I have returned! Sorry it took so long. But school has finally let out, so I'll have more time to write, hopefully. Anyways, here it is. Over thirty pages on Word. Chapter 13. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Cassandra Clare's characters.


Chapter 13: A Matter of Family

The next day, Clary watched in amusement as her boyfriend hit the sparing mat with a hard thud. As his back hit the padded floor, a pained, frustrated groan escaped his mouth. Above him, there was a gasp of shock and panic.

"Sorry," a soft, polite, frantic voice apologized. "You're not hurt are you?" Clary gave a small giggle as Jace emitted a groan in frustration.

"This is nothing," Jace answered as he stood and assumed his fighting stance. "I'm fine. Stop asking if I'm alright every time you knock me down. You're as bad as your wife."

Standing directly in front of him was Alyssa, dressed in a blue t-shirt and black exercise shorts. No shoes covered her feet, and her auburn hair rested in a high ponytail. Though it was slightly damp with sweat, she showed no other evidence that she had been sparring with the Shadowhunter for almost an hour. Instead, she looked worried, embarrassed, and timid.

"I know that," she answered as she too assumed a fighting stance. "It's just, you were hurt, and I don't want to hurt you again."

"Trust me, I've been through worse," Jace replied before making his move. He threw all sorts of quick jabs and kicks, but Alyssa effortlessly dodged every one of them. However, instead of countering, she just dodged. Finally, when he threw a long punch, she reached out and used his force to flip him onto his back. For the fifteenth consecutive time.

"Your form is getting sloppy," another female voice called out from behind them. Clary, Jace and Alyssa both turned to see Kiara and Alec standing with their backs turned to them, bows drawn and aiming at the targets fifty yards in front of them. Alec was dressed in a plan black t-shirt and gear plants, quiver strapped to his back tightly. He used a different bow than the one he was used to, since his was back in Brooklyn, but was still the same model. Kiara used the same type as him, drawing it back with some struggle as her arrow wouldn't stay on the nock. She wore a black sports bra, black work-out leggings, and a high ponytail to keep her hair out of her view.

The two of them stood side by side, focusing their aim. Alec's aim remained steady and almost immobile, while Kiara kept adjusting and turning to aim at the center. Simultaneously, they let their arrows fly. Kiara's arm bend at the elbow due to the force of the release. Alec's arrow landed with a "thwmp" in the center of his target, while the queen's impacted to the far left of her own.

"How would you know?" Jace called back as he stood to face Alyssa for another round. "You didn't see us." Clary watched as Kiara gave a laugh while knocking her last arrow.

"Girls have twenty-twenty vision in the back of their heads," Kiara answered as she let her arrow fly. This time it didn't hit the target at all, instead hitting the wall behind it, cracking the paint. Clary smiled as Kiara looked down and covered her face in embarrassment. Alec looked just as amused, with a hint of exasperation.

"I think it may not be your aim, but your eyes," Alec said as he assessed her progress. His target had twenty arrows all lodged in the bulls-eye, while hers only had ten on the target, miscellaneous in their locations. The other ten were lodged into either the ground or the wall behind the target. Kiara groaned as she put her bow back on the rack and unstrapped her quiver.

"How do you make it look so easy?" she asked before she took a giant swig of water. Alec shrugged his shoulders as he began putting his equipment away as well. Since he didn't give a verbal response, his sister decided to answer for him.

"He's trained for years," Izzy called over. She stood a little to their right, using her whip to stop projectiles being launched towards her. Each one that flew towards her was either struck aside by her whip or dodged gracefully. Kiara watched for a second before rolling her eyes.

"So have I," Kiara responded, walking over to one of the empty weight-lifting benches. The bar in place was already set with fifty pounds on each side. Clary continued to watch with an amused smile as the queen began placing more weights on it.

"Hey, Clary," a voice said form behind. Clary turned to face Simon, who stood there with an amused grin on his face, sword pointed at her dramatically.

"I thought we were supposed to be sparring?" he asked. Clary grinned at her parabatai and raised her sword to point at him.

"Sorry, got distracted by my boyfriend getting beaten by a girl. It's oddly satisfying, especially since she isn't really trying too hard." Simon laughed at her quip, and so did most of the others in the room. Jace and Alyssa didn't laugh. Jace gave a cross between a groan and a growl in frustration, while Alyssa gave a squeak in embarrassment as a blush spread across her perfectly pale cheeks.

"How does it feel to be beaten by a Downworlder, blondie?" Magnus called out from the back of the room. He was sitting off to the side with Rafael and Max. While he perused through one of the many magic books he borrowed from the library, his sons were pretending to train with toy weapons their Aunt Kiara gave them. Rafael was armed with a toy bow that shot arrows that exploded into fireworks in the air, emitting huge smiles and delighted laughter when the colors appeared above his head. Meanwhile, Max used a toy ax that was covered in Power Ranger images. Clary wanted to coo as she saw Rafael comfort Max when he fell after a particularly hard swing, but she was interrupted by a blade approaching her face. On instinct, she dodged and rolled away, facing Simon with a mock glare.

"You could've given me a warning," she complained with a playful, charging Simon. Simon met her half way, raising his sword to block hers, locking them together.

"But the enemy won't do that," Simon replied. "Also, it's fun to be able to get the drop on you. Makes me feel like a ninja."

"We are ninjas on steroids," Clary replied. Simon nodded his head before he unlocked their swords enough for him to push her back and stumble. The two of them continued to dance, oblivious to the world around them. Simon was good, but Clary was still superior since she had trained longer. In no time, Simon lay on the mat, disarmed and sword tip to his Adam's apple. Above him, Clary smirked triumphantly.

"I think that makes twenty to me, Lovelace," she bragged. Simon pretended to pout Clary sheathed her sword to her hip. When she lowered her hand to him, he took it firmly. Suddenly, he pulled hard, causing her to fall to the mat beside him. Using his newly acquired Shadowhunter speed, Simon quickly moved over and sat on top of his best friend, his own smirk plastered to his face.

"You let victory blind you," Simon joked. Underneath him, Clary laughed as she struggled to force her best friend off her. Her arms and legs kicked out, trying to rock him off of her back, making her look like some sort of beetle trying to get off of its back.

"You cheated!" she accused loudly as she continued to struggle. At this point, everyone heard the commotion and looked in their direction. All of their faces were amused, some more than others. Kiara let out a full-bellied laugh at the sight, while Jace, Alec, and Izzy rolled their eyes. Magnus was laughing to himself, the boys had huge smiles on their faces, and Alyssa was trying desperately to hide her amused giggled behind her hands. Simon and Clary didn't pay them any mind, though.

"All is fair in love and war," Simon quoted in retaliation. Kiara still laughed at the sight. All attention was on the parabatai.

"Clary, you look like a beetle that's stuck on its back!" she exclaimed through calming giggles.

"Except she's on her stomach, and is being squashed by her nerdy parabatai rather than a foot," Jace answered, an amused smirk covering his face. "I mean, she's so tiny that it wouldn't take much more force to crush her like a bug. Poor Clarissa, waiting for her awesome, talented, perfect boyfriend to come in and save her." Clary glared at said boyfriend.

Without a word, she placed her forearms and knees on the mat and, using them as leverage, pushed her torso up as hard as she could. Simon stumbled from on top of her back, enough for clary to roll out from under him, draw her sword, grab his hair, and told the blade to his neck as if to decapitate him. Simon's eyes went wide with fear, everyone else's eyes went wide with amusement or impressed approval, but Clary's held a dark glint as she smirked evilly at her boyfriend.

"As I'm sure I told you before, blondie, I can take care of myself." With that, she let go of her parabatai and sheathed her sword once more. This time when she offered her hand to him, Simon took it and stood up, looking pale and shaken, but impressed and happy.

"Remind me to not tease you like that lest I end up with a broken arm," he said to her jokingly. She laughed good-naturedly at that comment before walking past her boyfriend, completely ignoring him, and over to the bench she placed her water on. Taking a deep swig, she turned turned to face everyone else. After swallowing, she gave a long sigh of content before placing the bottle back down.

"How long have we been at this?" she asked Kiara, turning to the queen. Said queen shrugged her shoulders.

"My guess is about two hours?" she replied. "I don't really keep track of how long I train. Hannah does, though. Religiously. 'A strict, well-balanced training regimen produces a stable, balanced warrior,' that's what she always says."

"There is some truth to that," Alec said. Kiara turned to the archer with an amused eye roll before turning to face her wife.

"Alyssa, you haven't been fighting up to your full potential today, either," Kiara lightly scolded suddenly. "Usually you are much less reserved. What is stopping you today?"

"My queen—"

"Kiara," Kiara interrupted, stressing the word. "You are my wife. How many times do I have to tell you not to refer to me as a superior?" Though the queen had a frown on her face, her tone was not malicious. Rather, it was slightly disappointed and confused. Alyssa looked to her wife with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry," she nearly whispered. Kiara gave a deep sigh and walked over to her wife, placing her arms around her lovingly.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Kiara apologized. "But having to constantly remind you that I don't like it when you refer to me by my title rather than my name makes me upset. It makes me feel like you don't think you're worthy of the intimate relationship between us, which you are. I just with you would see that, darling."

Magnus smiled at the word "darling." He often used the pet name with Alexander. Perhaps it was a name both he and his sister loved to use? As he thought about this, Alec moved to stand by his fiancé, his expression light as well. Silently, he reached out and laced their fingers together for a second, squeezing them tight before turning his attention back to his future sisters-in-law.

Alyssa gently wrapped her arms around Kiara's waist, but the grip was loose and unsure. It was almost as if she were afraid to touch her wife in any way, as if she were afraid of corrupting or soiling her. Kiara seemed to notice this because she tightened her grip on Alyssa until her face was practically shoved into Kiara's shoulder. Rather than trying to get escape, Alyssa complied by tightening her own grip on her wife.

"I'm sorry Kiara," the group heard her say softly. "I'm just…we've never had guests before, so I don't really know how to refer to you around them. Usually when we have guests in the castle I need to use honorifics to address you."

"That's because those guests are usually important heads of our people or are newcomers who wish to join us," Kiara explained softly. "But these people are different. They are guests in my home, ones I hope will become like family to us. And one way to be more like family is for us to become familiar and comfortable around each other. That means no honorifics, no masks, no strict set of rules to follow. That's why I want you to stop calling me 'your highness' around me and my guests. I don't want you to feel like you are inferior to them, or to me."

Alyssa tightened her grip on her wife for a second and let out a sigh. Kiara pulled back a bit, still keeping Alyssa in her arms. Now, she placed their foreheads together and closed her eyes, an intimate pose that spoke a thousand words. Silently, Alyssa closed her eyes as well and gave a small, relieved smile. The two of them opened their eyes at the same time.

"Ok, Kiara," Alyssa said in agreement. Her response caused a huge grin to appear on Kiara's face, and she leaned in to give her wife an affectionate kiss on the cheek. Once that was over, she released her arms from her wife's torso and interlocked her right hand with her left. When she turned around, she finally seemed to remember that they were not along in the room. Everyone was staring at them, each with some form of approval, desire, amusement, or confusion. The confusion was on the faces of Kiara's nephews, as they didn't really understand what their aunts were talking about.

"Sorry about that," Kiara said with a smile. "Sometimes we get lost in our own world."

"Trust me, no one here can say they haven't either," Magnus replied with a smile and laugh. Kiara smiled back at him with a playful grin that siblings shared. It was then that Jace decided to speak up.

"What did she mean you were holding back on me?" he asked Alyssa accusingly, with melodramatic flare. "Do you doubt my skill in combat even though I am the best one here? I take offense to that!" Alyssa hid her face behind her hand as a blush formed. Kiara laughed.

"That may have something to do with it, Goldilocks," the queen replied. Simon and Magnus both gave a muffled "oh" at the queen's reply, while Clary and Izzy resisted the urge to laugh. Jace huffed in disbelief.

"I am considered the best of my generation," he argued.

"And Alyssa has been training decades before your generation was a thought," Kiara retorted with a smirk. For once, Jace was struck silent, his mouth open like a fish gaping for water. Now, no one held back their laughter. Izzy and Clary began to laugh so hard they hunched over. Alec laughed as well, obviously tyring to suppress it but failing miserably. Magnus laughed nearly as hard as the girls, and Simon was grinning like the Cheshire cat. The two boys were laughing and smiling and pointing at their uncle's face.

"As for why I held back," Alyssa began in her wife's place, "I am…afraid."

"Of what?" Izzy asked as her laughter calmed. "That you'll bruise his ego? Someone needs to knock it down a few thousand feet."

"Hey!" Jace protested.

"It's not that," Alyssa continued. "The holding back in which Kiara is referring to is not a…typical way of holding back." Everyone went silent at her explanation, all of them with the same thoughts.

"Huh?" Clary asked for everyone. Alyssa's face became more stressed and she turned to her wife. Kiara decided to pick up in her wife's place.

"You know how werewolves can transform into full wolves at will, and often do in a group fight?" she asked. "Well, some werecats have an ability similar to that. Some of us are able to alter our appearance and body parts with more feline attributes. Hence the name werecat."

"You can transform?" Simon asked in awe. "Cool! Could you show us?"

This question caused Kiara and Alyssa to glance at each other in worry. Magnus, in turn, looked down at the ground, his body tensing up a fraction of a bit at the question. Most people wouldn't have been able to detect the slight change, but Alec knew Magnus too well to not see it. Curiously, he looked to his warlock with questioning gaze. Magnus didn't look up at his Shadowhunter, but he shook his head to indicate that it wasn't important. Still skeptical, Alec turned his attention back to Kiara and Alyssa, who seemed to have reached a silent consensus.

"Alyssa will show you hers, I cannot show you mine," Kiara answered.

"Why not?" Simon asked curiously, earning an elbow to the ribs from Izzy. "What did I say?"

"Alyssa has fully mastered her transformation technique," Kiara explained calmly. "She is able to control herself and her power completely. I have a rather…unique transformation and form, much different than hers. And I have not fully mastered complete control and stability when I am in it. I don't want to risk losing control and causing anyone harm."

"That's perfectly understandable," Alec reassured her. "I've learned from Maia and her pack that changing forms between human and wolf is different depending on the person, how long they have been a werewolf, and how well they can handle it. She's called us down a couple times to help her deal with some new members who weren't in full control, so we understand your reasons behind not wanting to try. None of us hold it against you if you don't want to show us." Kiara smiled at the Lightwood.

"I can see why Magnus likes you," Kiara said. "Darling?"

Alyssa stepped forward silently, moving to the abandoned sparring mat, far away from everyone else. She turned back to face them all, staring out at them, motionless for a few moments. Then, she took a deep, calming breath, and began to concentrate.

The air around her began to heat up, wisps of blue smoke formed around her figure. Slowly, her body began to twitch and shake. Her face scrunched up in a mixture of focus and pain, but she willed her body to remain still. Suddenly, she fell forward onto all fours, shocking everyone. A couple of them attempted to run over to her, but Kiara held her hand up to stop them, shaking her head with a firm gaze. They forced themselves to stay standing and watched.

The skin on Alyssa's arms and legs began to turn orange, dark stripes covering it. Her ears began to move higher on her head, and become more pointy. The bones and muscles in her face contorted and shifted, whiskers grew out of her cheeks, her nose darkened. ON the ground, her hands became larger and less human, and from her fingers long claws curled out. Her knees snapped backwards with a sickening crack that sound incredibly painful. Her body elongated, her spine curled, her torso stretched, her feet became smaller until she was on her does, which also grew claws like her fingers. At the bottom of her back, a small, thin, orange and black thing protruded from it. A tail.

The shifting and changed seemed to last a lifetime. When they finally stopped, everyone except for Kiara stared in shock and awe. Everyone's mouths hung open, so wide it seemed like their jaws would pop off. Even Magnus, who was usually unfazed by strange, uncommon plot-twists, had a look of pure shock etched onto his features. His eyes were nearly bulging out of their head.

Alyssa, sweet, beautiful Alyssa, had transformed into a full-grown tigress.

If tigers could express emotions, they were sure she would have been embarrassed and anxious. Her feline eyes were darting between people, never staying on one for too long. Kiara silently walked over to her wife and kneeled beside her. Gently, she placed a hand on her wife's head, stroking it softly as if she were a housecat rather than a vicious feline predator. The tigress gave the equivalent of a purr and pushed her head further into her wife's palm. Kiara smiled fondly at the action before turning her attention to her guests as well. All of them still stared in shock until Max spoke up.

"Can I pet Aunt Alyssa?" he asked innocently, completely devoid of any shock or fear. Instead, he was bouncing on his heels, smiling excitedly and resisting the urge to run right at the big kitty. Silently, Alec kneeled down and covered his son's chest with his hand, his protective instincts taking over. Everyone first stared at the blue warlock in shock before they registered what he had said. Aunt Alyssa. The tigress was still Alyssa, just in a different form. This was no different than Maia and her pack. It was just going to take some getting used to.

Alec stood back up again, shame filling his senses. He glanced at Magnus, who gave him an understanding, 'don't beat yourself about it' expression. He then kneeled down to his younger son and took his hand. Then he turned to his sister, silently asking for her permission. She just nodded with a fond, patient, understanding smile.

"Of course you can," Magnus answered. Max gave a small yelp of happiness and scurried over to his feline aunt, his older brother right on his heels. Everyone watched, the tension lessening as the two boys stared at the tigress that was their aunt with awe and wonder. Slowly, Rafael reached out to try and pet her, but stopped just before his hand touched her nose. He glanced at his other aunt shyly, an unsure expression on his face. Kiara seemed to understand his question and took his smaller hand. Gently, she placed it on Alyssa's head, right between the ears.

"She told me she loves to be scratched here," she told her nephew. Rafael nodded, a look of concentration covering his young features as he focused on scratching that one spot. It was adorable to see such focus and determination on such a small child, for such a simple task. Magnus claimed it was a trait he picked up from watching Clary paint and Alec go through papers. Max on the other hand didn't even bother to ask where to pet her aunt. He ran to Alyssa's other side, and began to stroke his hands down the length of her back, admiring how soft the fur was. Alyssa purred louder and practically collapsed onto the ground, curling up the way Chairman Meow did whenever he was given the same treatment.

"This is so cool!" Max exclaimed, moving away from his aunt's back to look at her front paws. Without a thought, he reached out and pet it, laying on his stomach to get a closer look at it. As he did this, the adults began to come closer as well, admiration and wonder on their own faces.

"Is she alright with people petting her like that?" Clary asked, looking eager to going her favorite boys in petting the tiger. Kiara smiled and nodded her head.

"I used to worry about that too, but she's reassured me countless times that she doesn't mind. SO long as people stop when she tries to get away from them."

Clary didn't even reply to the queen's explanation. Instead, she nearly skipped over and sat next to Max, stroking her hand down Alyssa's back as he had. Jace and Simon kept their distance, but Magnus, Alec, and Izzy moved closer to get a better, more personal experience.

"So you don't transform into a tigress?" Alec asked as he reached to scratch Alyssa's head with Rafael.

"Every werecat has different features and transformations depending on the person," Kiara explained. "Some can transform into full felines like Alyssa, while others can only alter certain parts of their body to get the claws or teeth and the like. My transformation is much more rare and much more dangerous than the others."

"How do you become a werecat?" Izzy asked. "Do you have to be born into it?"

"If that were the case wouldn't Magnus also be a werecat?" Kiara asked with a teasing smirk. "No, it's much similar to a vampire or Shadowhunter transformation. Drink the blood and if it accepts you, you become a werecat. And if it doesn't…"

"Where did you guys originate from?" Magnus asked. "I've heard theories but I want to hear it straight from the source."

"Well, it's a long story," Kiara replied uncertainly.

"We have the time," Clary said. "I'm curious too."

"I'm afraid story time will have to commence at another time," a voice said from behind them. The group turned towards the entrance to find Lady Hannah coming through the doors and towards them. Kiara and Alyssa stood at attention, while everyone else stopped what they were doing and looked towards the knight.

"Hannah," Kiara said, her voice a cross between apprehension and pleasant surprise. "What brings you here? Is it time for dinner?"

"Not yet, Your Majesty," the knight replied in a formal, business-like tone. "There is something I must address with you. Would you please come with me?"

Kiara glanced back at her guests, worry and tension in her eyes. All of them just looked back, none of them really knowing how to respond. It wasn't like they could dictate what she should do. However, Clary made a slight pushing gesture, indicating that Kiara should go. The queen turned back to the high knight.

"Of course," she agreed. Lady Hannah did not reply. She just turned on her heel and walked back through the doors. Kiara followed, nearly jogging to keep up. The two women went through the open doorway, and the grand doors shut with a bang behind them.

With the bang, everyone went back to their training. Each of them were silent as they went to their spots and resumed their previous activities. Alyssa morphed back into her human form and followed Jace to the sparing mat. All of them began to train again, except for Magnus and the boys, who were playing in a corner. Suddenly, Clary slammed her sword into its hilt without a word.

"I'm going to check on what's wrong," she stated before she started towards the door. No one moved to stop her, just staring after her, each with mixed emotions.

"Are you sure you should do that?" Simon asked somewhat timidly. "I mean, it seemed like Hannah didn't want an audience."

"Something is bugging Kiara and Hannah, and they're keeping it from us," Clary said without turning back. "No way am I letting them keep us in the dark about how bad the problems are." And with that, she slipped through the doors, quiet as a mouse.

Clary looked around, somewhat timidly at the dark hallways on either side of her. Closing her eyes, she focused on her hearing, straining her ears for the sound of Hannah's voice or Kiara's voice. Suddenly, she heard it to her left and took off.


It had been almost an hour since Clary had left and everyone was starting to get nervous.

"You think everything's alright?" Simon asked, ducking under his girlfriend's whip as it flashed by his head. Izzy resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Clary can take care of herself," she responded as she her whip back again. "Will you stop worrying? It's not like Kiara is going to throw her in jail for spying."

"She won't but Hannah may," Alyssa piped up. "I mean, she is strict as heck and doesn't take any disregard to orders lightly. And with the way she spoke to Kiara I doubt she would allow anyone to listen. I mean the last time someone disregarded her orders and spied on a conversation she wanted to be kept private that servant spent the next month cleaning the enchanted gardens on her own. I wouldn't be surprised if Hannah did that to Clarrissa if she was caught.."

At this point, everyone turned to stare at Alyssa, shock and worry in their eyes. Even his sons had stopped playing and were staring fearfully up at their aunt. Immediately, the woman let out a gasp and covered her mouth, her eyes full of regret and shock.

"Not that she will do that to Clary, she just might do that," she began to ramble. "I mean, Kiara is with her and she is the queen, so she can disregard Hannah's orders any time she wants. So I'm sure that Clary will be fine if she is caught. Unless Kiara is stressed or angry or afraid. Then Clary may be punished for spying. But that's unlikely. Like there's a fifty percent chance that that's not going to happen."

"It didn't happen because I didn't get caught," a voice said form the doorway. All of them turned to see Clary slip through the doors and close them silently behind her. Instantly, the entire room let out a breath of relief. Alyssa's was the loudest.

"Did you have to do that, Biscuit?" Magnus asked her.

"No, but I wanted to, and I'm glad I did," Clary answered, her tone serious and devoid of any playfulness.

"What did you hear?" Jace asked, sheathing his sword as he walked to his girlfriend.

"I found them as they were somewhere in the middle of their conversation," Clary began. "They were talking about Helena, the woman who is attacking the kingdom. Well, apparently this wasn't the only time Helena has tried this tactic. In the past she's attacked other Downworlders and even mundanes in order to force Kiara's hand. They were guessing that attacking us was the last resort for her."

"Why is that?" Izzy asked, making her way over along with her older brother.

"Seems that Kiara has taken quite an interest in the New York Institute, ever since the Dark War," Clary explained. "I heard Hannah say something about how it was Kiara's interest in us that most likely influenced Helena's decision to attack us. Also, they talked about how if Helena did start a war and was able to win, then the world would suffer for it. They believe that Helena wants to take over the quote 'surface world,' but they don't know why."

"Maybe she's just a psychopath," Jace reasoned. "I mean, Sebastian didn't need a reason for what he did and yet he nearly destroyed the Shadow World out of anger."

"That and the way he was raised, his demonic blood, and the abuse he suffered didn't help," Izzy chimed in. "Regardless, if this woman is hreatening the world, then we have to help stop her. Should we go to the Clave?"

"Absolutely not," Alyssa interrupted, her voice uncharacteristically cold. "Our race is a secret because of the Shadowhunters. During their first years after establishing a firm civilization, they found out about our people and presumed us to be a type of demon rather than Downworlder. They slaughtered us, hunted us for sport until we were nearly extinct. You were let in here because Kiara trusts you not to reveal this secret to anyone, especially the Clave."

"A simple 'no' would've worked," Magnus responded, his tone light despite the shocked and tense atmosphere. "Biscuit, did they say anything else?"

"Right before I left, Kiara said she was considering sending us back to New York with a 'clean slate,' whatever that means."

"She means she wants to wipe your memories of her and all that you have discovered here," Alyssa explained gravely. Everyone turned in shock to her.

"Why?" Simon asked, voicing for the entire group. "She told us about her problems last night. Why would she want to wipe our memories and send us back?"

"To keep us safe," Magnus answered to the shock of everyone. "Think about it. Kiara's race doesn't exist to the outside world, and we didn't even know about it until two weeks ago. That isn't much time. There are spells out there that can alter, replace, and erase memories. Since we haven't been here long, she still has enough time to erase those memories without many consequences. With us being oblivious to werecats, we would be kept out of the war, out of danger and away form Helena. And since she would still remember us she would probably have us monitored every second without us realizing, without ever talking to us again. She wants to isolate herself form those she cares about, so that they don't have to get hurt."

"That's dumb," Jace said angrily. "That wouldn't solve anything. It would just make it easier for Helena to kill us again, since we wouldn't be aware that we were in danger in the first place. If anything, it would put us in more danger than just staying here."

"I didn't say it was a rational idea," Magnus replied calmly. "But wouldn't you like to keep those you love away from danger?"

All of them went silent, contemplating Magnus's question. Admittedly, all of them had once or twice had a similar thought pattern that Magnus had described. Well, except for the boys. They were too worried about how serious their dad's expressions were. However, the adults had had loved ones endangered in the past, and were all too familiar with the desire to keep them safe at any cost. It was a familiar, panicked feeling that usually clouded their judgement more easily than they cared to admit.

"What should we do?" Izzy asked. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't like the idea of having my memories taken from me without my permission."

"And as someone who has had their memories wiped, it is not an experience anyone should go through," Simon piped up. "I say we at least talk to Kiara about this. If she's seriously considering it, then she should at least tell us about it."

"Tell you about what?" a voice asked from the doorway. All of them turned to see Kiara approaching. She had a spring in her step and a smile on her face as though she had never left. However, something in her expression revealed her concealment of other emotions. It left them all weary.

"Just…there's something we had to ask you," Magnus began cautiously. Kiara glanced at her older brother with a look of confusion. If he had been anyone else, he would just seen her face full of confusion and light curiosity. But centuries of life had given him an advantage in reading hidden emotions. It was a gift he had learned upon seeing his reflection over the decades. He saw right through the glamour of her cute confusion and happy, carefree smile. Deep inside her eyes, nearly buried, was a sense of apprehension.

"Sure, what's up?" she asked with a smile. If he had been anyone else, Magnus would just seen her face full of confusion and light curiosity. However, centuries of life had given him an advantage in reading hidden emotions. It was a gift he acquired upon seeing his reflection over the decades. He saw right through the glamour of her cute confusion and happy, carefree smile. Deep inside her eyes, nearly buried, was a sense of apprehension.

"Is it true that you're considering erasing our memories of you and this place?" Alec asked, straight to the point. Kiara's eyes went wide in shock and her jaw dropped, leaving her gapping like a fish for water. At his side, Izzy elbowed her brother in the side, causing him to grunt in pain. All of them faced the queen, each one with a look of nervousness and apprehension. Silently, Alyssa made her way over to her wife and whispered something in her ear. Kiara nodded silently, and Alyssa left the room, closing the grand doors behind her.

"How did you know?" Kiara asked, before shaking her head. "Wait, never mind. I thought I had sensed someone watching my conversation with Hannah. Alright, who was it? It's ok, I'm not going to throw you in the dungeon or anything. I promise." Timidly, Clary raised her hand. Kiara smiled and nodded as if she understood.

"I should have guessed," Kiara said softly, her voice tired and devoid of the façade of happiness from a minute before. Now, she looked tired, anxious, and worn out, like she hadn't slept well in weeks. Perhaps she hadn't.

"You're not denying it?" Jace asked angrily, his teeth gritting so hard that it looked painful. "You were just going to take our memories away without asking if that would be alright with us? Weren't you the one who said you wanted to be friends? News flash: friends don't go and wipe their friends memories!" As he spoke, his voice rose as his anger grew. By the end of the last sentence, he was nearly shouting at the centuries old queen. It shocked everyone, even Alec. He could feel one of his sons wrapping their arms around his legs tightly, shaking as if they were afraid of their uncle Jace, and Alec didn't blame them. Clary gently placed an arm on her boyfriend's elbow, which calmed him down slightly, but not much. Kiara looked down at the ground, making sure none of them could see her face.

"We shouldn't discuss this with them here," Alec pointed out gently, trying to take Jace's mind off of his anger. At the mention of his nephews, Jace's anger mixed with regret as he saw the young warlock and Shadowhunter look up at him with slight fear in their eyes. Silently, he nodded to his parabatai. Before any of them could say a word, Kiara snapped her fingers, a crisp, loud, clear sound echoing throughout the room. Immediately, the grand doors opened, and a tall man in a black butler suit entered briskly. No words were exchanged. He simply walked over to the children, eased them off of their parents' legs, and led them to the doors, holding their hands. The group remained silent as they watched the three boys leave, hearing the man saying something along the lines of getting the boys ice cream. Once the doors shut again, the conversation immediately resumed.

"It wasn't a final decision, it was just an option," Kiara muttered like a child trying to justify something they did wrong. "It was Hannah's idea. I was just…considering all of my options."

"Do you really think that wiping our memories would be the best idea? We could help you. We want to help you," Simon stated, his expression and tone completely calm and relaxed. He didn't seem angry at all. Rather, he looked concerned. The queen let out a sigh, looking back up at them, her feline eyes clouded with guilt and regret.

"Not my idea," Kiara replied, raising her hands in an "I surrender" way.

"Yet you still considered it," Izzy pointed out, her face nearly as angry as Jace's. Though her voice and her tone were much more controlled than her adoptive brother's, it still washed over her expression like a tidal wave.

"I was humoring Hannah," Kiara said, but as she said it, she looked away. Her eyes darted anywhere but towards the faces of her guests. She was lying.

"You said you would trust us," Alec said quietly. "Even after the bad blood between our people, which we had no idea about by the way, you told everyone in the queendom about how you were willing to trust us. Was that a lie?" Kiara's eyes widened in shock as she looked at her future brother-in-law.

"Of course I trust you!" Kiara exclaimed. "I know about all of you, I researched you before Helena attacked you! I found nothing untrustworthy about any of you!"

"Well it's kind of hard to believe that when we hear you are considering wiping our memories without consulting us first," Magnus chimed in. His tone was soft, quiet, but it was somewhat cold and ruthless. Not in the way a judge would accuse someone, but similar to how a parent or friend would scold a child in disappointment. Kiara flinched back like she had been slapped across the face.

"Ok, point made," Kiara admitted. She looked back up to them, her eyes pleading.

"Please believe me, I do trust you," she continued, "and I understand that this makes it look like I don't trust you, but please hear me out."

She stopped after this request, her expression still pleading. Everyone looked at each other, their expressions varying. Some were angry, others were considering. All of them exchanged looks before Magnus rolled his eyes with a melodramatic sigh.

"Yes, because if not we're going to be here all day glancing at each other, and that's won't help us deal with this anger," he answered. Kiara gave a small, amused smile to her older brother before she took a deep, calming breath.

"Listen, I don't want to wipe your memories because I don't trust you," she began. "Some part of me is telling me that it is the best way to keep you all safe."

"You can't control our choices," Izzy interrupted, practically with a growl, before Simon placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"I know I can't," Kiara replied softly. "And I know I shouldn't, but…I don't want anything to happen to you. Any of you."

"And that gives you the right to take our memories so we can't make our own decision?" Clary asked, her voice calm, but trembling with betrayal and hurt. Kiara looked to the redhead with guilty cat eyes.

"No," the queen whispered. "But the possibility of that is tempting."

She paused again, taking another breath. This one was much more shaky, nervous. Vulnerable.

"Listen, the last person I considered family, aside from Hannah, turned out to be a homicidal maniac who kidnapped my people's newborns and children, locked them in cages, and ran experiments on them. Those who didn't survive were left to die or killed without remorse. I have the proof records. Helena murdered hundreds of children before I learned about what she did."

Everyone let out a collective gasp. Magnus grabbed Alec's hand as fear for their children overwhelmed him. Alec squeezed it back just as tight. Simon wrapped his arms around Izzy's upper torso and rested his head against her shoulder, his grip tight and tense. Jace wrapped one arm around Clary's shoulders, and she glued herself into his side.

"So I guess you're starting to see why I'm so concerned about her," Kiara said with a fake, empty smile. "Helena murdered hundreds of children over the course of decades without anyone discovering her secret. I found out because she showed me once I made it into her honor guard."

"What does this have to do with you having the right to wiping our memories?" Jace asked, trying to sound as angry as he had been. But now, most of that anger was replaced by horror and a sick feeling in his stomach.

"You guys are new here," Kiara began answering. "You don't know all that much about this place or what is happening. Since you haven't been here that long, wiping your memories of this place would be easy, and you wouldn't realize the difference. We could replace your memories and he memories of those you are associated with, and you will forget about ever being attacked by her forces. Since you would no longer be involved in the war, you would not be in danger."

"No, we would be in more danger because Helena would be able to attack us without resistance," Alec stated, his eyes serious.

"I would have a squad monitoring you at all times, making sure you would be safe," Kiara continued. "If you get involved in this, you'll be in more danger than you ever have been before. That includes when you went to Edom. Helena is smart, she will have studied all of your relationships, allies, enemies, family members. If you stay here to help me, you put them at risk too, and if they end up being affected in the crossfire, I don't want you to regret helping me because of that."

"You said that if Helena wins, then the whole world could be doomed," Jace countered. "That's more than a good enough reason for us to fight. It's a Shadowhunter's duty to protect the world from evil. From what you've told us, Helena is evil. Therefore, it is our duty to help you fight her."

"I appreciate the offer, but you don't need to get involved in my people's civil war out of your duty," Kiara declined politely. "The Shadow World doesn't even know we exist, and since the Nephilim don't know about our existence it doesn't mean you are required to help me."

"It's not that," Clary continued. "We don't want to help you out of a sense of duty, we want to help you because we want to. You told us how bad the situation is, and we want to stay and help."

"But your family—"

"If we don't stop Helena, our family and friends won't be the only ones in danger," Izzy interrupted.

"You may be gone for months, and I can't risk replacing their memories for that long of a time," Kiara said desperately. "They'll ask questions about where you've been, what you've been doing. How do you expect to answer them?"

"We'll think of something," Alec answered calmly.

"Max and Rafael, if you stay here they are in direct danger from any sort of attacks Helena may launch against us," Kiara continued on, panic and frustration filling her voice. "I can't put me nephews in danger."

"They are probably most safe here," Magnus reasoned. "This place has major security, armed guards, and the city if located in a warded dimension that no one knows exists except a select few people. Plus, their family is here, and none of us will let them get hurt."

"I understand that but what if—"

"Ok, it sounds like you are trying to convince us to let you wipe our memories," Alec interrupted. Kiara averted her eyes to the ground, her eyes clouded over with conflicting emotions. Silently, Magnus let go of his boyfriend's hand and walked over to his younger sister. He stood in front of her, and silently, he placed a hand on her shoulder. At the contact she looked up. He felt his heart ache at the pain and worry he saw in her eyes.

"Now you listen to me, Kiara," he said softly but firmly. "These two weeks I discovered my sister is alive, a queen of a long-forgotten race of human-cat hybrid demon slayers, and now I learned you are fighting a war against the woman who saved your life. We never may have been close as siblings, or even as friends, but when I learned you were dead, I was filled with regret. Now I have a second chance to know what it's like to have a sister. I am not giving that up without a fight. And I know that my boys aren't going to want to give up their new aunts any time soon."

Kiara and Magnus stared at each other intently. Magnus's voice was soft, but firm, strong, and with a demand to be heard. His sister's identical eyes were swimming with tears that refused to fall. Finally, she let out a sigh of defeat and rammed herself into her brother's chest, wrapping her arms around him in a vise-like grip. Magnus wrapped his arms around her, awkwardly at first, but then melded into the hug. They stayed like that for a few moments before Kiara pulled back with a watery smile.

"Guess stubbornness must run in the gene pool," Kiara joked with a watery smile. Magnus laughed and pushed his sister's arms off him.

"Guess so," he answered back. "Now that that's settled, how about we all get some dinner. Watching all of you training has made me hungry for sushi."

"I have been craving Asian today," Clary commented. Kiara turned back to the rest of the group, a tinge of apprehension in her eyes.

"You know this isn't going to be easy," she said.

"It's no fun when it is," Izzy replied. Kiara smiled at the Lightwood before turning to the rest of the group.

"Then tonight we eat dinner, and tomorrow we get down to business," Kiara declared. "But right now, I need a snow crab roll and fried rice."

And with that comment, the entire group headed towards the door, all of them chatting away about food and what types of sushi were best. Tonight, they would eat like family. Tomorrow, they would work like soldiers.


Woo! That was a long one. Please comment! I love hearing advice and stuff. Tell me what you think! See you next time!

With love, KiaraBaneTMI