Izzy stood hand in hand with Alec, she was nervous to say the least but that was nothing compared to Alec. The last time Alec had seen Clary they had a huge fight which is why he was scared of what Clary would say. Izzy was just scared of what Clary would be like now. She was an innocent little flower when she was taken and now she wasn't. She was scared and traumatized. Izzy didn't know how to deal with that and the fact that Max had become Clary's bodyguard, much to Maryse's annoyment. The women thought that Max should be babied and treated with kid gloves, everyone was just waiting for the argument to be honest.
Izzy went in first to find Max telling Clary a joke. Clary saw them first and went slightly rigid but welcomed them in anyway. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Izzy opened her mouth.
"So I guess you didn't get a very good stylist with him" she blurted out. The silence that ensued was deafening.
"Izzy! You can't just say that" max shouted but was interrupted by Clary's laughter. Everyone looked at her in bewilderment, Clay for her part clutched her stomach in laughter.
"Oh…my…god Izzy!" she choked out. Alec put a hand on Clary's forehead
"Okay you're losing your mind" he stated. Max glared at his elder brother as Clary sobered up.
"Lost that a long time ago" she said solemnly before smiling at the other girl.
"And no, the only clothes I really had were the clothes I turned up in, I'm sure you can rectify that though" Izzy squealed, obviously trying to loosen the mood.
"That is awful, you and I need to get you some clothes" Clary nodded in fake enthusiasm and continued talking to Izzy as the boys sat in a relaxed silence. Eventually Clary turned to Alec.
"So Alec, how are you"
He coughed, trying to appear like he wasn't uncomftable
"I'm…. okay?" he seemed ask. Clary looked down and fiddled with her fingers before speaking again.
"Look Alec… I know it's kinda stupid but I want to apologise… the last thing I ever said to you was that Jace didn't love you and that…. That was wrong so I'm sorry" Izzy stared at Clary, not knowing whether or not she should be angry. It seemed like something trivial to be angry over but Alec shot her a look.
"Clary it was said in upset I'm over it" nobody replied but Clary hugged Alec.
The rest of the day passed as the foursome laughed like nobody had been tortured and Max smiled at Clary who gripped his hand. The two had ended up falling asleep in the hospital wing that night and nobody had the heart to objectify.
Clary had been home a few weeks before anyone even let her up on her feet, even when the adults said she could Max stayed by her side throughout, Maryse had told him to recover from his ordeal but for the first time in his life Max told his mother to back off and that's where the argument ensued.
"She is an eighteen year old girl Maxwell Lightwood and you went through the exact same thing as her" Max scoffed and screamed in frustration.
"Are you thick woman!" he screamed. Everyone took a step back, before Max was taken he would never have stood up for himself. He was only an innocent ten year old.
"Yes I admit, my ordeal was horrific I was beaten and tortured but that was nothing NOTHING compared to what Clary went through" frustrated tears ran down his face as he banged his fists into the table.
"You know I ignored her for a few days because I thought she was dead? It took her coming back to me with bruises covering every inch of her body to realise she was in fact alive. You know what she did so I didn't go through the same ordeal as her? Before Valentine tortured me she made him mad enough to drain all his energy so I wouldn't be killed. She put herself in harm's way so I wouldn't break" Maryse went to hug her son but he shoved her back.
"No mum you know what I may look ten but I feel like fifty, I left an innocent boy but I have stared hell in the face I'm not the son you know. You wannna know why I'm always with Clary? Because she's like my sister. She defended me, got hurt for me and god know what else. She tried to preserve my innocence because she lost hers the moment she handed herself over." Max regained her composure and looked at Luke and Jocelyn with a sad expression.
"She tried to defend them she really did. Despite their twisted deeds she loved them both, and one things for sure Sebastian loved her a little too much. You wanted to know why I would protect Clary with my life? Because she protected me with her. Sebastian raped her and all because she was defiant" a gasp erupted behind them and everyone spun around to see Clary, a hurt and broken look on her face. Max reached out to grab her but she had already turned and ran off.
