Isobel POV
She steps into the library dreading what she'll find there. She's heard Noah's words but hasn't heard anything more since. And frankly, she's getting worried. She hopes they're not at each other's throats. Inside the library, she doesn't see them immediately. It's not concerning. Her heart beats quicker in her chest. They can't be too far off else she wouldn't have heard them in the hallway. It's the reason why she walks around the library. It doesn't take her long before she finds them glaring at each other. She sighs. It's not good but better than she expected.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing for you to concern yourself with, Issy."
"I'm sure you can figure out what's happening here between me and your brother."
"You're right Dean, I can figure it out on my own. It was purely a rhetorical question."
"So what do you want then?"
"Have some words with you, Noah."
"Shall we go to the side then so the intruder doesn't hear them?"
"No, we can do it here. He should hear them."
"No, he doesn't."
She just lifts an eyebrow and stares into his eyes. Noah glares right back while Dean seems to be smiling at him. After a while, Noah sighs and glares at her.
"Fine, what are those words you wanted to have with me?"
"Well? Are you out of your freaking mind? What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like?"
"He's losing it, Isobel."
"Losing it? Whose losing it, intruder?"
"He's got a name, brother, and that's Dean. Use it. And once more you're being a pretentious ass trying to force everyone to do as you want. And anyone who doesn't fall in line gets attacked. Just like always."
"Such an accurate explanation but I wouldn't be so harsh. He's your brother after all."
"I don't care. He's got to learn a lesson once and for all. It's always the same thing with him."
"I don't need to learn a lesson, Issy. And I'm done with you two."
Noah moves to leave but stops a bit away from her. She meets his glare head-on and refuses to give in. She's put up with his behavior for far too long. It's got to stop. Once and for all. At Noah's growl, she raises an eyebrow but doesn't respond anymore. She just watches as Noah storms out of the room. A smile grows on her face. He knows she won't bow down to him anymore.
"So what was that?"
"Mhh, something I should have done a long time ago."
"Well, I think as I said before he's losing his mind. Whether that's because he's trying to protect you. Or because he's trying to create something, I don't know what. But he's becoming too intense."
"Too intense? More like he's attacking you."
"Yeah, that too."
"Don't play it down. Has he done anything more to you?"
"More? Well, I'm sure he's been following me around the institute. And he tried to sabotage my first test. But it's not something I can deal with on my own."
"Yeah, we talked about that before."
"True, so he's clearly obsessed with me. I just don't know why."
"I can imagine a few reasons."
"Such as?"
"He's just scared. And also knows what he'll be facing once he's older."
Dean frowns. She has to bite back a smile. Some things have not yet reached Dean's ears. It can be a good thing or not. She's not sure. She waits for Dean to ask his question. It takes a while before he does so.
"What do you mean?"
"He's got to take over from our parents and doesn't like it at all. He's made it more than obvious. And he also doesn't have many friends. So he doesn't have anyone to speak with. Well, he might have maybe one friend but no more. He's also lonely."
"So he's just acting out to push people away?"
"Could be. He just doesn't trust people quickly."
"Oh, so he's protective of the people here."
"What do you mean?"
Dean looks at her with a big frown. If it were her then she would almost say she couldn't believe someone asked such a question. But Dean can't mean that. She's about to respond to his look when he throws up his hands.
"Oh come on, you've got to have noticed his behavior. He's not trusting people because he wants to keep everyone here safe. He's just trying to determine what each new person means for the others."
"You say so and would know about that. You've told me how protective you are of your brother. Kinda the same, don't you think?"
"The same?"
"Yes, you both try to protect others."
"Right. It's annoying."
"Then you'll know how others have experienced you."
Dean pouts before smiling uneasily. Isobel feels her face heating up. She turns her head to the side and takes a few deep breaths. Only then does she turn back to Dean.
"Well, we can agree my brother is losing it and that he's highly annoying. How do you want to handle it? I can speak to some people to ensure he won't bother you again. If you want?"
"And what would that help? No, I want him to continue as he does. At least I know what to expect and can ignore him."
"Ignore him? Didn't look like you were doing that."
"Well, Isobel, it's a work in progress."
Dean gives her a smile which tells her everything. He's aware of it and messing with her. And also, he's not giving up. The smile stays on his face. It's contagious as a similar smile grows on her face. She begins to laugh and Dean quickly joins in. It takes a while for them to calm down.
"Definitely but are you making progress?"
"Yes, I am."
"Good. Whatever you do, don't harm him."
"At all? I'm not sure if that's possible."
She laughs again and shakes her head. She refuses to look at him.
"I know that. Just don't hurt him too much, alright?"
"I'll do my best."
"That's all I can ask of you."
She smiles pleased with this understanding. Hurting Noah is inevitable, she knows that but it shouldn't be too much. Dean smiles at her too. Her smile increases and unconsciously she leans toward him. Dean turns toward her. A frown mars his face and his mouth opens. Their eyes meet. Dean's face reddens a bit right in front of her eyes but not too much. She's not sure where it comes from. She ignores it as their faces are near each other.
Their lips meet. Isobel closes her eyes and leans further into Dean. The kiss deepens. Isobel opens her eyes and moves them around Dean's neck while his arms encircle her chest. They squeeze tightly while still giving her room to breathe. They remain in this position for a while. Only once she desperately needs air does she pushes away from the embrace. Her eyes meet Dean's once more. Her face heats up once more. A strange feeling goes through her. She can't place it but knows it means something. It's not something she's felt before. Dean smiles at her and she returns it. The feeling increases. She clenches her fists and pushes the feelings away. It's nothing. She's other things to focus on right now.
Dean POV
As he sneaks around the building Dean clenches his fist around his blade. He doesn't like it at all. Not his current partner or this location. Who thought it was a good idea for him and Noah to hunt together? He's got no idea but this person's incredibly stupid. Or wants one of them dead. He knows this will only end badly. For both of them. Even though this is a simple hunt, they're only supposed to keep an eye on a vamp and see what he's up to. His clan will deal with him later. Something which won't solve it in his opinion. They won't do what needs to be done. And he can't act the way he wants. Well, if he wants to return to his family he can't afford it. He can't afford to attract anyone's attention to any 'crimes' he may commit. What they consider crimes, that is.
"What's on your mind?"
"Nothing. I just don't like this location. There's something wrong but I can't place it."
"Oh, that's just typical."
"What's typical?"
"That you're just trying to get out of this. And that you're making something up. There's nothing wrong with this location."
"What's that I'm trying to get out of?"
"You know, this hunt, your duty. Don't play dumb with me."
Dean watches as their mark moves into the building. He doesn't respond yet. Their mark scans the area. He hides behind a dumpster. Only then does he turn back towards Noah.
"I'm not. I know what I feel and it has saved me and others before."
"Only in your mind. Come on, let's go inside."
Dean moves forward to pull Noah back but fails. He growls but quickly follows. This is a stupid move. Noah will get them killed but it's not as if he can't abandon Noah. Isobel won't forgive him. And who knows who else will also blame him? Better to avoid it at all costs.
A door screeches open. Dean quickens his steps and reaches the door before it slams close in his face. He places his hands against the door to keep it open. He takes a deep breath before slipping inside. Only then does he look for Noah. He clenches his fists. Noah's almost out of his sight and keeps moving further into the building. He's going to get himself killed. For sure. He runs forward. Noah turns another corner when Dean finally catches up with him. He grabs Noah's arm and pulls him back. This stops right now.
"Hold up, you can't just waltz in here without a fucking care for the world. You'll get yourself killed, idiot."
"As if you'd be bothered by that. You'd be more than happy."
Dean grinds his teeth knowing that he can't respond to this. It'll only serve for them to lose sight of their target. Their target. He looks around to see where their target has gone. It doesn't take him long to find their target loitering near another corner. It keeps turning back as if it knows. It reeks like a trap to him. More and more.
"You see how he's standing there?"
"Yeah, and? Nothing special."
"Nothing special! It's just like a trap waiting to be sprung?"
"You're imagining things."
"I'm not!"
Noah bumps into him before moving closer to their target. He grabs Noah's wrist. Noah pulls it free and moves forward. Dean bites his lips while following him. Just as Noah turns around the corner, a group of people jumps before him. They hiss. Their skin's pale. Deadly pale. Their sharp teeth become visible. Vampires! Dean's hands move into his pocket. He pulls out his - not yet visible - blade. At the same time, he remains standing with stiff muscles. He doesn't move. He doesn't want to trigger something. He doesn't want any problems. The vamps move towards him leering.
"Look what we've found here; a teeny tiny Nephilim who thinks he can snoop around in our business. Well, he can't. So what shall we do with him?"
"We eat him."
"No, we're making sure he becomes one of us."
"Ah, such a great idea. Let's do it."
At this, the name of the blade reaches the tip of his tongue. His hand clenches around the blade. His eyes narrow. Around the corner, he can hear Noah venomously protesting about something. Whatever he says, he tunes out. He can only help him if he makes it out of this. So he's got to focus.
The vamps move closer as they lick their lips. His hand clenches even tighter around his blade. The name moves even further onto the tip of his tongue. Around the corner, he can hear a fight breaking out. At this, the vamps jump on him.
"Michael!"
The blade springs to life. He strikes against the first vamp that comes into his range. He falls to the group with a loud groan. Moments later, he ducks and throws one on his back. The blade instantly goes through the chest. He moves forward and kills those vamps who are in range or block his path. It takes a while before he's able to reach the corner. He turns around it and pushes forward. And again he makes himself a path by eliminating those who block his path. Slowly, ever so slowly, he makes his way toward Noah. Once he reaches Noah, he grabs his arm.
"Come on! Let's get out of here."
He runs forward and pulls Noah along. After a bit of resistance, Noah moves easily after him. He strikes another vamp and hears Noah doing the same. This continues until they reach another corner. At that time, an impact strikes his side. He brings his blade up. It connects with a set of teeth. Hands grab his hands. He pushes and brings up his knees trying to dislodge the vamp on him. It doesn't succeed. The struggle intensified. He needs help.
"Noah!"
He dares to glance at Noah who just managed to kill another one. Noah runs away only to stop moments later. Noah glances around. The conflict in his eyes and face are visible. Dean groans when a fist connects with his face. More fists strike at his head and feet kick into his chest. At this time, he struggles with the vamp above him. Footsteps approach. He grinds his teeth. He's already struggling. He can't handle it anymore. The traitor.
A blade moves through the air. A scream rings out. More and more vamps scream. The one above him glances around. The grip on his arms lessens. Now's his chance. He moves his blade and kills the vamp. He rolls around as a vamp jumps on him. A scream sounds. He turns. A vamp disappears on Noah's blade. He nods in gratitude. Noah turns and runs away. He quickly follows.
Noah turns a corner and falls in front of his feet. A vamp jump at Noah. Dean stabs her immediately. Noah looks at him with wide eyes. Disbelief is visible. He pulls Noah up and runs away. On the way out they kill more vamps and defend each other's blind spots. Before long - which is way too long in his mind - they finally stand outside. The sun streams in their eyes. The vamps growl behind them. Without looking at each other, they run away back home.
Isobel POV
She looks around. Dean and Noah should have been back hours ago. And the search parties have till now returned empty-handed. Where are they? She scratches her head as her feet shuffle restlessly. A few search parties, three at most, haven't returned yet. She hopes they'll have found them. Or at the very least know where they are. Anything to break this tense stalemate. She shakes her head. No. She can't think like this. They'll be found. They must. There's no other choice.
Shouting outside the room reaches her ears. She looks around. Everyone's making their way to the door. The door's thrown open just as they near it. Some even have to jump back. Just to avoid getting a door smacked in their face. Her father storms into the room. There's a strange expression in his eyes. One she can't place. She wonders where this and the hurry comes from. Have they been found? Her heart hammers in her chest as she waits for her father to say anything. She doesn't have to wait long.
"Send for one of the medics!"
One of the men near the door immediately runs out of the room. She doesn't see where he has run but has her suspicions. She looks around for a bit before looking back at her father. She can't hold back her question.
"Dad, what happened? Have Dean and Noah been found?"
"Yes, they're found, Isobel. I want to speak to you two. You failed to notice a trap before the boys walked right into it. You're lucky they managed the fight their way out."
"Dad, what do you mean?"
"Not now, Isobel. You two better have an explanation for this."
"We don't. We never thought there was a trap. There were no indications for it."
The arguing between her father and those two shadowhunters continues without her paying any attention to it. She bites her lips before turning around. She'll get no useful information from them. Dad is still accusing them of screwing up somehow or somewhere. She doesn't care. All she wants to know is what's going on. That Dean and Noah are fine. She quickly glances in the direction of the door. She waits for Noah and Dean to arrive. She's certain they'll get here. Anytime now.
A few minutes later, much too long in her mind, the door finally opens. Dean and Noah walk into the room together. For once without fighting. It's the only good thing she sees about the situation. They're both escaped from the trap her father mentioned and are covered in blood. She imagines their sweating but can't see it from this distance. Dean's held back by someone while Noah walks towards her. As he walks, he shuffles his feet while looking at the ground. She frowns wondering where this sheepish appearance came from. He's the picture of remorse. But what is he remorseful about? She has more than one reason he should feel remorse. But she can't see why now. What has happened? As she waits for him to reach her, she overhears a conversation next to her.
"It's a good thing they went together right?"
"Yeah, they managed to keep each other alive. Despite the unfortunate trap. It's not something anyone could have done. And who could have set this up and why?"
"No idea but that's something others will set out to figure out. And indeed, most would have needed a rescue if they lived long enough."
"True, and this trap means we won't be allowed on a hunt in small groups or be told to be more careful."
"Or reconnaissance will be much stricter."
"Or a combination of both. Isobel, can we help you with anything? I've noticed you've been looking at us all the time."
"No, I already know what I wanted to know."
"Alright, maybe you should …"
She doesn't listen to what else they're saying as Noah nears her. He stops a few feet from her and places a hand on her shoulder. A regretful smile crosses his face. She frowns, convinced he's planning something. And she's not sure she wants any part in it.
"Hey, Issy. Sorry I was so suspicious of him."
"Yeah, why do you say this now?"
"Because he didn't have to save me. He wasn't like Robin at all."
"If you'd listened to me you'd have known it much earlier."
Noah nods with tightly pressed lips. She can already imagine the rueful smile he's suppressing. Good. He's learned his lesson and isn't planning anything. Now it's just waiting to see how their relationship progresses. She nods back. Noah doesn't respond but simply walks away. She shakes her head. He never changes. Never. She turns around. Dean's still surrounded by others. She considers walking to them but dismisses it. She enjoys seeing him enjoy his time around their fellow shadowhunters. Suddenly, the group disappears as Dean walks toward her. It allows her to get a steadily better look at Dean. He's covered in scrapes over his face and hands. Like Noah, he's covered in blood. It's evidence of them having been in a fight. Just as her father's words hinted. She suspects there is quite a collection of bruises on his clothing. Especially, considering his winces as he walks. Once, he's near her he tilts his head.
"Like what you're looking at?"
"I do."
She smiles and receives one in return. Snickering sounds around her even as the group walks further away. She bites her lip and mentions for Dean to follow her. They trade glances as they walk toward a secluded side of the room. No words are traded between them as they walk. She reaches back and takes Dean's hand. She doesn't know why? Her face heats up. She clenches her other fist and increases her pace. Soon, they reach the corner she had in mind.
"So why are we here?"
"Because I wanted to talk to you in private."
"About what?"
"What you did for Noah."
"What's with it?"
Dean frowns and tilts her head. She returns it in kind. She's not sure what's so confusing about it.
"You know what I mean right?"
Dean shakes his head. Her frown increases. She waits for Dean to say something. He doesn't. No matter how long she waits. Once a few minutes have passed, she decides it's been long enough.
"You know you saved Noah's life, right?"
"Yeah, and? What's with it?"
"I wanted to thank you for that."
"You don't have to. I didn't do anything special."
"You did. And as I said before I want to."
"And you …"
"Why don't you just accept the gratitude I show you?"
"Because I don't need it for something which is expected when hunting in groups."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because you look out for each other."
"And what's your real reason? You're leaving something out."
"Agrr, alright. I don't want you to lose your brother in an ambush when I could save him. And besides everyone would have done that."
Dean turns his head to the side. Is she imagining it or does he have a fever? His face looks redder than normal. Or does he have it hot from the fight? A soft smile grows on her face. He's really cute like this. When Dean shuffles, she snickers only to cover her mouth with her hand. She turns her head away. She doesn't know where this came from. It's time to change both their thoughts.
"I'm not so sure about the last."
"Why?"
"Because they don't like him too much."
"So he's been bothering them too. But that's no reason to abandon him in such a situation or even at all."
"There are those who'll disagree with you. You're just really responsible and mature. Something I don't even see in many of the adult shadowhunters."
"So they wouldn't mind if someone left their siblings in danger or endangered them?"
"Oh, they would but don't hold themselves to that."
"That's just stupid. I'd do the same for those I'm hunting with as I'd do for Sammy."
"You're brother, right?"
"Yeah, haven't I talked about him before?"
"Maybe, can't remember. What's he like?"
"He's a bright kid whose only interest is his school. He dreams of attending college. And that when he should be focusing more on his training as a hunter."
"And what does your dad say about that?"
"He doesn't know because he won't approve of it. So we've only talked about it when we're alone. I try to change his mind because I want to prevent the disappointment he's sure to feel then. So far without any success."
"Well, who knows you'll succeed in helping him live his dream. Talk with Miss Herondale about it. She's sure to help you."
"Yeah, help me with everything that's got nothing to do with the 'mundane' world."
"Oh, from what grandfather told me she'll help you. What's the danger in asking besides getting a no?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, think about it. Now, tell me more about your brother."
"What do you want to know?"
"How close are you two."
"Very since we only have each other and dad since mom died."
"Mhh, how did she die?"
"A yellow-eyed demon killed her."
"Yellow-eyed? Haven't heard of demons having that kind of eyes."
"Well, if it comforts you I've not found any information about them too. And what killed mom sure as hell wasn't human."
She smiles shyly. His words tell her he's sure about it. Dean returns it and their eyes meet again. She feels her face reddening and turns away. He's not to see it.
"You want to see them again?"
"Obviously but it's impossible."
"Well, you can at least watch them from a distance."
"That's not enough even if Sammy annoys me at times with his focus on school. I want to be able to talk to them."
"Don't all siblings do that?"
"I guess. How do yours annoy you?"
"Oh, in too many ways to mention. I'll be busy for a day if I had to explain it even though I'm quite close with my sisters. Dom just annoys me with his ranting about his interests. Even when I ask him to stop; no, he just has to go on. It never ends until I leave."
"Dom?"
"You know, Dominic. My other younger brother Dominic?"
"Oh, you were using a nickname. I've only ever heard him being mentioned by his full name once. But how do your sisters annoy you? I'm sure they do."
"Oh, like all sisters do. It's nothing too bad. I can stand staying around them at that time."
"In contrast to your brothers."
"Yeah, so how do you deal with Sammy annoying you?"
Everyone has left the table and are running towards the door. She quickly follows them wondering what's going on. Have they been found? Her heart hammers in her chest as she nears the door. The door is thrown open and she jumps out of the door. She looks around the hallway for any sign of them. But all she sees is her father hurrying towards her.
"Send for one of the medics!"
One of those near her hurries away in the direction of the infirmary. She follows her with her eyes while she frowns. Once she has turned the corner, Isobel looks back at her father.
"Dad, what happened? Are Dean and Noah found."
"Yes, they're found. I want to speak to you two. You failed to notice a trap before the boys walked right into it. You're lucky they managed the fight their way out."
"Dad, what do you mean?"
"Not now, Isobel. You two better have an explanation for this."
"We don't. We never thought there was a trap. There were no indications for it."
The arguing continues without anyone paying attention to her. Isobel bites her lips before walking away. She'll get no useful information from them. Dad is still accusing them of screwing up somehow or somewhere. She doesn't care. She just wants to know what's going on. She walks quickly in the direction of her destination.
Minutes later, she arrives at her destination. She looks around. Dean and Noah stand together. For once without fighting. It's the only good thing she sees. They're both escaped and covered in blood. She imagines their sweating but can't see it from this distance. People have gathered around them causing the entrance to be filled with noise. She can't make out any individual conversation. She moves forward when she overhears something.
"It's a good thing they went together right?"
"Yeah, they managed to keep each other alive. Despite the unfortunate trap. Who could have set this up and why?"
"No idea but that's something others will set out to figure out."
"Sure, and that means we won't be allowed on a hunt in small groups or be told to be more careful."
"Or reconnaissance will be much stricter."
"Or a combination of both. Isobel, can we help you with anything?"
"No, I already know what I wanted to know."
"Alright, maybe you should …"
She doesn't listen to what else they're saying but just walks toward Dean and Noah. As she approaches Noah walks away. He stops a few feet from her and places a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, Issy. Sorry I was so suspicious of him."
"Yeah, why do you say this now?"
"Because he didn't have to save me. He wasn't like Robin at all."
"If you'd listened to me you'd have known it much earlier."
Noah nods with tightly pressed lips. She can already imagine the rueful smile he's suppressing. Good. He's learned his lesson. Now it's just waiting to see how their relationship progresses. She nods back. Noah doesn't respond but simply walks away. She shakes her head. He never changes. She turns around. Dean's still surrounded by others. She walks to them as she wonders about her father's request. Noah wasn't so injured as to need medical care quickly.
As she nears the group, they spit up allowing her to place herself in between them. It allows her to better look Dean over. He's covered in scrapes over his face and hands. It's evidence of them having been in a fight. She suspects there is quite a collection of bruises on his clothing.
"Like what you're looking at?"
"I do."
She smiles and receives in return. Snickering sounds around her as the group walks away. She mentions for Dean to follow her. They trade glances as they walk toward her room. No words are traded between them. She reaches back and takes Dean's hand. Her face heats up. She clenches her other fist and increases her pace. Soon, they reach her room.