#panel 5 isabel is what i want for her all the time. shes enjoying herself! shes having fun!

[weirdbabs]

i think this is one of my favorite pages. panel 2 and 8 max are adorable, isabel looks so free dancing around, creating paper waves and whirlpools, and the colors are warm and beautiful

[emospritelet]

Homecoming - chapter 15

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] [Part 14] AO3 link

Last time, the family travelled to Willowbrook Grange, on the site where the town of Avonleigh once stood, and where, unknown to them, Belle lived one of her past lives

x

The air was frigid, and Belle shivered, sending Ogilvy a smile as he handed her down from the carriage. She clutched Ava and Nicholas close to her, the latter grumbling about his empty stomach, and Ogilvy ruffled his hair comfortingly. Lady Tremaine had stepped forward to greet the Professor. She was a slender woman with light brown hair and a strong jawline, her eyes alight with excitement.

“Oh, Professor Lowe, it’s so good of you to come!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been quite beside myself! It felt as though there was nowhere else for me to turn, and then Lady Fortescue pointed me in your direction. She can’t recommend you highly enough, so I’m delighted you agreed to come all this way!”

“Not at all, not at all,” said the Professor heartily. “May I present my good friend Mr Ogilvy?”

“A pleasure,” said Lady Tremaine, as Ogilvy took off his hat and bowed his head. “I understand your knowledge of the dark realms is almost equal to that of the Professor’s.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Belle noticed Lord Tremaine roll his eyes a little, but he said nothing.

“We shall do our utmost to assist in whatever way we can,” said Ogilvy smoothly.

“And I presume this is Mrs Ogilvy?”

Lady Tremaine was looking expectantly at Belle, whose mouth fell open as she felt a blush rise in her cheeks. Alice snickered, and covered her mouth with her hand as though she had coughed.

“Ah,” said the Professor. “May I present Miss Annabelle Marchland? I believe I mentioned her in my letter. She’s our assistant, and a most competent one, I assure you.”

“I - see.”

Belle shot him a surprised look, and the Professor winked at her. Lady Tremaine looked Belle up and down a moment, a crease of confusion between her eyes.

“Forgive me, Miss Marchland,” she said. “You look frightfully familiar. Have we met?”

“Your Ladyship may have seen me once or twice at Furton Grange,” offered Belle, and Lady Tremaine’s expression cleared.

“Ah. I daresay that’s it. Some soirée of my dear friend Lady Ella Deville, no doubt. She’ll be here for New Year’s Eve, you know. Well, come in, come in! We shall all freeze to death out here!”

Belle was spared from explaining that she had been Lady Ella’s governess as Lady Tremaine turned on her toes, bustling off into the house. She had completely ignored the children, and Alice was biting her lip to hold in her amusement. It was a relief to step inside, a tide of warmth flowing over them as the heavy doors were closed. Ivy and Hatter had disappeared, following the other servants carrying in the trunks, and Belle was led up a sweeping staircase where two suits of armour stood guard with long pikes. That sense of familiarity was there again, a creeping tingle down her spine, and she shivered. The house was different to Furton Grange, its decor a little old-fashioned with its deep reds and golds, the wooden panelling and staircase giving the entrance hall a darker, heavier look. It suited the building, though, this red-brick mansion in the dark and cold of the far north of England. Belle wondered what it had seen over the centuries. The stories it could tell.

x

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair, for which Belle was grateful, two days of travel having taken their toll. She was escorted in by Henry Mills, an American writer wed to Lord Tremaine’s daughter from his first marriage. Mr Mills was a handsome, dark-haired young man, pleasant and attentive, and Belle found herself seated between he and his friend Mr Branson. Mrs Mills was seated to the right of Mr Branson, and seemed a lovely woman, but Belle couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t get along with her stepmother. Mr and Mrs Mills were expecting a child in March, but informed her that they already had a daughter, Lucy, who was the same age as the twins. Mr Mills suggested that the children could keep one another amused for the duration of their visit.

“There’s a well-stocked nursery,” he added, as he took a sip of his wine. “Jacinda and I came over from Seattle in the summer, and Lucy seems to enjoy the change of scene. I’m sure she’d be happy to show your two around the old place.”

“Nicholas and Ava had a difficult start in life,” said Belle carefully, thinking of the unsuccessful spelling lessons, and the words the twins could teach Lucy, if she wasn’t around to stop them. “Mr Ogilvy was good enough to take them in and give them a home. They may not be the kind of playmates that Lucy is used to, but I assure you they’re good children with good hearts.”

“Oh, street rats, huh?” said Mr Branson, in a tone that made Belle want to frown. “Well, I guess Lucy spends enough time with the servants. She’ll be used to their kind. She can keep ‘em in line.”

“Don’t be unkind, Nick,” Mrs Mills chided. “They’re children. I’m sure they’re just as well-behaved as Lucy.”

“Hmm.” Mr Mills looked resigned at that. “God help us all.”

He shared a chuckle with his wife, and Belle joined in.

“Well, I guess they won’t be able to get up to anything too terrible,” he went on. “The woods and fields around the house are perfect for exploring, but with all this snow, something tells me they may want to spend their time indoors near the fire.”

“They’re not the only ones,” Mr Branson muttered under his breath.

“Careful,” warned Mr Mills, with a twinkle in his eye. “Her Ladyship might leave you at the tender mercies of her ghosts while the rest of us go shooting.”

The two men chuckled, casting a look up the table to where Lady Tremaine was chatting animatedly with the Professor and Ogilvy, her husband’s attention solely on his food.

“What do you know about these strange occurrences that the Professor has been asked to investigate?” asked Belle curiously, and Mr Mills gave her a somewhat rueful smile.

“I can’t say I’ve seen or heard anything myself,” he said, shooting a glance at Lady Tremaine. “But perhaps I’m not as sensitive to these things as Her Ladyship. She says there are strange noises at night. Banging and knocking.”

“Of course there are, it’s an old house,” said Mr Branson dismissively, cutting a piece of beef.

“Well, no doubt she’ll tell you more tomorrow, Miss Marchland,” said Mr Mills. “Her Ladyship has an excellent imagination, and something of a flare for the dramatic. She’s an interesting character.”

“Interesting enough to put in one of your books?” asked Belle, and he groaned.

“Don’t, I’d never hear the end of it. Tempting though it is.”

“I think there’s already a tale with a wicked stepmother anyway,” murmured Mr Branson, and Mrs Mills shot him a quelling look tinged with amusement.

x

Ogilvy woke when it was still dark, heart thumping in his chest as the last oppressive scenes of a disturbing dream faded away. The dream had been formed from his own memories, and his heart sank as he faced the days ahead of them, darkened by shadows of the past. He was looking forward to returning to the city, and leaving the ghosts of this place to rest.

As usual, Hatter seemed to sense when he was awake, and was soon at the door with hot water for his morning shave. It made him feel a little better, and having established that Doc was still asleep, he dressed warmly in a tweed suit and his thick wool overcoat. The house was silent as he made his way downstairs, and the butler, Thwaites, let him out of the door and into the cold, crisp morning.

The sun was just sneaking above the horizon, sending long, scarlet fingers through the grey wisps of cloud, and he sensed that it would be a sunny day, at least at first. He closed his eyes for a moment to remember his surroundings as they had once been, letting memories crowd in on him, joy and guilt and grief clamouring for his attention. When he opened his eyes, he half-expected to see the town of Avonleigh as it had been centuries earlier. The house where he had spun his thread and made his deals and where he had loved Isabelle so many times. The square where the market had been held, and where the townsfolk had danced at the birth of spring. The space where the gibbet had stood. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on happier times, and blinked rapidly, glancing to the east as he set off to explore the land around the house. It was cold enough to make him cough, and he pushed his chin into his scarf, using his walking cane to pick his way across the frozen ground.

The river that had once powered the mill’s wheel in Avonleigh must have been dammed at one point, and a lake now filled the lower part of the valley where much of the town had stood. Most of the lake was coated with a layer of snow-covered ice, but there were patches kept clear to allow the fish beneath to break the surface, and birds to drink. Ogilvy walked slowly, watching the water ripple, weak orange sun gleaming on the ice and making the snow glitter. The winters had not been so harsh in their old life, the snow infrequent and light in its appearance. In the lives to come, he had wondered at the colder climate, and how many lifetimes it would last. He had wondered if it would always be winter without Belle.

The crunch of footsteps behind him made him turn, and he smiled as Belle appeared, a flush in her pale cheeks and breath coming from her in plumes of white. She wore a heavy woollen skirt above sturdy boots, her long coat tight around her slim figure and her hair pinned up beneath a black hat. He reached for his own, lifting it in greeting as she approached.

“i wondered if anyone else was awake,” she said, a little breathlessly. “Alice said she wasn’t leaving the house until after breakfast, but I thought I’d make the most of the morning.”

He smiled, settling the hat back on his head and offering her his arm.

“I was about to take a walk around the lake.”

Belle beamed at him, slipping her arm through his, and they set off at a comfortable pace. The chirps of birds were coming from the trees that stood at the eastern edge of the lake, and Ogilvy headed for them, thinking that the snow would be lighter on the ground beneath their boughs.

“How are the children?” he asked, glancing at her, and Belle smiled.

“Homesick, I think,” she confessed. “I woke this morning to find them both nestled in bed beside me.”

“Ah,” he said. “Not what you expected when you became governess, I daresay.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said, with a chuckle. “In fact, it’s encouraging to think they might come to me for comfort. I have no desire to be one of those governesses that the novels warn us of.”

“Which kind?” he asked, with a grin. “Terror of small children or scheming seductress?”

Belle giggled, her blush deepening as she clapped a hand to her mouth.

“I would hope that I fit neither description,” she said primly, and his grin widened.

“Then I shall rest easier in my bed knowing that you don’t intend to murder me and steal my fortune,” he remarked.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate for the festive season, would it?”

“Best wait until we get home, then.”

She giggled again, and he felt her squeeze his arm as she moved a little closer.

“I take it the twins will be having their breakfast upstairs?” he asked, and she nodded.

“The maids brought it in just before I left, but Alice offered to sit with them while they ate. I’m told that we’ll have ours in the breakfast room from nine-thirty.”

“I’m sure we can work up an appetite by then,” he remarked.

“If we keep at this pace, I have no doubt of it.”

Ogilvy laughed, her presence lightening his mood, and they walked on, feet crunching and squeaking in the snow. He let his eyes roam over the familiar slopes of the surrounding fells and the purplish peaks of distant mountains, the cold air making his teeth hurt when he breathed it in. Belle let out a sigh.

“It’s very beautiful, isn’t it?” she said. “Desolate, but beautiful.”

“It is,” he said, and hesitated a moment. “How - how do you feel, being here?”

She wrinkled her nose thoughtfully, but if she found his question strange, she didn’t say anything.

“It’s the oddest thing,” she said eventually. “There’s something familiar about it. I was trying to remember if I had ever come here with Lady Ella. I don’t believe I have, but I feel as though I know this place. As though when I turn the next corner, I’ll know exactly what’s in front of me.”

“I understand,” he said. “It feels that way to me, too. Except here around the lake.”

He glanced at her, expecting her to agree, but she shook her head.

“The lake feels familiar too,” she mused. “I must have been here before, there’s no other explanation. Perhaps I just saw it from a carriage once, or something.”

“Oh.” Perhaps she has. Why wouldn’t she? She’d have no reason to avoid the place, would she? Not like you, you coward.

“Perhaps it’s one of your past lives,” he said tentatively, and she smiled at him.

“And were you ever here, Mr Ogilvy?” she said teasingly. “One hundred lifetimes must span a long time indeed. I imagine you must have seen all manner of changes.”

“The lake wasn’t here when I last walked this way,” he said, matter-of-factly, and she laughed, as though he had made a joke. It was surprisingly painful.

They circled the farthest edge of the lake, where fir trees clustered close enough together to provide a needle-covered patch of ground clear of snow. Ogilvy could feel the cold beginning to sink into his feet through his boots, and he glanced at Belle, wondering if she was getting chilled. She seemed to feel his eyes on her, and looked around with a faint smile.

“Are you starting your investigations today?” she asked.

“So I believe,” he said. “Doc asked Lady Tremaine a few questions last night, but we’ll look over the house today, while we have the benefit of the daylight.”

“I hear there are a great many guests due for the celebrations this evening,” she said. “Mr Mills told me of some of them, including Lady Ella, of course, and many of the inhabitants from the nearby towns. It’s a grand occasion, it seems, with music and dancing.”

“Perhaps we can put Her Ladyship’s mind at rest quickly, then,” he remarked. “I’d hate for her evil spirits to spoil the mood.”

Belle smiled at that.

“Do you believe there are really evil spirits here?” she asked, her tone sceptical, and he hesitated.

“I believe that she believes there are,” he said eventually. “Sometimes that’s all it takes: an old house with creaking floors and an impressionable owner.”

“That’s what Mr Branson said.” 

“However, I like to keep an open mind,” he added. “I have no doubt that there have been restless souls in this place. That dark deeds have been done, and innocent lives taken.”

She gave him a curious look, but he said no more, guiding her around a stump of wood.

“The Professor called me your assistant,” she said. “I’m not sure what Her Ladyship made of that. Nor of how much assistance I could be.”

Ogilvy smiled at her uncertain look, and patted her hand.

“Good sense is always in demand, Miss Marchland,” he said. “Your input will be welcome, I promise. And rest assured that no matter what we may face in this investigation, Doc and I will protect you.”

“I’ll do my best not to be a liability, fainting in fear at every creaking floorboard,” she said, in a dry tone that made him grin.

“I don’t doubt it.”

“I still have the obsidian wand the Professor gave me,” she added, and his grin widened.

“Good.”

They continued around the lake, the rear of the house coming into view with its ordered gardens and large orangery, and he felt her shiver.

“Cold?” he asked, concerned.

“No - I mean, yes, I am, but—” She shook her head. “Just that odd feeling that I’ve been here before, that’s all. I’m sure it will pass.”

“Perhaps it will,” he said grimly. “Come, let’s pick up the pace. A hot breakfast would be welcome.”

Belle agreed readily, and they quickened their pace, rounding the lake and heading back uphill towards the house. He steered them towards one of the gravel paths used by the servants, where the snow was lightest, and Belle shivered again as they stepped out onto the sweeping driveway at the front.

“A chilly day for a walk, but I daresay it’s good for us,” she announced, and turned to him with a smile as they stopped just outside the door. “It’s certainly reminded me that I’m very much alive.”

“Yes,” he said softly.

Her eyes were sparkling in the morning sunlight, threads of red in her dark hair, her skin like cream and her lips soft and pink as rose petals. His fingers itched from wanting to stroke her hair, to cup her cheek. His mouth ached from the urge to kiss her. Belle smiled a little dreamily, glancing back towards the woods.

“I look forward to the spring, Mr Ogilvy,” she said. “Snow-laden trees are all very well aesthetically, but I long to feel the sun on my skin and smell green, growing things. I think morning walks with you will be far more pleasant when we’re not worried about freezing to death.”

You always loved the spring, when the flowers began to bloom and you could run through wet grass with your feet bare, laughing up at the sky. I loved seeing you so free. I loved laying you down in the heather and kissing your sweet mouth, making you cry out in pleasure as the sun warmed our skin. So many years we missed, my love! How many more before you know me again?

Belle was looking at him expectantly, and he swallowed hard, past the lump in his throat.

“I should be delighted to spend each and every morning with you, Miss Marchland.”

His voice was lower than usual, roughened with emotion, and she smiled at him, gazing up through thick, dark lashes as she blushed a little. He returned her smile, the fond look in her eyes sinking into him, warm as sunlight, comforting his tortured soul and chasing away the shadows of the past.

“Come,” he said, offering his arm to her again. “Let’s have breakfast.”

[kadtherine]

alec lightwood appreciation 2017

week 5 : family

Alec was going over a particular mission detail with Raj when he noticed both Isabelle and Max sneaking out of the OPS center. With a frown, he practically shoved the file in Raj’s head, stammering out a barely thought excuse before he took his leave, rushing after his siblings before either of them could disappear from his sight. He dodged returning patrols and avoided the crowded halls, where previously laughing shadowhunters pretended to busy themselves at the sight of the Head of the Institute. Alec payed them no mind, focused on following his siblings’ tracks. He eventually found them standing in front of the Institute’s front doors, both readying themselves to get out much to Alec’s confusion. He watched with crossed arms and a mix of curiosity and confusion, Isabelle wrap a thick scarf around Max’s neck, the latter mildly irritated by her fretting as he busied himself with filling a backpack. After making sure that every morsel of Max’s skin had been covered, Isabelle grabbed a leather jacket and quickly shrugged it on, taking her hair out the her jacket with a swift movement before she tied it up in a tight ponytail. Alec’s eyes widened when he watched Isabelle get her stele out of her back pocket - of all the places to keep it, he thought with aggravation - and started working on a Glamouring Rune.

Both were in the process of switching their combat boots to simple sneakers when Alec decided to make his presence known. Slipping out of his dark corner, he took a few steps toward them before Max lifted his head, a smile appearing on his face when he noticed him.

“Hey, Alec!”

“Hey…,” Alec tilted his head to the side, stuffing a hand in his pocket, “You guys are going on a trip or somethin’?”

“Simon told me about that comic store that I really want to visit,” Max informed him, bouncing on his toes in both excitement and impatience.

Alec frowned down at his little brother before looking back at Isabelle, an eyebrow cocked in question. How had the annoying mundane-turned-vampire spend enough time with Max for him to remember his name, Alec thought. Isabelle responded to his look with an eye roll and an annoyed sigh. Shrugging on her own backpack, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before fixing Max’s collar.

“Do you want to come with us?” Max offered, his tone slightly hopeful before he batted Isabelle’s hands away, “Jace is going to meet us in some coffee in a hour.”

Rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, Alec threw a quick look in a direction of the OPS, where things seemed to be strangely calm - the calm before the storm, nagged an irritating voice in his mid - before he looked up to the grandfather clock.

“It’s getting late.”

“It’s barely three,” Isabelle protested, her previous annoyance remplaced by excitement at the prospect of spending the afternoon with her brothers, “Come on, it’ll be fun. When was the last time we spend time with just the four of us?”

His jaw clenched, Alec dipped his head down, frowning at the groan in thought. He couldn’t actually remember the last time he had spend time with Isabelle and Jace because of something that wasn’t a mission. Now that he had been appointed as Head of the Institute, Alec barely had the time to see Max whenever the latter would visit. Alec looked back up and groaned when met with two matching pouts.

“I can’t. I’ve got to-”

“Oh come on!” Isabelle insisted, almost whining. “We’ll go to the zoo and we could have early dinner in Manhattan. You’ve got to come with us or it won’t be the same. I’m sure you can leave the Institute for the evening without it burning down,” she added, her tone softer.

Alec snorted, running his fingers through his hair a couple of times before he let his head fall onto the back of his neck. Looking back at his siblings, he found Isabelle staring at him, a knowing - seemingly victorious - smirk plastered on her face and her arms crossed against her chest in feigned patience while Max was holding both hands in front of his, as if begging for something. Letting his arms fall to his sides, Alec let out a sigh in resign - from the corner of his eye, he could see Isabelle’s smirk widen at his quiet abandon.

“Lemme grab my jacket.”

They stood in front of a street cart, both patiently waiting for their commands while observing their surroundings. A few steps away from them, Max stated wide eyed at the different cosplayers posing with tourists down Times Square, his bretzel forgotten in his hands. With a smirk, Alec turned back to Isabelle, the latter buried against him in search of some warmth.

“Does your special sibling outing activities include you catching a cold and/or us getting food intoxication from this dubious street cart?” he teased, propping his chin on her head.

He winced and leaned back when Isabelle responded by pinching his side. Detangling herself from Alec, she glared up at him before pulling down the scarf that covered half of her face.

“Don’t be rude,” she muttered.

At the call of their orders, Isabelle reached into his pocket, getting two bills of ten and putting them on a counter with a smile while Alec grabbed both his f their bretzels and sauces. Isabelle looped an arm through his, dragging them away from the booth before he could ask for or be given his change. She ignored Alec frowning down at her and grabbed her snack out of his hand.

“You’re aware all three bretzels only costed 15 bucks, right?”

“I wouldn’t have tipped him extra if you hadn’t been a jerk,” Isabelle knocked her hip against his, “come on, you grump. Admit you’re having fun.”

He rolled his eyes and bit into his salty treat as they both lazily strolled down the street, Max ahead of them and exchanging high fives with Spiderman. He was having fun. He had enjoyed their short promenade through Central Park, where both Max and Isabelle had been invited to feed the horses and responded with excited squeals. He then, had fun when they had moved further into the park’s zoo, tugging Max’s hood with an amused grin when the latter would get too close to the felines’ enclosure - like face-stuck-to-the-glass-panel-too close. He had watched fondly as Isabelle had stepped not the monkeys’ enclosure, feeding them popcorn as they climbed onto her shoulder.However, admitting to having fun was only asking Isabelle to smugly brag that she had been right and she probably drop her $5 dollar caramel bretzel to the ground while doing a victory dance.

Alec hummed in an noncommittal way, hiding a smirk when she groaned in frustration. He watched with a small smile as Max stopped in his tracks and walked back to them, a frown on his face and his soggy bretzel in his hand.

“Could I get another thing to eat when we get to the café?” he asked.

“You aren’t done with this,” Alec sighed, inwardly preparing himself for his brother’s arguing, “I thought we agreed on only getting something to drink once we get there.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect it to taste g- to not like it,” Max quickly corrected when Alec leveled a warning glare at him, “plus, I want some cheesecake.“

Before Alec could protest, Isabelle reached forward and plopped the rest of Max’s bretzel out of his hands before popping it in her mouth. Her mouth full, she looked up at Alec, her cheeks puffed as she grinned mischievously at him. He stared back at her, unimpressed, as she made a show of checking and swallowing the food with a loud gulp.

“Problem solved,” Isabelle said, her grin matching Max’s as she sucked salt pearls stuck on her thumb, “Where to next?”

They had decided that, next should be the infamous comic store Simon had talked to Max about. Store that was beyond crowded and did nothing to put the young vampire in Alec’s favors. While Isabelle’s arm was looped through his, Alec had to keep a hand on Max’s shoulder, stopping the over excited boy from wandering by himself and disappearing into the crowd. Max bounced from the comic section to the pop figure section, blabbering about such and such that both tired and amused Alec while Isabelle seemed to be following what he was such with no difficulty. He found himself thinking that it wasn’t only his baby brother that had been spending too much time with Simon. Before they walked out the store, Max insisted on buying a pop figure for each of his siblings - Alec ended up with a Hawkeye figure, Isabelle was the happy receivant of a Black Widow figure and all three agreed on buying a Captain America for Jace.

Isabelle, dragged them from the comic store to the Lego store where then, followed a competition between the three siblings on who coud build the most impressive monument or building. Isabelle was haflway through a perfect  Lego-repica of the Institute before a toddler rushed in and proceeded to destruct her piece, much too Alec and Max’s amusement. Isabelle lashed out of frustration, her fist crashing into Alec’s Eiffel Tower and sending Legos flying everywhere, shooting a mischievious grin in response to his protesting cries. Max was declared winnner by elimination.

They walked out of the store, Isabelle and Max ahead while Alec walked a few feet behind them. He snorted as they both began skipping in synch, arms linked together. They had to stop at a roadcrossings, laughing to themselves about something, falling silent when Alec joined them. He cocked an eyebrow at them, to which Isabelle and Max responded with smothered laughter. They sobered and resumed their skipping when the pedestrian turned green. Alec watched as they slowed down, waiting from him to catch up.

“Y’know, your hair’s getting kinda long,” Isabelle said with a frown, raking her fingers through Max’s blonde hair, “you’re in need of a haircut.”

“No, I’m not!” Max protested, batting her hand away and brushing his hair back, “Beside, it gives me an edge.”

“An edge?” Alec snorted, “You’re 11. Why would you need to look edgy?”

Max shrugged in response, oblivious to the look Isabelle and Alec exchanged over his head. Alec caught sight of Jace already in the café, sitting at a window’s seat. Jace lifted his head at the same momen and met his gaze, lifting a hand in greeting. Alec returned the greeting with a nod as he walked ahead to the café’s door, holding it opened for his younger siblings. Isabelle put both hands on Max’s shoulders and led him to the bathroom while Alec went to join Jace by the table.

“Hey, quick question,” Alec started as he caught the drink Jace slid his way, “what’s your opinion about Max cutting his hair?”

“Why should he? It’s giving him an edge,” Jace frowned, sipping on his coffee as he leaned back in his chair, “Why?”

“No reason,” Alec smirked, drumming his fingers against the table.

Narrowing his eyes at him, Jason run his fingers through his hair and crossed a leg over the other. He grinned when seeing both Isabelle and Max joined the table. Isabelle greeted Jace with a kiss on the cheek before grabbing the styrofoam cup of tea in front of her.

“Hey little man,” Jace bumped his fist against Max’ before handing him a cup of hot chocolate, “Ready to meet Lady Liberty? The next ferry’s for Manhattan is in ten,” he added while getting up.

“I thought we would’ve the time to eat before we go,” Max frowned, slightly disappointed.

As if on cue, Jace smirked and held up a paper bag, waggling his eyebrows at the younger boy.

“I gotcha, bro.” 

Chuckling at Max’s bright grin, Jace carefully slipped the paper back in his brother’s backpack before he tapped him on his shoulder, silently informing him to move forward.

“Vamos, people,” Jace prompted, earning a look from Isabelle.

The ferry’s bridge was surprisingly empty of people - Alec attributed the lack of crowds to the bad weather and the late hour. Not that it would usually deter New Yorkers or tourists, but for some reasons they had chosen to stay inside the boat. Not that he minded - according to Alec, the less people, the better. Alec had chosen to sit on a bench, safe from the big gushes of wind while keeping an eye on Jace and Max, both - dangerously - leaning over the railing and looking into the Hudson. If it wasn’t for Jace’s arm around Max’s waist, Alec would have already dragged them both away from it.

Stretching his legs over him, Alec pulled his hood over his head and downed the rest of the coffee, relishing in its warmth. He barely had the time to pull his arms away before Isabelle came to lay on him, bundled in her leather jacket, hoodie and scarf. Alec leaned his head back with a grunt and tilted it to the side so he wouldn’t get a mouth full of hair.

“Comfy?” Alec deadpanned.

“Very, thank you,” Isabelle shot back as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Alec scoffed and brushed her hair away before he wrapped his arms around her, swallowing a wince when her elbow dug into his ribs as she got comfortable. As if she heard his intake of breath, she shot him a small look and grimaced, mouthing a quiet apology. He pinced her side in respone before adjusting his hold on her. Isabelle turned back around and let out a content sigh.

“This is nice.”

Alec hummed, his hold tightening around her. A comfortable silence fell between the two, only broken by the sound of the wind and waves. Alec’s gaze turned to Jace and Max, smiling when he saw the both of them engage in an intense thumb-war. His eyes, then, fell to Isabelle at the sound of her laugh, the latter as engaged in the match as both of her brothers.

This is nice, Alec thought, almost surprised at the sound of his own laugh mixing with Isabelle. He pursed his lips, smothering his laughter when Isabelle sat up and threw him a look over her shoulder, a smirk tugging at her lips and a victorious glint in her eye. He narrowed his eyes at her.

“You really thought this through, didn’t you?”

Isabelle kept smirking and shrugged, running her fingers through her hair before she reached into her Pocket and got a familiar device out of it. Eyes wide-opened, Alec sat up, an arm automaticaly wrapping around Isabelle’s waist to prevent her from falling, and snatched his phone out of her hands.

“Izzy! What are you doing with my phone?”

“Had to make sure you wouldn’t spend the day on it, worrying about the Institute and stuff. Plus,” she shrugged in a nonchalant way, unbothered by his annoye glare, “Mom told me to do so.”

As if it were possible, Alec’s eyes grew wider and his eyebrows climbed higher on his forehead.

“Mom- told you to do so?! Mom knows about this?”

“Of course she does,” Isabelle retorted in a ‘duh, idiot’ tone before she took his phone and shoved it back in her pocket, “How do I think I got the four of us to leave the Institute without any resistance? Beside, I’m not an idiot: I wouldn’t leave the Institute without supervision.”

Alec was torn between bein angry or amused by this entire ordeal. He couldn’t help but laugh at the satisfied grin Isabelle wore and for the umptenth time in his lifetime, Alec was relieved that Isabelle was on their side. With her genius, strength and mischievousness, she’d be able to take over the world within hours. Shifting on his lap, Isabelle began poking his chest.

“Now admit it: this was the best idea ever and I’m a genius.”

Alec grabbed both of her hands with his free one, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I never denied the fact that you were a genius. As for this being the ‘best idea ever’,” he cocked his head to the side and smirked, “day’s still young, hermanita. It could all go to hell, knowing us.” 

Letting out a scoff, Isabelle freed her hands from his grasp and gave his chest a last shove.

“Aguafiesta.”

Late into the evening, a couple of young men could be seen racing through the streets of New York, each carrying another person on their backs and each talking trash to the other. Pedestrians hastely moved out of their way as they jumped over benches and pratically flew to cross the pedestrian crossings before it turned red.

“Come on, Alec! They’re catching up,” Max urged him on, his arms tightening around his neck as Alec took a sharp turn.

Alec risked a look back, smirking at Isabelle screaming and almost kicking Jace’s sides for him to go faster. He heard his parabatai’s muffled ‘damn it, Iz” I’m not a freakin’ horse! stop digging your heels in’ as he turned back around, nearly crashing into a couple of women. He slowed down his pace with a gasp, ignoring Max’s whining in his ear as Jace and Isabelle flew pass them, the latter cackling at them. Swallowing a curse, Alec threw an apology over his shoulder before he resumed the horse, adjusting his hold on Max.

He breathed out a sigh when catching sight of the enlightened Institute and both Isabelle and Jace sitting at the front steps. Skidding to a stop, Alec let a petulant and arguing Max off his back as he rushed to his smug siblings’.

“I demand a rematch!” he declared, stomping his feet as he climbed the stairs.

“Aw, come on, Maxi-Max, don’t be such a sore-loser,” Jace said as he got up, dusting off his hands on his pants 

Max humphed, crossing his arms over his chest and avoiding Isabelle’s hands as he pushed in the heavy front door of the Institute, closely followed by his siblings. The OPS centre was still buzzing with activity at their arrival, Maryse standing in front of a multitude of screens, her lip stuck between her teeth as she listened to whatever was being said. She looked away at the sound of the bickering, her concentration replaced by amusement. Handing her tablet to a nearby Shadowhunter, Maryse quickly got down the stairs and walked toward her four children.

“And here I was thinking that this place was too quiet,” Maryse said, her smile widened when all heads swiveled to face her. Her gaze drifting to a still pouting Max, “Did you have fun, love?”

“It was fine, I guess,” he shrugged before glaring up at Isabelle and Jace, “before these two ruined it by cheating-”

“Hey now, dude,” Jace interrupted, frowning down at Max, “we won fair and square-”

A new wave of bickering erupted between the three younger siblings, causing Maryse to throw a look at Alec. Alec responded with an eye roll, cocking an eyebrow at her as if silently telling her that it was her fault. And technically, it was. Maryse returned the look, crossing her arms and cocking a head to the side : they’re your siblings. Deal with them. With a long sigh, Alec put both hands on Max’s shoulders, putting an end to the argument.

“We’ll have our rematch, Max. Promise. Just not today, it’s getting late.”

As Max was about to protest that he wasn’t tired, a traitorous yawn escaped his mouth. Alec smirked down at him, ruffling his hair before he looked up at his mother, the latter pursing her lips in attempt to smother her laugh. Clearing her threat, Maryse leaned down so she was eye-levelled with Max and brushed away the locks of hair that fell over his eyes. 

“How about you go up, put away your things and hop in the shower? I’ll come up later to check on you;” 

Max blew out a breath and nodded, dragging his feet as he made his way to his private quarters. Isabelle shot a small, tired smile at her mother and let out a yawn of her own, pulling her hair out of her ponytail. 

“I’m going to go up too. I’ll check on Max,” she reached for her mother, giving her a short embrace, “Night, losers,” she threw over her shoulders.

“Night, Iz’,” Alec retorted with an eyeroll. 

Jace muttered something about going to see if Clary had already turned up for the night before taking his leave, oblivious to Alec’s and Maryse’s amusement. He threw a look to his mother and let out a long-suffering sigh, earning a snort from the older woman. Alec shrugged off his leather jacket with a groan and fell into step with Maryse as they made their way around the OPS centre. 

“How were things around here?” Alec asked, rolling his neck and snapping back into leader mode.

Maryse stopped in her tracks and put a hand on his arm, forcing him to turn and face. 

“I’ve been handling this Institute long before you can walk, Alec. I’ve got things under control.”

“I know, b-”

“How about you tell me how about your day?” she interrupted,wrapping an arm around his, in a similar manner Isabelle had done earlier, “Did you have fun?”  

Alec blinked down at her, wondering for a second if something had gone wrong during his absence and she was trying to hide it from. But brown eyes stared back into his and Alec only saw genuine curiosity and affection. As if sensing his hesitation, Maryse squeezed his arm, snapping him out of his train of thoughts. 

“Uh, it was fine. Max didn’t get eaten by tigers, Izzy made friends with a capucin monkey and Jace didn’t fall into the Hudson. Sounds like a pretty good day to me,” he said, flashing his mother a sheepish smile. 

“While I’m glad that all your siblings are alive and well, this isn’t what I asked,” Maryse chuckled when he frowned down at her, as if genuinely confused, “Did you had fun?” 

Alec found himself pondering over the question. Unnecessarily, of course since he had already - although, albeit relucantly - admitted to himself that Isabelle’s idea hadn’t been as bad as he had thought it would be. He remembered genuinely enjoying himself when feeding the cows at the zoo - he might have named one or two, but that was his secret to know. Alec remembered laughing at loud during their sibling competition in the Lego store, wiping tears when Isabelle’s building had been rendered to pieces - literaly. Hell, Alec already pictured where he would put the Hawkeye pop figure Max had bought him - on his desk in the office, next to a photo they had taken in Central Park last year.

 Alec looked down at his mother,the latter staring back at her with a knowing smile. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I won’t tell Isabelle, promise,” she whispered. 

“Well, in that case,” Alec snorted, “I guess I had fun.”

And while his tone was sarcastic, his words were as genuine as Maryse’s responding smile.