𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑑, 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠

chapter fourteen. dresssed to impress

Hope stumbles through the Institute, eating a carrot and playing animal crossing when she heads down the elevator and finds Izzy and Clary there, almost waiting for her or maybe just the elevator.

"Women." She looks up for a brief moment before going back to her game.

"Did you find Simon?" Clary asked and Hope nodded.

"He texted me to get burritos with him later." She answered before a breeze blew her hair out of her face, purple light glowing on her cheeks.

The three girls turned and a woman walked through a portal, a very scary woman. "Isabelle, why is there a halfway naked girl in the Institute?" She turned to Hope who waved.

"And of course you're dressed to impress." She turned to Izzy.

"Okay ma'am, being an asshole isn't cute." Hope pulled her shirt down. She didn't even realise what she was wearing.

"You must be Hope Mikaelson, I knew your father." The woman spoke and Hope shrugged.

"You gonna tell me campfire stories?" She asked and Izzy frowns.

"Hope, that's enough." She turned and Hope stood back, pulling Clary with her, putting her game in Clary's pocket.

"Guys, this is my mom." Izzy pointed out and the woman looked at the two girls behind her daughter. She had Izzy's complexion, thick black hair but she didn't have Izzy's smile, the one that lured you in like a snake trying to catch its prey.

"Clary Fairchild. We know all about you two in Idris." Hope is smart enough to know Idris is the home land of Shadowhunters just like Elfhame is the home of the Fae and their High King. If she never saw that asshole again, it would be too soon.

"How's Max? We all miss him." Izzy smiled, she was gentle and Hope could tell her mother was the opposite.

"Max?" Clary asked.

"Little brother, cute but clingy. Kinda Simon-ish." Izzy shrugged. Hope could have another Simon around. She actually missed him, the asshole that didn't even talk to her for two days.

"Robert's picking him up at the Mumbai Institute. Where's Jace?" The woman passed them.

"I think she might be the first person who actually looks for that shitbag." Hope whispered to Clary.

"It's hard to see past him, his ego is so big that it's hard to miss." Clary whispered back, linking their arms as Hope turned to Izzy. She was still looking at where her mom left, face still.

"Come on, let's find out the drama." She linked their arms, Izzy turned to her, with a tight smile on her face.

They found Jace training by himself, Hope mumbled loser under her breath.

"Is your mom always so hardcore?" Clary asked, the three walked together, legs almost entangled together, their hips swaying in unison.

"And she didn't even hug you. That's actually crazy." Clary added and Hope shoved her a little.

"Shadowhunters don't hug." Izzy argued and her words were stricken in half when her mom, Maryse, hugged Jace.

"Gotta love their white kid." Clary said and Hope sighed.

"Where's Max?" Jace asked and the three girls moved closer. "No Max, just mom with her hair on fire." Izzy spoke.

Alec walked in and looked at the three girls. "Mother, Jace and the Sanderson sisters." Alec pointed at the redhead, the blonde and the raven haired girl.

"We weren't expecting you." He looked at his mother and she kissed his cheek.

"Boy mom." Hope bit back a smile, whispering to Clary. "Boy mom." Clary whispered back.

"You should be prepared whether you expect me or not." Maryse replied.

"I am." Alec moved to stand next to Jace.

"We are."

"We'll talk about the Institute later." She waved a hand, waving the subject off like a fly.

"Right now we have another problem. The Seelies have stopped communicating the Clave and won't explain why." Maryse walked past the three girls, they don't speak under her gaze.

"My guess is they're still upset we asked them to send scouts to look for Valentine but no one will talk." She added, walking past the boys. Hope wants to say something stupid but her words are frozen on her tongue.

"I have Seelie friends I can ask." Izzy speaks. She wants her mom to notice her, to approve of what she's doing and she wants to be a good daughter. Hope can tell.

"Yes, I know about your friends." Maryse's words leave a bitter taste in Hope's mouth.

"We stay separated from the Download for a reason. Who knows what you told him or them. We don't know what can upset them, what can tick them off." Maryse looked at Izzy, she looked away.

"So this is Izzy's fault for having a Downwolder friend?" Jace asked and Hope gathered her courage to talk.

"No, she's calling Izzy a slut." The dark haired girl looked at Hope, glared at her. She rested a hand on Izzy's, gripping it tightly to show support.

"Do not put words in my mouth." The woman scolded and Hope apologized.

"I can help. I know how to take to Seelies." Izzy spoke again.

"She's right, she can visit Meliorn and I can go with." Alec supported his sister's request and Hope linked her fingers with Izzy's and the dark haired girl used her empty hand to play with Hope's rings.

"I'd rather have Jace go with her this time." Maryse said looking from Jace, Alec and then at Hope and Clary.

"Alec can take care of the Fairchild and Mikaelson." Hope shook her head.

"We don't need to be taken care of. We're not kids." Clary started before she could.

"And if the mission is important to the Clave, I should go with Izzy." Alec looked over at the ginger girl. The two seemed to push and pull with the same amount of gravity.

"You are all so eager to do what you please!" Maryse's harsh tone caught Hope and Clary off guard, Clary held onto Hope's hand tightly. "It's time to face the truth, life is not about what you want to do, it's about what must be done." She stared them down.

"I gave you all your missions. Now carry them out." Then she had Jace and Izzy follow her.

"Well, that was a window into the weird. What did you do to piss off your mom?" Clary asked, facing Alec. His face was as hard as stone.

"If I had to guess, probably all the unsanctioned missions on your behalf." Alec walked away and Hope stared between him and her closest friend.

"I'll take this one." She followed after him.