Another installment for you. I left quite a lot of the scenes last update quite open ended, so I am rounding them off today. Hope you like this. Please review and make me happy. I will send you virtual cookies. Choc chip if you are lucky.
Lu xxx
Magnus had accompanied a distraught but slightly comforted and understood Alec downstairs and out of the door. Now he stood with his hands in the pockets of his skinny jeans, staring after the boy as his figure became a silhouette in the rapidly fading light. He stayed there watching and worrying about the boy until he disappeared around a corner and out of sight, at which point he began to spin around towards the door to go back inside. And stopped. Across the road lay a figure, just slumped on the pavement, as if it had given up.
At first glance, Magnus assumed the person was homeless; they weren't uncommon around this part of town. Then a final beam of sunlight lit the figure enough for Magnus to make out a halo of golden hair. Magnus may not have known the boy long, but he knew that hair anywhere. It belonged to Jace Herondale, from what he had been able to make out Alec's former best friend, one of the many things the poor boy had been cut up about - no pun intended. What the hell was Jace Herondale doing outside Magnus's apartment? And furthermore, why on earth was he slumped on the sidewalk?
Magnus became all business and strode swiftly across the road. As he reached the boy he could clearly make out that he was sobbing - the sound was quiet, and had been previously drowned in the sound of traffic and sirens. Jace Herondale was crying? From the little that Magnus knew of Jace, it was that he wasn't someone to show these kinds of emotions easily. That he was was bad. Very ominous. Not good at all. Magnus crouched down beside the boy and wrapped an arm over his spasming shoulders. No reaction. Jace must be broken, truly destroyed, not to even care that some random guy, a murder for all that he knew, had just grabbed him.
"Jace." No response.
"Jace, it's Magnus." Nothing.
"Jace seriously, you are freaking me out. What's up?"
Jace didn't seem to notice. Magnus pulled him up forcefully and stared straight into the distraught and guilt filled golden eyes before him. Jace edged backwards, the guilt only growing, the fear in his eye evident. It wasn't fear of Magnus, oh no. He was feeling age old, deep fears, confirmed childhood nightmares. It scared the shit out of him.
"Okay, Jace can you please tell me what is going on? I swear I only want to help!" Jace shook his head and looked down at the ground, hanging his head in shame.
"I don't deserve help. I am just so...I don't deserve compassion or care from anyone. I'm so awful, hell I don't even deserve to die I'm that much of a mess up." This shocked Magnus. He had never heard anyone that desperate, that self loathing and that...certain.
"Jace, stop. You can undo whatever you have done. You cannot remain here. I will not let you. Come inside, we can talk..."
"No, after what I have done to Alec I deserve just to rot here, I can't bear the thought of inflicting myself on you..." Magnus pulled Jace back onto his feet - well crutches - and grabbed his bags off of him and onto his own shoulders.
"Nonsense. I will not hear it. And besides, you look like you have a really tough time. I have a feeling there is stuff you haven't been telling people. That you aren't entirely to blame." Magnus began towards his apartment, and seeing that Jace was still standing there apprehensive, spoke again.
"Jace you are staying with me. If I have to carry you in myself and tie you to a bed I will."
Jace hurried after, muttering his thanks several times, still sounding awfully nervous. Magnus was only glad to be there for the boy and for Alec in a way that no one, not even his best friend, had been there for him. No one deserved to go through any of this shit alone, and Magnus was going to ensure they would never have to. He would never let that happen when he could prevent it. He would be a safety net, a pillar for them to lean on. He would not give up on anyone the way people had given up on him. He would catch these boys, and bring them strongly from the ashes as their worlds' burned down.
Izzy stared in horror as Alec blanched and fell to the floor, head in his hands, looking entirely hopeless. She hadn't been expecting the situation to be this bad. She had honestly only been expecting a bit of teenage angst and anger and a fit of rage with a stupid rage. It had never occurred to her that Alec had very real, very deep problems that were beginning to take over him and cause him to do things to himself that Isabelle didn't want to contemplate. She stared down at her brother, looking hopeless, and it cracked her heart in two. How could she not notice that her own brother was so unhappy?
She took her hand off of the cloth that had concealed the bloodied knife from Max and went to kneel beside Alec, wrapping her arms around his frame. She had done this, by being so angry she had snapped him into this state. She should have thought for a second before just demanding answers of him on such a sensitive matter.
"I am so sorry Alec..." She felt her voice break. "I am so sorry, I shouldn't have been so like that, oh God..." She felt Alec lean into her, sobs becoming more desperate and terrified with every passing second. He hadn't said a word. Isabelle softened her voice and clutched her older brother tighter.
"Alec, why didn't you talk to me? I could have helped." Alec raises his eyes to meet his sister's, and she felt her heart break all over again.
"I... I was worried you'd go to Mom or Dad...and... I don't know I just... I'm bad again Iz, and I don't know what to do..." Isabelle stroked his hair as his head fell into her chest.
"Shhhh Alec, don't worry I'd never tell out parents." They sat there for a few moments, before curiosity took over her. Curiosity may kill the cat, but screw Church, Alec was way more important than the walking cushion.
"Alec what do you mean bad again?" Alec met her gaze for the second time, stuttering. At that moment, Max burst through the door. Both siblings snapped their heads round to face him, and their eyes went simultaneously to the knife, but it was too late.
"Izzy, Alec are you..." The boy saw the knife and screamed, running into Alec's arms. He was trembling almost as much as his brother, and only looked more scared as he saw the hopeless expression Alec wore, and the pained one plastered across Isabelle's face.
"What's going on? Why is there a knife covered in blood? What's happening?" He cried in fear, burying his face further into Alec's shirt. The two older siblings looked at each other. How on earth were the going to explain this?
Simon had just wrapped an arm round Clary and was trying to get some form of sense out of her when their step dad walked in with a very serious expression on his face. Shit. He was early. And he wasn't the only one there. Walking behind him were two people, a man around Luke's age, maybe in his late thirties, with white blonde hair and shimmering black eyes, looking just as serious as Luke, and a boy around Simon's age, maybe a bit older, who looked exactly like the older man. Simon guessed they were father and son. All three stopped short when they saw the scene that had unfurled before them.
"What the hell is going on, Simon!" Luke's voice cut through the air like a knife. He was clearly very tense. Simon wandered what was going on, who the two men were, and so completely ignored the question. It was Clary who answered in between sobs.
"Maia...Maia she...She tried to...she's dying, Luke...dying..." Luke blanched and ran out of the . Simon wandered what was going on. Simon the turned to ask the black eyed man, but he spoke first, wandering around in front of Clary and kneeling down in front of her and clutching her hands.
"Clary, could you tell me who Maia is?" The man looked at Clary exactly like Luke did. With love, and loyalty, and care. Simon was dumbfounded as to who he was. Just then, the boy came round and tapped Simon, indicating for him to follow. As much as he hated to leave Clary, Simon wanted answers, and this boy seemed willing to give him some, so he got to his feet and strolled into the kitchen behind him. Simon pulled the door to and then whipped around, looking at the boy pleasingly.
"Okay, could you please tell me what's going on?" His voice sounded more desperate than harsh. The boy smiled reassuringly at Simon, a genuine smile.
"Well...I'm your brother, and that guy out there is our father." Simon didn't know what to say. He had a brother. And a father. Well, best place to start would be names.
"So, nice to meet you... what's your name?" The boy laughed.
"Jonathan. And yours?" Simon looked at him in confusion. "I only found out today too."
"Um, Simon, and that out there is Clary, as you've probably guessed." Jonathan nodded, and for a moment the siblings stared at each other before reaching forwards into a hug. Jonathan looked at Simon shyly. Simon raised his eyebrow - Clary had always hated him for being able to do that.
"What?"
"Well...Simon, you and I, we are fraternal twins." Simon gasped.
"So I have a twin brother?" Jonathan nodded his head hesitantly, as if scared of Simon's reaction. "Awesome!" Jonathan began to laugh at that, and soon they were both laughing. When they calmed down a few moments later, Simon got serious again.
"So what is our father called?"
"Valentine Morgenstern."
"And why are you here, now of all times?" Jonathan bit his lip.
"Well, now that our mother has... has gone, custody of all children goes to Valentine." Simon just stared at Jonathan, clearly oblivious.
"Simon...you and Clary...you have to come and live with us."
Plot twist! Love it or hate it? Just to confirm, Jonathan and Valentine are going to be good in this story, so different to the books... and Luke has his own secrets. Sorry it's short but I wanted to give you something. Tell me what you think! And thank you for reading!
Lu xxx
