Izzy.

It's bedlam in the morning.

Dad's shouting and mum is trying to keep herself together.

Max is confused, asking questions and trying to piece together what's wrong.

The police aren't saying anything. The two officers are just waiting for Jace to dress.

Someone had told them something – apparently he was a suspect in an assault at the school. I nervously hovered by the stairs because I didn't want to confirm or deny anything. I don't know anything useful to tell them anyway, the only thing I can say is that yes, Jace can get carried away sometimes, but he's a boy. Boy's do that.

But that won't help him so I say and do nothing.

"Hey – can you give this to Alec?" Jace passes me a note as he jumps the last stair. He doesn't seem to be fighting this. It worries me. "Please?" He nudges the letter into my fingers and I take it. He strokes my head once with the brotherly smile that's my own. "Keep em' happy, yeah?" He nods to mum and dad. "Won't be long"

"Hm" I murmur, feeling my chest swell with the need to cry. Where the hell was Alec, anyway? He'd snuck out last night – dad told us that much; said a friend needed picking up. I chew my lip as Jace moves over to the two police officers and tells them he's ready to be questioned now. Max quickly hugs Jace – understanding enough to know that he was in trouble – before coming over to me, phone in hand.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"…none of your business" He murmurs to me, slipping up the steps with the phone to his ear. I watch Jace leave out of the front door with the officers, but I don't watch the car drive him away. I like to think that he'd be walking back through the door very soon.

School isn't that great either.

I'm make-up-less with flat hair in a pathetic pony-tail. Not even my designer clothes can hide the mood I'm in, much less when I'm faced with Alec.

"Hey" He says softly, slipping onto the bench beside me. We're in the canteen, a blur of people moving around us. I quickly become aware of stares and murmurs – my friends strike up a conversation and latch the attention onto them instead. Alec see's my discomfort and smiles as me like the strong person he is, taking my hand and leading me outside.

"You didn't come home last night" Is the only thing I have to say to him, right now. And then I remember the note that Jace gave me, so I dig it out of my pocket.

"I'm sorry. I got caught up with Magnus. It was a…a thing – I'm sorry"

"Jace has been taken in by the police for questioning" Is the next thing I can say.

"It's true?" He asks, eyes widening. I nod.

"Something about an assault…at school?" I shake my head. "It's got to be a joke, or somebody exaggerated something" I fold my arms around myself and Alec hugs me close within a heartbeat.

"It's going to be ok"

"You didn't see mum and dad – I don't know what to think-" Something catches my eye from across the corridor. "Did you just get into school, now?"

"Sort of, I've been looking for you – we err… we overslept"

"You and Magnus?" I nod behind us and Magnus is the 'something' I'd spied. He was in a long black winter coat, his hair styled up like normal but an odd expression on his face. "Hey" I call to him. He slows.

"Not now, love" He smiles at me a little but spares only a glance at Alec. "I don't know what happened" He says, probably referring to Jace. "But I'm going to find out, ok? I'm good at that" Before Alec or I can comment, he's through the cafeteria doors and vanished.

"Meaning?" I venture, but Alec just shrugs. I hand him Jace's note. "Jace told me to give you this"

Alec.

I lose Magnus for most of the day. I'm not sure how to feel about that.

On one hand, I want him to be close, feeling like I've already lost Jace.

On the other hand, I know I need to stay with Izzy; Magnus probably shouldn't get involved.

The only reason we'd woken up was because his phone had been ringing constantly. He had five missed calls from Max before he picked up on the sixth. Took me a few minutes to realize my phone was dead.

Max told him that the police had taken Jace for something to do with an assault at the school, and that if I was with him, then to actually go to school because Izzy was looking sad and could probably do with support. Sometimes, I think that little boy is going to be a brilliant politician or something.

The 'assault at the school' phrase had solidified any sort of small mental connection that both Magnus and I were having of the pool incident. Obviously, Jace had already told me. I knew. Magnus knew that I knew and we sat in silence for at least a minute before he hopped up and went for a shower. I compensated my making us some minimal food (his cupboards were bare); I ate as I cooked, so by the time Magnus came out of the shower – he could eat, and I could go shower. We changed and fed the cat and I offered to drive us to school – Magnus was having none of it. He told me to go ahead, to get to Izzy quicker – but he needed time to think, muttering something about his friends. He walked to school instead.

And I haven't seen him since the corridor.

I haven't seen any of the Trio either and I'm beginning to think they've either gone home or been taken by the police as well.

I stay with Izzy whenever I can throughout the day, though – and she seems grateful enough.

I still haven't read the note.

We sit on one of the lunch benches, probably the only ones outside now the cold pre-christmas air has set in. She hunches over, her coat keeping her warm, but her face is still pale and sad.

"Have you read the note yet?" She asks quietly. "I'm just curious…"

"No…sorry" She gives a shrug and the conversation dies.

"Hey" She notions to something behind me and Magnus is stalking over, his long black winter coat flicking out at the ends where it isn't done up. His leather gloves grip the table as he slides into the place beside me.

"Would it be rude of me to ask you to leave?" He asks Izzy and she automatically begins to move.

"No, not at all. I'll err…I'll be around. Text me?" She tells me, and I nod with a smile, watching as she walks back slowly through the grass and back towards the school building.

"It's a freakin' soap opera" Magnus spins, launching a leg up and maneuvering like a cat so he's sat on the table top with his feet on the bench. I shift slightly closer to them.

"What do you mean?" His fingers are flexing, his eyes searching everywhere as if the landscape were a huge board of information that he had to tell me.

"Ok…" He breathes. "First, I'm sorry this happened – you must be worried sick"

"I know" I tell him. "And I think I'm still sort of…not believing it. Maybe when I go home, or Jace is actually charged with something – I'm sort of…numb…about it…." I pause. "Oh that makes me sound like a freakin' brilliant brother, hm?"

"Don't – don't do that" Magnus nudges me with his knee. "I don't understand the part of Jace that you know – but he's your brother. You can't shake off that bond. You're family"

"Ok"

"Second thing. You know I didn't tell the police, right? I didn't do this"

"I wouldn't blame you" I say evenly.

"No. Alec, I didn't do this" He says clearly. "Jace apologized and I was …coping with it. He was proving that he was changing – I didn't go to the police"

"Ok"

"Stop saying that" He murmurs, his leather glove instantly on my cheek. "Nothing about this is ok – you can worry" He frets and his hand falls.

"I rang people" He starts. "Sebastian and Haig… they told the police that it was wholly Jace's idea to do what they did at the pool. That's two people's word against whatever Jace has to argue with – and God knows how they have a witness"

"A witness?" I echo. Magnus watches me closely, waiting for something to click. "None of their friends would have said anything…surely?" Magnus shakes his head at me slowly, eyes unblinking; He knows. He's waiting for me to get it. "So…" One of them. One of Magnus' friends? "So…" I don't want to accuse them. Magnus sighs and blinks with a sad smile.

"I'm not thinking about that. Point is, they have somebody to agree with what they're saying. Anything Jace might say against it is going to be useless"

"But surely Jace'll tell them that it was Sebastian and Haig's idea? They enforced it?"

"Will he?" Magnus frowns. "He wouldn't just take the fall to get it over and done with?"

"I…well, now you've said that" My stomach drops. It seems like something Jace would do. "I need to talk to him" I chew my lip nervously. "Magnus-"

"Luck isn't on Jace's side" He continues. "Either way, the three of them are involved in the story and they're all going to get an assault charge, minimum"

"But…did Jace actually physically do anything?" I ask dubiously. "Does it …does it count?" Magnus goes quiet.

"He'll still be an accessory" He shrugs lightly. "Depends what he admits to"

"I'm sorry"

"What on Earth for?" Magnus scoffs.

"I don't know whose side to be on"

"Don't pick a side" Magnus tells me. "Just go with your heart"

"Jace made a serious error of judgment. Sebastian and Haig are the ones who need the severe punishment. But they're all tied up and it's not like we can just get Jace clean out" I run a hand over my face.

"I think it might've been Tessa" Magnus admits, quietly.

"What?" He's quiet for a while longer.

"I don't know" He says softly. "I don't know. Jem and Tessa are as thick as thieves when they want to be, did you know that?"

"I can't imagine it" I breathe, my face chilling. The couple seem so lovey-dovey all the time, its hard thinking of them as anything other than affectionate. "Magnus…"

"I don't want to know who did it" His head falls into palms, the heels of his hands at his eyes. "It's going to ruin everything. Tessa….she said she'd thought about it – telling the police. She wanted to so many times – but she thought better of it because we agreed we were strong enough together. Why would she just suddenly change her mind? – She didn't say she did or she didn't…I don't want to think that she did…but…"

I kiss him.

I don't know at what point I'd leant up to his face, or when my freezing hands had cupped the back of his neck, but I kiss him and he responds and my face is no longer that cold. He pulls back after a few seconds with a smile.

"I'm sorry that you have to suspect them" I tell him, but he shrugs.

"I don't really want Jace in jail" He tells me. "I know he can be an ass and yes, maybe he deserves a kick up the backside, but this is one thing that can change his whole life. I don't think he deserves to be judged for that by anyone other than us. And I thought we were okay with that-" His phone starts ringing. He leaves it for a few seconds, nerves itching at his fingers, and then pries it from his coat pocket.

"Hello?" He answers, his eyes flickering everywhere as he says; "Cam? …What are you doing at the-" I avert my eyes and draw patterns on the wooden bench – it's a good long minute before Magnus suddenly yelps, astounded at something. His eyes are wide. "Well you obviously have it all sorted out between you, then?"…His jaw sets.… "No, of course not" Magnus shakes his head, his voice disappearing. "How can I possibly do that? I'm not his freakin' guardian– he's my boyfriend" He pulls a face. "I'm not going to do that! No!" … "You know what, Camille – this is the one time where you aren't going to be able to charm you way out of this" He hangs up and refrains from tossing his phone.

"Hey" I catch his arm and my fingers automatically squeeze it. A method I usually reserved for calming Jace.

"Why do people always have to interfere?" He murmurs. "I hate this so much – I can't think!"

"You're probably still hung over, too" I add unhelpfully.

"Kiss me again" He blurts, leaning forwards and kissing me regardless. "Clear my thoughts" He murmurs, his lips cold against mine. "She tried to make me keep you away from the station. Apparently your parents have been there all day" The chill in the air picks up as the wind brushes the stiffened leaves around us. I gnaw at my lip before I nod.

"I guess they would be" Max. "He's still at school" Magnus looks momentarily confused. "I need to pick him up" I realize and quickly check my watch. He leans down from his superior position on the table and I only have to lean forwards so he can kiss me again. I find myself grinning.

"Are you any the wiser?" I ask him. His eyes brighten as he smiles back.

"Only in the knowledge that I don't mind being outside in the freezing cold, kissing you like this" He leans in again and steals another.

"I really should go and pick Max up - I'm sorry-" My phone starts ringing and I answer it. "Mum?"

"Hey – your dad's going to pick Max up from school. He's been talking to the police all day and he's got enough on his plate so he'll be home this evening. I'm staying here – Are you going to drive Iz home?"

"I was planning to" I tell her.

"Do you want to stop by the station? Jace wants to talk to you – something about a note?" It feels heavy in my pocket simply at the mention of it. "And maybe you could bring Magnus? His friends are here – they're um…loud"

"I guess I can try…Ok, I'll see you in a bit"

"Okay, I have to go – see you soon" She hangs up before I do.

"So dad is picking Max up – and then he'll be going home to stress. I'm to drive Izzy home like normal – but mum suggested stopping off at the station because of this" I put the note on the table, weighted down by my fingertips. "She also said you should come cause your friends are there – but I'm guessing you knew that Camille..was…" He gives me a look that tells me he knows.

"So what's that?" Magnus slips down onto the bench, like a normal person, and sits closer. It's a good distraction for him, I think. "Love note?"

"Jace gave it to Izzy to give to me this morning. I haven't opened it yet, but…Jace wants to see me about it?"

"I can go if you want to open it alone" Magnus starts.

"No" I hold him down and he nods encouragingly. I unfold the letter and realize stupidly that it never was a letter.

"What is it?" Magnus asks quietly.

"Jace's new years resolutions" Most of them he'd checked off – in fact, the majority had been. He'd succeeded in doing all but two of them.

16) Get Clary to notice you.

And the other:

21) Be more like Alec.

"Shit" Is all that comes out of my mouth. Magnus stays silent, his arms now cuddled around my waist comfortingly. "I need to find Izzy. We have to go to the station" I say automatically and Magnus gives me a look that says he isn't coming in the car. "We'll just walk fast, then" I amend.

"No. You can drive" He says. "Take Izzy – I don't know where my lot are …"

"Okay - and you?"

"I'll be there when I get there" He tells me, apologies all over his face. "I'll figure something out. I won't let Jace take the fall. I promise"