Izzy comes over to speak with Alec and make him feel better.

Chapter Fifteen.

Isabelle Sophia Lightwood is the best loving sister a man could ask for. She has always cared for her three brothers in every way that she could. She has always loved Alec best because they were the closest. The moment that Alec needed her help, she came running. In fact, she threw on her clothes, gave Simon a quick kiss on the lips and rushed from their bed and across New York to her brother's apartment that he shares with his family. She ran as fast as she could, using every rune that she possibly could. It was a little painful to run that much right after she was drained of all efforts and was incredibly tired.

Finally, Izzy came to the apartment and rushed inside. Magnus started speaking furiously the moment that she entered, ushering the other two boys out of the room and back to their bedroom where they could play. She did notice that they both look much better than they did yesterday. Though Magnus is not even out of his robe from last night, there is color on his face. He just appears afraid for Alec and tired, so tired.

"He just said that he needed you. He said he's still afraid and he doesn't want any of us near him," Magnus says.

"What about Jace?" Izzy asks.

"No. He doesn't want anyone but you," Magnus says. For a small fraction of a second, that makes Izzy feel really good. That makes Izzy feel strong and happy. She is close with her brother but when he chooses her over his entire family, including his parabatai, it makes her feel very important.

Izzy rushes out of the room and onto the balcony where she finds Alec facing the roads with his elbows on the brick wall. Izzy thinks of something to say to soothe her brother when she hears him take a long breath and hold it. He knows that she is here and he doesn't want her know how much pain he is in. Alec leans down, putting more of his weight onto the brick wall when his head finally collapses onto his arms.

"Alec?" Izzy says.

He does not respond. It's almost as if he is waiting for her to make a move. He cannot make his body move to her no matter how badly he craves gentle, happy touch. He stays right where he is, waiting for her. Quickly, Izzy realizes what she has to do and closes the space between them. She wraps her arms around his waist from the side, resting her head on his back. She allows her raven hair to drape across him as she releases her body weight to him, sharing in his burden. It is just one long moment before she can feel him giving in.

The first thing he does is reach across the pair of them and hold onto her hand. He grazes her fingertips and then takes her hand into his, interlocking their fingers. He sniffles but stays quiet as she squeezes his hand. It is a few more moments before Alec makes himself stand up and look at his sister. His lips quiver the way that they do before he cries. His mouth parts and his eyes start to water, his face contorting into pain.

"Alec," Izzy says, feeling a bubble well up around her heart. All she wants to do is reach across them both and grab him in a hug, never let him go. That is the only thing she can think to do at a time like this.

"Izzy," he gets out. It is all he can manage and all the permission she needs to hug him. Her short and thin arms go around his waist as his longer ones envelop her completely. She rests her head on his chests where he leans his head down to rest on the top of hers, smelling her sweet scent. He takes all of her in, allowing her to hold him though he is the bigger one of the two. He even allows himself to lean on her just the slightest. It is enough to make him feel safer.

"What's going on?" Isabelle asks after Alec has had a few moments to regain himself. He shakes his head on hers, never letting his arms from around her body or his head from atop of hers. Instead, he keeps her as close as he can muster.

"When I woke up this morning the pain came back," he gets out.

"And? Why did you push Magnus away?"

A pang of guilt and fear hit Alec then as he remembers what he did. He grips his sister tightly, pulling her away as he tries to get back inside. Izzy panics and grabs him, pulling him back to her with frantic movements.

"No! No! Alec, it's okay," she says. "Magnus is not upset. I just wanted to know why you wanted me and not the others."

This seems to settle him for a moment. He keeps his arms on hers and then after a while lets her rest herself back on him. She can feel the rapid beat of his heart against her chest so she starts rubbing circles on his back, trying to soothe him once more.

"I just…Jace is so broken right now," Alec says, not bothering to hide the crack in his voice at the end. He has not cried yet today but he has been on the brink every five minutes. "Magnus can't help me. He needs rest and healing. The kids can't know. I just…I really needed my sister."

Izzy sighs into his shirt.

"I'm here, big brother," she promises. "I'm always here for you."

Alec grips her tighter into a hug, holding her to his chest and leaning his head down onto her once more. He takes in her scent and her warmth all at once and lets that comfort fall over him.

"Can you stay for a while today?" Alec asks.

When Izzy doesn't answer right away, he changes his tone and wording.

"I need you to stay," he says.

"Of course," she agrees. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here, Alec."

She feels his arms start to shake around her and she grabs onto him a little tighter than before. The shaking doesn't stop so she pulls away enough to see that fearful expression from yesterday return to his face.

"This is what has been happening," he says. "I keep getting these sudden urges of pain where I think I'm hurting someone."

"Who?" Izzy asks.

Alec shakes his head, leaning his body down as if to crawl into a ball. Izzy recognizes this behavior and grabs onto his arms, holding him up as best as she can. She wishes that she could reach down and activate her strength rune with her stele but decides not to try for it and scare Alec further. She uses everything she has to hold her brother up while his head falls all the way down to her shoulder. It's an odd position but one that gives him a mild amount of comfort.

"Who is it?" Izzy asks again.

"Max."

"Max is fine," Izzy says. "He's inside playing with Rafe and Magnus. He's perfectly fine. He's healed from yesterday and everything."

"No. No. Our brother," Alec gets out.

"Oh, Alec," Izzy says, unable to get the rest of the words out. There is nothing more that she can say about him. She wished she could have saved him but that's all.

"I wish I could've helped you," Alec says. "I wish I could've saved him."

"Me too. But there's nothing we could have done," she says. "It's over now."

Alec's tears remain locked behind a padded door as he reaches his arms around his sister. Their hug deepens as their grip strengthens and for a moment she is afraid that he is going to hurt her. But that moment passes quickly. There is a tightness that is unbearable right before he breaks and the tears come.

"That demon made me relive everything," he says.

"I know," she says.

"Izzy," Alec mumbles. "I love you."

"I love you too, big brother. We're gonna get you through this."