Robert Lightwood was sitting at his sons bed side in the healing wing. They had gotten the kids back to the institute quickly and got to work treating injuries. Isabelle had sprained her ankle but had no life threatening wounds thank the Angel. Once she was treated Maryse took her and Simon up to rest. Alec was still unconscious from a head wound and had several cuts and bruises. His condition was serious but he seemed to be responding to the healing ruin. Jace was also seriously injured. His skin was nothing but cuts and bruises from the glass, his leg was broken as were three ribs and then the demon bites he sustained, poisoning his blood. Both boys were sill in the hall of healing, their beds side by side just like they would want it.

Robert watched Luke fidget nervously next to Jace. He'd seen the scars on Jace's body as they were undressing and treating him. He'd also seen the red backside that meant Luke had spanked him recently. "He's not as good a kid as you thought is he?"

"What?" Luke looked ready to kill.

Robert put his hands up to calm him down, "I meant that he's always in trouble and never listens as his red behind can attest to."

Luke was trying to remain calm because they needed the safety of the institute right now. "He is a kid and yes he can get himself in to trouble but nothing like he does around you people," he sneered.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Robert bit back.

"It means you took out your anger on a kid because he reminded you of Valentine and what we'd done!"

"Is that what he told you?" Robert demanded. "Insolent little bastard! After all we've done for him."

"He didn't tell me anything," Luke growled, "he didn't have to! I know you Robert! You let Valentine throw me to the wolves, literally, because I didn't agree with you about how to deal with him! You were so damn set in your ways that you didn't want to hear anything Jocelyn or I had to say just like no matter what Jace tries to tell you, you only hear what you want."

Robert took a calming breath as he pondered what Luke was saying and as much as it hurt the truth was he was right. "I'll admit I was hard him, tried to make sure that he wouldn't be like his father but I never hurt him Lucian."

"Never hurt him?" He asked incredulously. "You know what he learned from you Robert? He learned that his life means nothing, that everything that is wrong is his fault some how! He knows if one of your children gets hurt it's his fault and he has to be punished, that no matter what he does it's never enough to please you! He saved Alec and you whipped the skin off of him! Every time he trained, every battle he won you punished him for not being good enough." He was pacing at this point but stopped to glare at Robert, "Did it help Robert? Do you and Maryse feel better since you broke him? Does his fucking pain ease yours?" He was out of breath and his skin was twitching, he had to get his anger under control before he shifted.

Robert took each word like a blow to the body because there was some truth to it. He was as much as a monster as the man he hated in some ways. He hadn't meant to be it seemed like his anger wasn't as under control as he thought it was. When he felt Luke had calmed down enough he spoke. "I didn't mean to treat him that way. I just didn't want him to turn out like his father. We thought if we were strict with him that if he had more discipline in his life he'd have a better chance. He is a great warrior and he's very disciplined you have to admit that so he turned out alright."

Luke sank down in a chair next to Jace's bed with a humorless laugh. "Congratulations Robert, you've made a self depreciating robot who has no self worth and wouldn't know love if it bit him in the ass. I know you're so proud."

"Don't be so damn self-righteous Lucian you've disciplined him your self!"

"Yeah I have and will have too many times to come I'm sure but do you know why I punish him? Because he is ready to kill himself with out thought, to give his life with out question and hurt himself if he doesn't feel like he should have survived." They both jumped when Jace stirred in his bed. Luke reached up and brushed the blond hair back out of his eyes.

"Alec," he struggled to be set up only to be restrained by Luke's big hand on his chest. "Izzy."

"Isabelle is ok," Robert's voice boomed as he approached, "Alec is responding to treatment as are you."

A tremble swept through him when the hunter stood next too him. "I..I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." He knew he was going to be punished but he didn't know if he could take anymore or not.

Luke saw the conflict and fear in his eyes and took his hand. "Are you hurting?"

"I..umm.." he looked from one man to the other unsure what to say. On one hand if he told the truth, that he was hurt and scared Robert would punish him harder. If he lied and said he was fine Luke would punish him. What was he suppose to do? Which one should he let down? He was so confused and his head was pounding. He felt blood drip from his nose and saw Luke grab a towel.

"Jace," he hissed as he held the cloth to his nose to try and stop the blood. It looked like Jace was having a full on panic attack while looking between he and Robert. He was breathing in gasps and was shaking all over. "Get me another washcloth," he ordered Robert then he sat Jace up and climbed on the bed behind the boy.

He turned to hand the cloth to Luke and saw him on the bed, Jace between his legs cradled to his chest. He was stroking the boys hair speaking soothing, soft words while rocking him. "What's wrong with him," he asked handing him the clean cloth and tossing the bloody one aside.

"He's scared," Alec moaned, the pain in his voice tangible.

"Of what?" Robert asked trying to force his son to lie still and failing. He threw his hands up in the air and sighed as Alec stood and fell on top of Jace and Luke causing both boys to cry out in pain and Luke's breath to whoosh out of his body.

"Alec!" Luke cried out grabbing for him so he wouldn't fall to the floor.

Some how Alec managed to get in the position he wanted and put his arm around Jace's side pressed close to his back, his head resting on Luke's shoulder. "Of you dad. He knows what always happens when one of us gets hurt!"

"How do.."

"I know?" he cut his dad off. "Who do you think helped clean him up dad? Or did you expect him to do it himself?" He got no response and he glared at his father. "You know he said you did but I never believed him. I always thought you would send someone to help him but I knew he didn't like to be touched so Isabelle and I helped him. When we were little I'd hold him while he cried but after a while he just never cried again."

Robert started to speak again but Luke stopped him. "Enough, both of you. This isn't helping anyone. What's in the past is the past and he will never be treated that way again." Luke tossed the cloth aside and checked to make sure Jace's nose had stopped bleeding.

"I'm sorry," Jace said softly. "I didn't mean to get anyone hurt. I shouldn't have let Alec and Isabelle go with me. What ever Robert wants to do I deserve but I .. I would prefer Luke to do the physical punishment." He blushed at his own confession and tired to hide his burning face.

"Why did you go after Clary?" Luke asked.

"Cause you said Valentine wanted to hurt her."

"I said I would send someone for them," he said firmly causing Jace to tense. "I also told you Valentine was after you too didn't I?"

"Yes sir."

"And you went anyway."

He was so in trouble and he knew it. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you Luke but I wasn't going to let her get hurt just because I was in danger too. No one you sent could have taken on the demons we did tonight and you know as well as I do she wouldn't have listened to anyone besides me or you."

Luke knew what Jace said was true. Clary was a handful on a good day and they boy was hurt badly as it was. "Well you can think your parabatai for saving your ass tonight."

"I.. I didn't," Alec said, confused. "He saved dad's though."

Luke chuckled at that. "And you saved his because your covering his ass. If I tried to spank him I'd end up spanking you." He laughed harder when Alec tensed at the thought.

"Um, I think we need to move," Jace said. "I think we might be exceeding the weight limit of this..." Before he could finish there was a snap and a resounding crash as the bed fell to the floor. Jace and Alec were crying in pain and laughter, Luke was stunned speechless trying to cling to both boys so they didn't hurt themselves more, even Robert was laughing at the sight.

"Ok, that's it. We're moving to a bigger bed," Luke sighed.