The White Institute Bedroom

Light-wood's At The End Of The "Coffee Shop"

Light-wood's At The End Of The "Coffee Shop"

Clarissa Morgenstern stood outside of the bar which was situated across the street from Magnus Bane's apartment watching the two Lightwood siblings bickering like a pair of five-year-olds across the table they were sat at. She didn't and couldn't understand why Alec Lightwood had been invited along to the not so secret meeting that Izzy and Clary had organised just an hour earlier, however, she knew that that standing outside of the bar wouldn't reveal any of answers that she was searching for. Anticipating the overload of questions that Isabelle would flood Clary with she stepped inside the building allow the familiar smell of cheap liquor and grease-filled burgers to envelop her body. Almost as quickly as Clary did this her body was physically enveloped by the arms of none other than Isabelle Lightwood herself.

No words were exchanged between the two Shadowhunters as they stood welcoming each other's embrace. Over the years that Clary had fully immersed herself into the Shadow world, she'd realised that close physical contact was something rarely shared by Shadowhunters so the prolonged embrace that she shared with the Lightwood daughter startled her. As their embrace loosened Izzy began scanning Clary's body up and down as if she was checking her over for injuries. The problem was that the injury Clary was currently carrying was not external.

"How are you doing?" Izzy asked as the two of them made their way over to the table that Alec was holding for them, Clary being pulled along behind Izzy who had interlinked their hands.

"In all honesty Iz? I'm confused. I feel lost and I think I've felt like this for quite a while now but have been ignoring it because of everything that's gone on over the past few months. Last night was intense and things came to a boiling point but I don't know what to do about any of this now." Clary replied as Alec caught the attention of a bright blue-haired waitress and ordered three coffees for the table. At first, the waitress seemed confused by the order, as if the three Shadowhunters hadn't realised they were sat in a bar but quickly brushed it off and made her way over to the cash register.

"I think he feels exactly the same way Clary, he just doesn't know how to express that." Alec commented as he pulled at the ends of his jumper, his awkwardness of approaching the situation prominent.

"Well screaming at me or trying to seriously injure people at parties isn't quite the way to do it, Alec." Clary snapped her head in his direction and immediately regretted the outburst. Alec seemed unphased as Clary sent him an apologetic smile hoping she could convey her guilt to him.

The three sat in silence for a few minutes as they were all attempting to come up with a plan of action which would help diminish the situation that Clary and Jace were currently facing. Although Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood had known Jace for a longer period of time than they had known Clary she couldn't help but feel as if the bond they had was similar.

Izzy took a sip of her steaming hot coffee that the waitress had set down in front of the three of them but Clary could think of nothing worse than eating or drinking anything. All Clary could think about were the thousands of good, bad and downright ugly memories of her and Jace that were permanently engraved in her mind for the rest of eternity. It seemed that every memory that she had since her initiation into the Shadow World had begun included Jace, sometimes in obvious ways and other times in not so obvious ways. It was something that Clary was both pleased and disappointed with, although she loved Jace she felt her existence in the Shadow World had begun to be defined by him and his actions and his consequences.

"You know what? I'm not doing this anymore. And no Iz before you start panicking I'm not disappearing. I'm doing the exact opposite actually. Everything I do is defined by mine and Jace's relationship which is nice sometimes but that's not how life works, I mean I'm my own person and I don't even have my own bedroom at the Institute. Do you know how ridiculous that is? I'm coming back to the Institute, I shouldn't have to think that I have to leave everytime Jace acts like a child. It's my home, it has been for a long time but I'm not coming back to fall into the same routine again. It doesn't work anymore, it hasn't for a long time and I think we all know that. Ever since Edom we've all been messed up, nothing works the same anymore." Clary explained as loosely as she could in fear that the Lightwood's would actually think that she had entered a state of permanent insanity if she explained her plan in detail.

The two Lightwood siblings stared at each other in a state of confusion and turned to Clary with the exact same expression plastered on their faces. However, slowly but surely Alec Lightwood's facial expression turned from one of confusion to one of intrigue and excitement. It shocked Clary that he didn't have some responsible comment to add, especially when the next seven words escaped his lips,

"Morgenstern, I'm all ears for this plan."

***

The three Shadowhunters stood nervously in the elevator as it ascended to the floors above it. However, Alec and Izzy felt as if their hearts had burst from their chest and were now sat at their feet, their nerves were off the scales. Clary was oblivious to any sort of panic though. Taking a look over at her Izzy relaxed as her fiery red headed Shadowhunter gave her the same kind smile she had always had. The elevator ride felt centuries long before the double doors opened to reveal the main corridor of the Institute.

However, Alec and Izzy felt as if their hearts had burst from their chest and were now sat at their feet, their nerves were off the scales. Clary was oblivious to any sort of panic though. Taking a look over at her Izzy relaxed as her fiery red headed Shadowhunter gave her the same kind smile she had always had. The elevator ride felt centuries long before the double doors opened to reveal the main corridor of the Institute.

Stepping out into the empty corridor felt almost anti-climatic for the two Lightwood's siblings as they attempted to help an oblivious Clary put her plan into action. The longer they waited the higher their nerves rose. Every time the three of them passed an open door either Alec or Izzy checked that Jace wasn't lurking behind it.

"By the Angel! Where have you two been? Everyone just seems to be vanishing into thin air at the minute and it's really not helpful," The sound of Jace's voice travelling down the corridor caused Alec and Izzy to jump in fear that he would see Clary and lose every sensible fibre in his body. However, the Lightwood's jumped in front of her before Jace managed to look up from he documents in his hands. "So I've been thinking about asking Simon if her knew where Clary was or maybe taking a look at a tracking rune or something along those lines to find-"

"Jace, we wanted to show you something...or someone," Izzy's statement caused Jace's head to snap up in a matter of seconds. "Clary, you remember Jace right?" Izzy and Alec parted ways like the Red Sea in order to reveal Clary standing behind them.

"Well I would if he ever remembered to come on our missions anymore." Clary replied sarcastically whilst holding a hand out from him to shake in reply.

Jace's face was one of shock and confusion until he scanned Clary's body, noticing that apart from the vital runes she needed her body was like a blank canvas. That was when he entered a full state of meltdown.