Chapter 24

Family Bonds

"And now you've grown up
With this notion that you were to blame
And you seem so strong sometimes
But I know that you still feel the same
As that little girl who shined like an angel" - Boyce Avenue

"Tap...tap...tap...tap"

Long, narrow fingers beat rhythmically on the wooden night stand.

"Tap...tap...tap..."

The fingers paused slightly. A loud sigh fell from between pursed lips then the fingers resumed.

The room was dimly lit, the thick bland curtains drawn and door shut. The bed was occupied by a thin pale man, who lay perfectly still and quiet. Morbidly angelic.

On the couch across lay another boy. Just as pale but with ebony hair and rounder features. His chest rose and fell steadily.

In the chair Tessa watched them both, her tired, numb mind incapable of thinking. He fingers beat upon the wood, in time with the clinical monitor that never seemed to stop beating. That was good...she thought.

She hoped this was a dream.

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A/N

That was just a mini prologue/remainder. Now onto the bulk.

Looking down at the scrawled writing one his crumpled page, Alec tried desperately to make sense of his history notes. He tilted his head to one side and squinted... No luck. He huffed in annoyance, how was he meant to succeed in life, if no'one could understand him.

"I think it says 'pivotal to revolutionising monarchy'" Magnus mused, reading over Alec's shoulder. Alec sighed in relief and typed out Magnus' translation.

"How come you can read my writing so well? Been spying?" Alec teased pecking his boyfriend's cheek affectionately.

"Nah I just read your diary"

Alec chocked going red, "first, it's a journal and secondly how could you, that's a massive invasion of my privacy and-"

Magnus burst out into loud cackles, clutching his stomach. "Oh my gosh Alec," he gasped, "I was completely joking, you have a diary!"

Alec went even redder and looked down muttering, "it's a journal, and its purely academic and helps me organize myself...lots of people have journals-"

His gushing was interrupted by a pair of lips pressed against his. " you are adorable" Magnus whispered against him, and cupped his cheek gently. Alec looked away trying to hold back a smile.

"Leave me alone," he muttered, "I have to study." Magnus snorted rolling his eyes and resuming his position face down on the library table.

After another twenty minutes of hasty scribbling and frustrated muttering, Alec looked up to see green eyes gazing right at him. "Stop staring," he scowled, "you're distracting me." The other boy made a non-committal noise and didn't look away.

Finally Alec sighed and packed up his things. "Come on then" he sighed walking towards the exit. "How was Will last night?" he asked once they were in the hallway.

Magnus' smile dropped slightly, "he didn't get home until 3:30 this morning and he stank of booze. I'm worried about what will happen if Jem... doesn't make it."

Alec looked down at the muddy grass they were walking across. He too had been worrying about how Will and Tessa would cope with Jem's death. He hoped Tessa wouldn't do anything stupid, she was usually very sensible. Will however was rash, reckless and didn't deal well with emotions.

"Do you think it may be a good idea for Tessa to move in for a bit, so they could help each other...deal with it...or just for support"

Magnus chewed his bottom lip, "I don't know...maybe, I'll try and bring it up."

They entered the cafeteria and sat down at the table filled with their friends. "Hey sparkles what's with the hideous belt, trying to catch a magpie?" Jace hollered from down the table.

"Well Jace I could take it off if you want you perv" Magnus retorted unruffled, "but really I'm doing you a favour as it distracts people from that massive zit you have". Jace blushed slightly and glared down at his food causing Magnus to look extremely smug.

Alec disguised his grin as a cough and turned hastily to Clary who was sat beside him. " Have you heard from Izzy lately?"

"Funny you should say that," Clary said in surprise, "she called me this morning saying could you check your phone because she needed to talk...she said it was important

Immediately horrible scenarios began rushing through Alec's head, from Izzy being framed for murder to his mother being in surgery and needing an organ donation. "I'm sure its nothing that bad," Clary hastily added, seeing the panic in Alec's eyes.

Simon, who had apparently been listening to the whole conversation said, "Call her now Alec, she's been acting really weird lately and she won't talk to me about it."

Alec frowned in confusion, "how do you know my sister?"

Simon blanched slightly as if realising he had said more than he meant to. "We met when she came down for the weekend, we get on well...we're friends I guess... Anyway that doesn't matter, just phone her"

Alec gave him another suspicious glance, he was sure there was something Simon wasn't telling him, but then rushed from the room to call Isabelle.

She picked up surprisingly fast, normally he'd get her voicemail at least twice. "Alec?"

"Yeah it's me, what's wrong?"

He could almost hear her biting her nails- a nervous habit she had picked up- before answering: "umm, I'm in the car park could you come and meet me?"

Alec stopped pacing, frowning in confusion. "Here?"

"Yeah, come and find me"

"But-"

"Alec please!" She hung up. Alec frowned at his phone. He guessed he'd better go. With a sigh he got to his feet and went to meet his sister.

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In...and out...in...out...in, she breathed slowly and steadily, counting her breaths like she'd seen in films and on the TV.

In..2, 3, 4...out..2, 3, 4.

Well that was extremely unhelpful. She scowled at the girl in the dashboard mirror with messy hair and dark eyes.

She'd just finished phoning her brother and was now working up the courage to tell him her news. She sighed again, her breath shaky and loud.

It had been two weeks since she had cried for an hour over a little pregnancy test showing an unmissable positive. At first she'd planned on telling Alec straight away, they always shared important secrets...well maybe not always but she still wanted him to know. But then Alec had been so upset over Magnus and then his friend going into a coma...but now was the perfect time.

"Alec is your brother" she muttered under her breath, "he loves you. He won't be mad. Alec is your brother. He'll under- " her mantra was broken by a gasp as the car door opened and Alec practically fell into the passenger seat.

His concerned eyes met hers. "What's wrong, he panted, " are you hurt?". His eyes raked over her looking for signs of injury. He paused over her tired eyes and unkempt hair, "Izzy you look awful"

Normally she would of replied with a sarcastic 'thanks' or biting insult, but it was all she could do to not throw up. She took a shaky breath and bit her lip.

"Please tell me what's wrong Iz, you're scaring me...is it mum? Is she okay? Does she know you here? Why aren't you in uniform? I thought-"

"-I'm pregnant"

The silence was suffocating.

Isabelle fidgeted, scrunching the hem of her cardigan. She tried to breathe as quietly as she could.

Alec seemed to have frozen. His eyes wide and staring ahead in disbelief.

"But...how...why...w-who" he finally choked, not meeting her eyes.

She bit her lip, trying not to cry. "I'm two months and I...I'm not sure who the father is"

"Shit" he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Iz... What were you thinking"

She stared out of the window concentrating hard of forcing down the lump in her throat.

"God I..." He inhaled sharply, finally looking at her, tears in his own eyes. "You're eighteen Isabelle! Fuck, I'm...I'm really disappointed in you"

That was it. She couldn't hold it back anymore.

Loud sobs shook through her body, interspersed with shuddering gasps. She felt as if the bonds around her all these years, the ones that forced her to stay together, in control, strong, had been ripped away and she was left to fall completely apart.

She could feel Alec's arms gripping her in a hug, and heard his whispered words of love and support. But it didn't matter. She felt completely alone.

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Simon was worried. He hadn't heard from Isabelle for about two weeks now, and he hadn't a clue why.

Things had been going great, at least he had thought so. Maybe she realized that he was too nerdy or his latest T-shirt ("...") had offended her. It was like

Then of course he had been completely distracted by Jem and concerns over his friends failing health consumed him.

But after Alec had run off to find his sister yesterday afternoon and then not returned, Simons nervous, self-deprecating worries turned into full blown panic.

This led to him being stood in front of Alec's locker, first thing the next morning. He tapped his foot and rubbed anxiously at his knuckles, seeming unable to keep still.

Every time the double doors opened he would tense and look up, expecting to see Alec.

He was just considering calling his friend, no matter how desperate and stalkerish that seemed, when a voice mused. "I do hope that waiting by my boyfriends locker isn't some kind of romantic gesture, because I will not hesitate to destroy you"

Simon gasped and stumbled away. Magnus smirked, taking the other boys place at Alec's locker. "I don't like Alec!" Simon stuttered, before hastily adding "I mean I like him, he's pretty cool. But not in a...um..sex way. You know like I don't want to-"

Magnus, who had been watching Simon squirm with an amused expression, decided to put him out of his misery. "It's alright Shaun, I was only teasing, Alec's way out of your league anyway."

Simon chose to ignore the insult instead getting back to the reason he wanted to talk to Alec. "I am waiting for Alec because I need to talk to him, it's probably nothing but I just... Do you know when he'll be in?"

Magnus bit his lip. "Alec's not coming in today, family emergency"

Simon's feeling of unease grew.

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Isabelle felt her phone vibrate against her leg. Shakily she pulled it out, glanced at the icon and pressed ignore before pocketing the device. She couldn't talk to Simon, not now.

She tightened her grip of Alec's hand, her knuckles resting on the worn leather of their family's sofa. She could feel how tense her brother was beside her, which only made her more nervous.

They were sat in their tiny sitting/dining room, waiting for their mother to finish whatever she was doing in the kitchen so they could tell her Isabelle's news. Isabelle didn't think she'd been so scared in all her life. Mayrse had always been a formidable woman, but since Max's death she had become even more distant. More of a landlady than a mother

There were a few more bangs from the kitchen, then Mayrse appeared, dressed in her formal work clothes. She sat opposite them offering a small smile.

"Now before you start, I have some news of my own." She said, appearing slightly excited by the prospect. Isabelle clenches her jaw, she just wanted to get the whole thing over with.

"I've been given a promotion at work!" She smiled happily at them, obviously expecting a reaction.

"That's great mum" Alec smiled, squeezing Isabelle's hand as she shakily nodded.

Mayrse pursed her lips, slightly disappointed at her children's lack of enthusiasm. "It'll mean more money for us and although the hours will be slightly longer I-"

"-what? Mum no" the words slipped out before Isabelle even thought them through.

Mayrse looked confused, "what's wrong Isabelle. This is a good thing. I'll be able to raise your allowance so you can save up for those boots you keep asking me for"

"But...but mum I'll need you"

Mayrse opened her mouth, a small frown on her face, but Alec cut her off. "Hear Iz out"

Isabelle took a shaky breath and tightened her grip on her brother, before looking into her mother's clear eyes. Her gaze lingered over Mayrse's neatly applied mascara, remembering being taught to apply it herself at nine. The crinkled skin around Mayrse's eyes, that probably came from the way she scrunched them up whenever she properly laughed and the delicate studs she wore on her ears that were a wedding gift from Isabelle's grandmother.

"Mum, I'm pregnant" she whispered, tearing her gaze away from Mayrse's. She didn't want to see the disappointment in her mother's eyes.

The silence stretched on.

"I don't know what to say" Mayrse finally said.

Isabelle bit her lip, trying not to cry.

"I..." Mayrse just stared.

"Maybe we should go, give you some space." Alec said his arm now wrapped around Isabelle's shoulders, holding her together. She nodded her agreement against his chest.

Alec stood up then, wrapped his arm around her waist and led her out.

He stopped in the doorway to look back at their mother, still sat on the couch, looking suddenly small.

"Call us when you're ready mum," he said harshly. His eyes bored into her equally blue one's, silently begging her to say something.

But she didn't. She just watched as her children walked out.

A/N

wow...

who remembers me?

I'm so so so so (x100000) sorry it took me so long to update.

I've been trying to write this chapter for absolutely ages and ages.

It's my exam results day on thursday and I'm super nervous.

Who else is reading the shadow hunter academy books, I'm on the third one atm. Loving the Infernal Device Era bits. Will is my soulmate.

George is also pretty cool.

Sorry for letting you down, hopefully the next update will be pretty soon, I won't make you wait half a year or whatever :/

reviews defo help though. I will reply to them this time, can't remember weather I replied to the last chaps ones or not, it was so bloody long ago.

Lots of virtual love (and apologises)

Amy

xxx