Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful reviews They mean a lot. I know there have been a lot of filler chapters and sorry if that's annoying, I'm just trying to establish the relationships thus far. There will be action soon, promise! More Magnus/Alec to come as well, and on slightly better terms now that they have talked a bit.
Isabelle shifted her attention towards the bedroom door as she heard the soft footfalls of someone entering the infirmary. She did her best to sit up straight against the headboard, but her movements were stiff and painful. In mere seconds she felt scarred hands helping her settle into a comfortable sitting position. She glanced up to meet the blue eyes of her older brother, his eyes filled with emotion, as they as always gave away just what he was feeling(if you knew him well enough).
"Thanks," She whispered her voice still a little scratchy.
Alec nodded, hands still helping her, not wanting his sister in any more pain.
"You can let go now, Alec, I have the headboard to hold me up." Isabelle explained, the words coming out a bit harsher than she meant.
Alec gave a sheepish smile and stepped away, all the anger from their previous conversation had melted away and turned into concern for her wellbeing, it was good some things never changed.
"Sorry," he replied while taking a step back.
"No, Alec, I didn't mean like that," Isabelle amended, "sit down."
She patted the end of the bed, struggling to do so and Alec looked as if he was about to grab hold of her again. Instead, as if reading his mind, Isabelle shot him a stern look and he obliged without so much as touching her, but he did make sure to make as little movement as possible as he sat, to avoid making his sister uncomfortable.
"So did you talk to Magnus" Isabelle asked, as always straight to the point.
Alec blinked, unsure why this was the first thing she would want to say to him after all that happened recently.
"Yeah, a little bit."
"Did he explain everything?"
"He explained why he broke up with me, and that someone wants to kill me."
Isabelle rolled her eyes, "Then yes, that's pretty much everything. You're a smart boy, Alec, you can fill in the blanks from there, unless something in the air in this institute makes people incredibly stupid."
Alec nodded stiffly, "Yeah, I think I can figure out the rest."
"Then why do you still have that look in your eyes?" Isabelle asked, while narrowing her own.
Alec just sat there a moment not knowing how to respond and knowing he shouldn't argue with a person while they were laid up in an infirmary.
He just shrugged, "I don't know Iz, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Isabelle glared, "Alec! You know everything now! Talk to me!"
Alec quickly got up from the bed, not wanting to hear another word. As quickly as he gotten up he was dragged back down, his own momentum used against him.
"Iz!" Alec shouted, the conspiracy theorist in him wondering if Isabelle was really ever injured and if this was some elaborate plan to get him to talk to everyone.
A coughing fit from Izzy quickly shot that farfetched theory down, and he steadied his sister once again.
"I'm fine," Isabelle replied, swatting his hands away.
"Izzy…" Alec whispered, just wanting his sister to be okay.
"No, I'm fine really; the magic just wears me out."
Alec nodded, "Tell me about it."
Isabelle smiled, and grabbed his hand within her own, "I'm really glad you're okay, Alec. When you got hurt . . . I wasn't sure if we'd ever get the chance to explain everything to you, and that you'd never know what truly happened, and would think … that we left you out on purpose which wasn't it all. We've just had to be really careful Alec, Magnus couldn't let on at all why you two broke up or anything like that. If he did, Donavan would attack you."
Alec shrugged, "Guess it doesn't really matter, he's attacking me either way."
Isabelle shook her head, "No, he just caught on; I mean I guess it was suspicious with him still being our warlock on call."
Alec raised a brow, "So how long have you known?"
Isabelle gave him a stern look, "Since the day Jace and I went over there to turn him into a pile of glitter only to find him looking as messed up as you were when you left."
"He did?"
"Are you really surprised? He loves you Alec, he never stopped."
Alec felt his cheeks getting hot and he looked away, only turning back when he heard his sister begin to speak again, her voice soft.
"We all do Alec, and that's the only reason this was kept from you. Jace wanted to tell you, and I did too, but it made sense, keeping you safe was more important than keeping you in the loop."
"I'm a Shadowhunter Iz, there really is no such thing as safe for us."
"I know that, but this is something so dangerous even Magnus wasn't sure what to do and he's a High Warlock. Alec, I know it sounds stupid, but just losing you when you came here hurt enough, losing you for real . . ."
Isabelle's words drifted off and Alec noticed her eyes shimmering, though she was quick to wipe away any tears.
"Well you and Jace were about to go up against a High Warlock, all on your own," Alec tried to joke, but humor was never really his specialty.
Thankfully, Isabelle smiled anyway.
"It was a spur of the moment thing really."
Alec chuckled, just imaging a last minute plan by Jace and Isabelle to take on Magnus of all people. Isabelle's expression quickly turned serious.
"Alec, I'm sorry if it seemed we were intentionally keeping things from you. We had too, was all, but now that you know the truth, there will be no more secrets, I promise."
Alec smiled, "No more talking to me separately from everyone else then?"
Izzy smiled, "No more."
"Good, now that that's all settled, we can get to planning on how to take this son of a bitch down."
Alec spun around to see Jace coming in the infirmary, Clary and Simon in tow.
"Jace, were you listening?" Isabelle asked, her black eyes narrowed into a glare.
"No, Simon was," Jace replied, casually taking a seat beside his brother, Clary with him and Simon blushed before taking a spot beside Isabelle.
"Simon," Isabelle complained.
"He made me," Simon mumbled, joining Isabelle in glaring at Jace.
"Really sis, you should be saving your energy, you're in an infirmary after all."
Isabelle rolled her eyes and Alec chuckled.
"So, seriously though, we need to start planning."
"Jace, you're the only one in the world who could possibly be thinking strategy while in an infirmary." Clary teased, and Jace smiled.
"Tis why you love me," Jace retorted.
Clary blushed and rolled her eyes, pecking her boyfriend (not yet fiancé) on the cheek.
"He's messed with both of my siblings, it's personal now." Jace explained his golden eyes darkening.
"Shouldn't Magnus be a part of this?" Simon interjected, looking like he regretted the words though as he glanced at Alec, horrified.
Alec just offered a half smile, and though he was still unsure of where he stood with the warlock, he knew he owed it to him to be part of this conversation.
"It's fine, I'll go get him. He's in my room." Alec explained, before gently getting off the bed, just noticing the near identical smirks on his sibling's faces and a bright smile on Clary's.