Chapter 4 (Revised)

"That's me. Clarissa Adele Fairchild 'Fray' Morgenstern at your service" Clary answered

Maybe they can help me find out information on Valentine, Clary thought. Guilt crashed down on her as she remembered her mother's pleas on the phone. I need to wrap this up and find Luke.

"Everyone knows that Valentine only had a son and that the whole family died in a fire at Morgenstern Manor" Isabelle stated with an air of conviction.

"My older brother, Jonathan" Clary hanged her head slightly, mourning the brother she never knew. "I was born only months before the uprising and afterwards she decided to give up on being a Shadowhunter as to give me a normal life."

They were quiet for a while absorbing the new information and a very quiet Jace was who broke the silence.

"Well, your father was an ass and millions of Nephilim are glad he's dead" he stated with a cold voice.

Clary spun around so that she was facing him with a death glare "He isn't dead" Clary snapped before she could process what she had wanted to say "Valentine Morgenstern isn't dead"

Jace looked taken a-back by her snapping at him.

"By the Angel you sound like a demon trying to save its hellish life" Isabelle snapped with a certain look on her face that struck Clary as arrogant, or maybe ignorant.

"Believe what you want but my mother believed he was alive and if anyone knew my fathe-" Clary was cut off.

"A father that no one has seen or heard from in years and if what you say is true, which it isn't, I know a whole race of people who want him dead" Alec ranted.

If there was one thing that struck a nerve with Clary it was being told she was wrong by people that didn't know what they were talking about. Sure it was a bit hypocritical, she couldn't know for absolute sure if he was alive either until Valentine was in front of her breathing but it still made her temper flare.

"I don't need spoilt, Clave brats like you and your sister shoving what you think is fact down my throat and expressing their opinions on everything. And don't go judging me with your parent's reputation Lightwood" Clary spat.

"Clarissa" Hodge spoke up in warning and she spun towards him taking only a second to understand the tone of voice. They didn't know that they're parents were in the circle. Ha! So Clary wasn't the only person lied to growing up.

"What do you mean by our 'parent's reputations"?" Alec asked with face expressing confusion.

"Here's a clue, they sure as hell knew my mother"

"How much do you know about your father, Clary" Hodge cut in with the same fleet of panic crossing his eyes but disappearing just as quick.

"Not much. I only know what I know from my uncle's pictures and my mother's hidden journals she kept in... Anyway I know about the circle, what happened at the uprising and who was in it but I hoped particularly to meet you and Michael Wayland. But Wayland died so..." Clary trailed off.

Every time she looked at the picture or name she would get this feeling as if they were important.

"Well you won't be able to meet Michael Wayland. My father is dead" Jace spoke slowly as if to a child.

"Well, you must have gotten a lot from your mother because Michael Wayland? You don't look a thing like him. At least not from the photos" Clary stated "If anything you look like…"

Something sparked on his finger that drew her attention to it. It was a family ring with a very recognisable star sitting in the middle only partially covered by a W. It looked weird, almost like it upside down…

Abruptly Clary circled back around to face Hodge. That was a mystery for another day. Now she had to go find and speak to Luke. She had to leave.

I know people would probably call me crazy if they knew this but every time she saw a picture or read about them in her mother's journals it was as if she had been there at the time of the circle. As if she had met every single person in it.

"Look, I came here like you asked me to but I didn't swear to stay so I'll see you around. I have people to talk to and explaining to do since 'Wayland' here" she pointed to Jace "-dragged me away from finding my mother"

She turned to leave but was again stopped half-way there by a body, surprisingly it was Isabella's. Clary could sense Alec was close behind.

"You can't go. If what you say is true we need to report it and you to the Clave" Isabelle stated.

"Were you not listening? I'm not one of the Clave and it's staying that way" Clary was really irritated by Isabelle. Why did she have to so stubborn?

"I'm afraid Isabelle right, Clarissa and as much as you say you're not one of the Clave you are just like Alec, Isabelle, Jace and me-" Hodge ranted.

"Oh, so now you're one of the Clave! Well you're sure loyal, Starkweather" Clary snapped snidely turning back to him and walking towards his desk "So now that the all-powerful Valentine has disappeared down under and the Clave puts a curse on you, you're suddenly a loyal little lap dog. I'm not stupid, Starkweather and I know things that would make his-" she pointed at Alec "- pretty head of hair fall out then grow back in grey" She was in front of his desk now and it was the only thing separating them. He was standing looking at me as if he had known me his whole life but was now really looking at me for the first time.

"It was a mistake to trust Valentine and I've admitted it. It may have taken a curse to make me see it but I've admitted it and I live with the consequences" Hodge stated, appropriately saddened but he couldn't hide the bitterness from her.

"But it must heart wrenching to see that they got such a light punishment and you got the full blow of it" Clary stepped back to see everyone staring at her with wide eyes. "After all… isn't it fated that the man who helped create the loyalty oath of the Circle is the one who's loyalty is questioned the most by the Clave"

Hodge tried for a mixture of impassive, stern and pity but Clary saw the flash of anger, bitterness and vengeance in his expression. Guilt was not something Clary felt that often, excluding fights with her mother, and she certainly didn't feel it in regards to her words. However, no matter how angry or frustrated she felt towards them trying to keep her here, she did feel guilty for causing the future wariness the three teens behind would probably feel towards Hodge after what she had said would sink in.

She had snapped, not something that was uncommon lately, with all the secrets and lies that were slowly building to form a large portion of her life. She was just sick of people thinking her naïve when she had information from the Circle meetings and from the members themselves… People might think she was crazy if she admitted to it but when she was reading her mother's journals and/or looking at the photos she felt as if she was there. In the photos taking part in the meetings. An unwilling spectator.

Hodge stayed quiet as Clary left the room and the Institute undeterred.

Jace's P.O.V

It was silent as the redhead left the room. Probably to find her mother, something you stopped her from doing. Jace brushed off the thought.

Hodge's face was like cracked stone as he lowered himself into the desk's chair.

"What did she mean Hodge? Loyalty oath? Our parents? Hell, how she knew what Michael Wayland looked like!" Alec seemed to explode as his questioned gradually got louder.

"I will explain" Hodge answered none as he started to write. "After you're parents have arrived back from Idris. At the mom-"

"No, Hodge" Isabelle cut him off "Explain now."

"It would better with your parents present and I have to report-"

"Fine. I'll go get Morgenstern and maybe she'll explain"

"She won't explain anything to you, Isabelle or you Alec." Jace spoke for the first time. "Not at the moment. Maybe not ever."

"Why don't you go get her then, Jace." Isabelle suggested.

"Because, Izzy, her mother's missing. When I caught up to the girl, her home had been trashed and she was planning on going to find someone who could help her."

"Well then, we'll help her." Alec stated.

"Alec, we need to report her to the Clave-"Hodge tried to reason.

"Until you" Alec pointed at Hodge "answer our questions, as the oldest Lightwood present, I'm in charge"

As Isabelle stared shocked at her brother, Jace patted his shoulder in understanding and support. He understood, how couldn't he? They were parabatai. Brothers. Alec's world had suddenly tilted, his idols questioned. He wasn't stupid he knew what Clary had hinted towards and he knew the repercussions for Alec and Isabelle. For himself they weren't many.

AN: As you may have noted this chapter has been majorly revised and revamped for those whose read it before.

I am very happy with my decision to revise and change the chapter and I also think it was a long time coming so for those who don't like it, I'm not going to apologise and I'm not going to change it back because honestly when I reread the old version I cringed and was actually mentally scarred at how bad it was.

I will be editing the rest of the chapters but it took me two days to edit this one chapter so it might take me a while xxx