quick as lightning

31. Family vs. family

As Magnus and I appeared in the apartment through the portal I casually sat in the kitchen making chocolate chip pancakes while the warlock was doing some zen magic practice. The door opened and in walked Alexander lightwood. He came into the kitchen as looked at me for a few seconds as if debating wether or not he should say anything.

"If your going to ask me to come back to the institute I won't, not until Jace is off the command kill list." I flipped one of the golden pancakes.

"I was just going to say I didn't know if you could cook." He smiled and I chuckled, adjusting my shoulder strap. "And ask why your wearing a toga."

I turned around so my back was to him and smiled. "See Magnus and I went to a party in Greece for some of his warlock friends, there were some vampires but who cares." I shrugged and he came closer, so I could feel his breath on my exposed back.

"You went to a party in Greece." He repeated as I turned to face his confused face. "With Downworlders." I fought a grin from my face. "And so your just casually walking around in a toga making pancakes." He grinned leaning against the kitchen island as I piled plates full of pancakes as Magnus walked in and he took his plate and I handed one to Alec also.

"Yeah, and my cooking is amazing." I informed the men before Magnus closed his eyes and snapped his fingers a picture now in his hands.

"This is Piper on her first Halloween, she was three and wouldn't take it off for two days." Magnus showed me the picture and I gasped in horror.

I was dressed as cleopatra and a woman with dark hair and thick bangs stood beside me laughing wearing a tan dress. I looked utterly ridiculous, my mane of poofy red ringlets and black eyeliner. "Who's this." I pointed and Magnus grin brightened.

"That would be cleopatra, she was at my Halloween party that year." Alec reached for the picture and I jerked it away. I was so small and fragile as a kid, no way.

"Piper, it can't be that bad." Alec reached but I held it above my head. "Thank you." He plucked it easily out of my grasp and I scowled before he began laughing. "Magnus I suppose you have other memories of Piper when she was little. Please don't hold back any good ones."

"Shut up." I crossed my arms before eating the pancakes. "I don't even remember myself." I scowled deeply before leaving my plate on the counter. After walking to my room I began to lay on my bed, Alec came and sat beside me.

"Okay when we were little, Izzy wanted to dye her hair red so nobody would think we were related." Alec started and I grinned covering my mouth.

"I already know this is about to be good." I chuckled and crossed my legs and watching his smile grow.

"So she gets her dye and follows the instructions perfectly, she showers it out, then she goes to dry it..." Alright paused for effect, by now he was barely keeping it together. "But the truth was that Jace and I had swapped it for electric green. And she had to go get Mom to fix it." I tried to imagine a young Izzy screaming while holding green hair and laughed with him.

Once I was remotely calm I began to tell my story of Clary. "So it's thanksgiving right? And Mom told Clary she could make an apple pie, because she was going out to the store with Luke to get the rest of the stuff. So I'm sitting in our room, watching tv and I smell this crispy smell." Alec began to grin at this part as I continued "through the walls I hear Clary shout...'god damnit the apple pies on fire!'" I completely lost it in the middle of my story and paused to breath after my laughter. "So I go in and Clary's holding this pie consumed in flames with a face of pure horror."

I mocked her face and Alec chuckles. "So what did you do?"

"We did the reasonable thing, we threw that bad boy straight out of the window and watched it smack into the pavement." I tilted my head from side to side. "Mom and Luke happened to be walking to the door st that time and saw the whole thing. Let's say Clary wasn't allowed in the kitchen after that."