast, but started when he happened upon Isabelle. She was leaning against the counter, staring out into trees beyond his house, and her face was blank. Simon thought she looked strangely tragic, her face a mask and her body stiff like stone. But here eyes were alive with pain and confusion and pity. Simon had a strange urge to draw her.

"Isabelle," he said cautiously, creeping a little closer. "Isabelle, are you alright?"

Isabelle stirred from her watch slowly, her eyes blinking gradually and her mouth forming soundless words. "Fine. I'm fine, Simon."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Could have fooled me, Isabelle. You look like Clary."

Isabelle thought of making a joke about being short and shapeless, but her heart wasn't in it and she just shook her head. "I'm just tried, that's all."

"I didn't think you shadowhunters got tired." Simon edged next to her. He gave her an uncertain smile that she just barely returned. "I thought you were like the post service. You know, sun, clouds, rain, snow, all day every day."

"We never quit," Isabelle said decidedly. She gave him a once over and her smile tightened. "It's part of who we are, always moving on, no matter what happens."

"Really?" Simon leaned back against the counter so that the light caught his hair and Isabelle could see how blond it was. "That seems a little…well, impossible. I mean, you have to stop and take a break once in a while. You can't be a warrior all the time, especially when you're only seventeen. You need to be a kid once in a while, Isabelle."

Isabelle seemed to find this insulting to her position as a shadowhunter and she frowned. "Well, that's the difference between you and me, between me and any other Downworlder. I know I have a duty to the people, and I'm not going to take a break. Lives are lost if I take a break, and I can be held responsible for it." She sniffed importantly. "I couldn't live with myself, personally."

Simon chuckled. "See, I find that hard to believe. You're still a kid, and the world doesn't belong on your shoulders. You'd be crushed under the weight, first of all."

"What do you mean?" Isabelle scowled, but she felt a longing somewhere in her heart for the life Simon was speaking of. "We all shoulder the weight. What do you think you're doing by helping us to fight?"

Simon shrugged. "I know I'm taking some of the weight, but I'm not grabbing as much as I possibly can. And no one ever made me, so I guess that's the difference between me and you. It's okay if I make a mistake, it's okay if I'm a coward or lazy. No one is going to hold me responsible to the insane degree they do you."

"Maybe I like the responsibly." Isabelle straightened her spine and made to move away, but Simon caught her arm.

"You might, but I don't think you do." He looked into her eyes and smiled the saddest smile she'd ever seen. "It's written all over your face, Isabelle, that you hate it. You're sad all the time, tired all the time, and you're always afraid for your life. It wears you down, even I can see it. And do you know what will happen if you keep it up?" Simon waited for Isabelle to answer, but she just stared at him in wonder. "You'll destroy yourself. Sometimes, I think Jace is going that way; he's just so serious about his life and everything in it. He keeps taking on more and more people's problems, and he shouldn't."

Isabelle wanted to ask after Jace, after all, he was her brother, but for some reason, she wanted Simon to talk about her problems. Maybe it was that she never told people her problems so they never asked after them, but she wanted Simon to talk about them. Make them go away.

"It's our job, Simon, that's all."

Simon took Isabelle by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "It's a job, not a life. You need to learn to live, Isabelle. You need to go out into the world and have fun, real fun, with people you love."

The mention of people that she loved broke whatever dreams Isabelle had been entertaining, and she felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water down her back. She felt cold all over again. "I know how to have fun, Simon; I have plenty of it." She smiled suddenly, acrazy smile that was almost scary for Simon. "Want me to show you the type of fun we shadowhunters have?"

Simon's expression turned guarded fast, and he drew back a little. "Your kind is so violent, Isabelle. I don't think you know what fun is."

Isabelle laughed and tossed her hair back. She wanted to forget her parents and her problems and the world around her. She wanted to speed along through life, not pausing to think or feel, just keep moving from one spot to another until the end. Just sever all the connections to anybody and be free.

And she did that in the only way she really knew how. Isabelle gave Simon's arm a sharp tug and she flung herself into his arms. Simon, caught by surprise, didn't even try to stop Isabelle when she pressed her lips against his and they fetched up together against the counter. Isabelle sensed his hesitation, but she pushed it back, and after a minute, Simon gave in. They remained in each other's arms for a few minutes, completely unaware of the world around them before Simon finally came back to his senses.

"Isabelle," he rasped, pulling away from her. "Isabelle, what are you doing?"

Isabelle gave him a skeptical look. "What do you think I'm doing, Simon? I'm having fun, real fun. This is how we have fun, because, when you think about it, today might be my last day alive, so I might as well live it up to the fullest. There are some experiences I want to have before I die, and chances are pretty good that I'll die young."

"Experiences? Kissing me is an experience?" Simon took both Isabelle's arms in his hands and held her a safe distance away from him. "I don't think you understand what you're doing, Isabelle. You think that by doing anything you want, by being reckless, you're living your life to the fullest. But you're not."

Isabelle's smile remained, but it became hard. "Don't tell me how to live my life to the fullest. What would you know about it, anyway? You've spent your life with friends and family being safe; not me."

Simon frowned, trying to find a way to explain to Isabelle the difference between being lively and being reckless. "You talk about experiencing life to the fullest before you die, well, what about love?"

"What do you mean?" Isabelle detached herself from Simon, feeling that uncomfortable feeling that she attached to her parents surge up. "I know what love is."

Simon laughed carelessly. "Could have fooled me. I know for a fact that you don't love me, that you don't love any of the guys you mess around with. You're too scared to try and love because you think that everything you love will just die anyway, so why bother."

"I love my family," said Isabelle and her face hardened and she looked ready to hit Simon. "And that's something, isn't it? Something more than you have!"

"You're too afraid to love," Simon said, shaking his head. "You don't know what love is because you've watched too many people die. You think passion and making out is love, but it's not. Not even close."

"Get away from me, Simon," breathed Isabelle. "Just get away from me."

Simon sighed. "Okay, Isabelle, I'll go, but that's not going to make your problems go away."

As Simon turned to leave, Alec came hurtling back in, Magnus in tow. Alec saw the distraught look on his sister's face and Simon's retreating look, and figured that Isabelle had told Simon what happened. Alec figured that Isabelle liked Simon, not because he was some dangerous kid, but because he was sensible and thoughtful, and that's what she needed in their situation. Isabelle, Alec thought, had been running around with too many worthless boys. He liked Simon even more now.

"Magnus thinks he knows why Valentine sent us the letter instead of Jace and Clary," Alec began quickly, ignoring the look of horror on Isabelle's face. "He probably thinks we'll forbid them from coming when we go to get out our parents and he'll follow us anyway. That way, while we are distracted by our parents, Valentine can get Jace and Clary."

"Alec!"

"What?"

"Valentine sent a letter-"

"Oh, for the love of God-"

The voices were drowned out by Isabelle's screeching protests, Alec's fumbling shock, and Simon's demands for knowledge. It took Magnus maybe ten seconds to understand the mistake, and he sighed very loudly. This always seemed to happen with mortals, and especially with young mortals. Magnus clapped his hands together, and the three fell silent under his spell.

"Apparently, there has been some misunderstanding," Magnus said with a frown. "I take it, Isabelle, that you did not inform Simon of the situation with your parents?" Isabelle nodded no furiously and Alec blanched. "Yes, that might cause some sort of problem. And Simon, what exactly are you planning to do with such knowledge?"

Simon waited patiently for Magnus to release him from the spell, knowing that respect for Magnus was going to earn him more favor than whining. When he was free to speak, he said, "I'm not going to do anything with it. I'm not some spy who's going to run off to my family. You should have just told us all what's happening; we might have been able to help."

With their voices free, Isabelle scowled. "What do you think you can do? You heard Alec. Valentine has our parents and he's going to kill them unless we go, but he's obviously hoping that when we go, Jace and Clary will follow. It's a just a big plan for Valentine to get his hands on his children."

"Maybe Derek has an idea." Simon shrugged. "I mean, he's pretty smart, and we did say that we'd help you all fight Valentine."

"Derek should just stay out of this," grunted Alec, who hadn't quite forgiven the werewolf for his rough treatment of Jace. "This is our problem and we're going to solve it. Magnus has an idea, and I think we should go along with it."

"Oh, yeah it's a great idea," said Simon sarcastically. "Why not just bring Jace and Clary along for the fun, that'll surprise Valentine."

"What else can we do?" Isabelle said simply. "We can't leave our parents with Valentine, and we all know that Jace will follow us if we try and leave him behind. It'll just end badly."

"Yes, but walking into Valentine's waiting arms is not going to make it end better!" Simon cried, exasperated. "Either way you look at it, you're going to meet Valentine, and he's going to be prepared, and you're not going to know what he's got up his sleeve. He'll be expecting you and Jace and Clary to come. You need to surprise him."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Magnus asked, not unkindly.

Simon paused for a moment thoughtfully. "What if…well, what if when you go, me and Derek and Chloe and Tori go? Valentine won't be expecting four additional fighters, especially four fighters who have strange, uncontrollable powers? That'll have to give the upper hand to us. I mean, think of Chloe; she destroyed that demon with her bare hands, so think what she'll be able to Valentine's demons. And Derek is super strong, much stronger than any werewolf Valentine's ever come across. Plus, you've got me and Tori, which I think might throw him through a loop."

"No," Alec said at once, shaking his head. "You lot don't know how to control yourself. You'd be more of a hindrance than a help. You could hurt one of us instead of Valentine."

"You know, that argument sounds vaguely familiar," Simon said coldly. "I swear I could have heard that somewhere…Oh wait, I did. Isn't that exactly what we said when you tried to convince us to fight for you?"

"That's different," Alec ground out. "You need to learn to control yourselves first-"

"It's not different at all!" Simon shot back with a scowl. "You can't pick and choose when you get to use us. Either we come with you for this and help you fight, or we can just walk out and never see you again."

"You not in a position to make that kind of the threat," Alec huffed, trying to look impressive and imposing to Simon.

"He may not be," said a voice from the door. "But we can all hear what you have to say and decide if Simon is right." Derek, who had heard the commotion from upstairs, had slunk down and was eyeing Alec with more dislike than usual. "We're willing to help, and I would have thought given the delicate situation you're already in that you would welcome the help."

"This situation is more than delicate," Isabelle said sharply. "We're talking about our parents lives."

Derek chuckled humorlessly. "How are your parents' lives more important than the war against Valentine? They're just liabilities to this, and you should be focusing on the entire picture, not just your parents."

Before Isabelle or Alec could respond, Simon murmured, "It's what your parents would want you to do. It's what adult shadowhunters would do. The good of the people is more important than your parents' lives."

Isabelle's face dropped hopelessly. "But they're our parents."

"I know," Simon said quickly, cutting across Derek's annoyed reply. "And it's horrible that you have to be in this situation, but you are, and you can't change it. Think about what shadowhunters are supposed to do, how they are supposed to behave. This is what a shadowhunter does, protect the weak from the demons in the world."

"Then maybe the shadowhunters are wrong!" Isabelle said passionately before gasping at her own words.

Simon just nodded. "Maybe they are, but it doesn't change what's happening now."

Isabelle couldn't speak, so she just turned to her brother who was looking grim. Alec wanted more than anything to say no to Simon and Derek and figure it out without their help, but when he saw the look on his sister's face he knew there was no way out. Very slowly, he turned to look at Simon and Derek.

"Okay, you think you have a better idea, what is it?"

"Not a better idea, just involve us," Simon said simply. "Valentine won't even know what to make of us. It'll give you plenty of time to find your parents and get them out of there while we distract him." Simon shot a pleading look over at Derek. "You can have Chloe throw some demons around and I'll make that fog thing and we'll be perfect."

"Chloe isn't going to throw demons around," Derek began, but Magnus was smiling rather fondly at Simon.

"That's not half a bad idea, Simon," Magnus chuckled. "Certainly better than us just going in there blindly. At least this way, we have some sort of counter attack. Just be sure that all of you are up to it. We can't have you coming down with the same thing Jace and Clary have."

"We haven't started yet." Simon smiled. "Derek already went through it once, so I bet his body is used to it. Me and Tori and Chloe are feeling fine now, so the sooner we go, the better."

Alec exchanged a look with Magnus and shrugged. "Alright, go get everyone and tell them the plan. We're going to leave tomorrow to meet Valentine and get there a little early to scope the place out. If everything goes right, we could be back here for dinner by six tomorrow."

"Who's going to stay with Clary?" Isabelle asked.

"Rae can," Simon answered. "She's not really the fighting type, and right now, I don't think she's in the mood to lend a hand. But she's really nice!" Simon added quickly when he saw the look on Isabelle's face. "She wouldn't hurt Clary or anything. We can trust her, she owes us."

"It doesn't sound like much," Alec hedged.

"But it sounds like something," Magnus pronounced. "And something is all I need, now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I also need breakfast, so get out if you're not going to help me cook."

Alec offered to stay behind, but Derek wanted to see Chloe and explain the plan to everyone. Simon turned and left slowly, giving Isabelle time to catch up if she wanted. As he opened the door to go out into the yard, Isabelle grabbed his arm. He rotated slowly to face her, and saw that there was still so much pain and confusion in her eyes. She looked half angry half grateful, and he felt a very powerful urge to draw her into his arms and tell her she didn't need to feel so helpless.

"You didn't have to do all those things, Simon. I wasn't going to ask you for help," she said.

Simon pushed the door open and stepped into the light. "I didn't have to do it, but I did, because it was the right thing to do, and certainly the smartest."

Isabelle lingered in the doorframe, as if deciding whether to follow him or not, and then caught up with him. "It won't be smartest if you all get killed."

Simon shot her a crooked smile that made her heart thump just a little bit faster. "Always the optimist, aren't you? Well, I think if it comes to it, Valentine won't kill us at first. He'd be too interested in our powers just to cut our throats right there. I think he might keep us around for a short while. You know, for kicks."

"And if that does happen, and he does hold you captive, how is that any better than dying?"

"Well," Simon mused, brushing his hands against Isabelle's. "If it does happen, I trust Clary and Rae to do the right thing and come rescue us."

"Why would they do that?" Isabelle asked, twitching her fingers in some hope that Simon might notice. "If I were them I would run and hide, not go to meet my death."

"Maybe that's what makes shadowhunters and supernaturals different." Simon said slyly. "You listen to reason and do what makes sense. Obviously going to Valentine and trying to rescue us is a death wish, but they would come, and you know why?" Simon stopped and faced Isabelle squarely. "Because we're family. You do crazy things for family, things that might get you killed. You do it without reason, you do it selfishly, you do it with no hope. But you do it, because it's your family."