The Other Wayland

Deciding to Have Some Fun

Joe's POV
The door shook as she slammed it as she left. The room was deadly silent for a few seconds until the shock of her out burst wore off.
"Is her response to everything to run off?" Jace asked harshly.
"She's gets a bit of a short temper when she's stressed but of course you wouldn't know that because you haven't seen her for years. You don't know her." I retorted equally as harshly.
"She's my sister! Of course I know her!" Jace shouted indignantly.
"Really, you think you know her better than me? You honestly believe that you could possibly know her better than me when I have barely left her side for more than a few days in the last six years?" I rounded on him. "I have spent the last six years protecting your sister. I have spent six years making sure she didn't get herself killed because she thought that nobody else cared. Because she thought that you didn't care! I spent years putting the pieces of her life back together, repairing the damage of what your father did to her, what you abandoning her did to her, making sure she knew that she was loved and that I wasn't going to leave her. It took me almost two years just to get her to trust me enough to let me in. Do you really think after all that time, after all we've been through together that I would ever let anything or anyone." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Hurt her ever again?"
"She is my sister! The only family I have! There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect her." Jace said quietly his voice trembling with anger.
"Except actually being part of her life of course?" I asked casually.
"Enough!" Izzy interrupted fuming. "This is ridiculous! What are you fighting over? This isn't about the fact that Jace doesn't know Beth! This is about the fact that you." She turned to face Jace. "Feel like Joe has replaced you. And you." She faced me. "Are scared that now that Beth has her brother back she won't need you anymore. Here's the thing anyone with eyes can see that she loves you in very different ways. Jace you are her brother, she loves you but that doesn't mean you can control her life, not after all these years. And Joe, I don't even think you could explain what you are to each other, and you have protected her for all these year but you don't have to protect her from us. I think you should make up and figure her away out of this mess. In the meantime, I think Beth and I could use some girl time together." With that she sauntered out the room leaving the rest of us wide eyed and a little terrified of her.
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Elizabeth's POV
There was a light knock at my door. "Come in!" I was sitting cross legged on the large bed reading an old, battered copy of Little Women.
"It's only me, I thought I'd make sure you hadn't been kidnapped since your boyfriend and brother were arguing too much to even think about it." Izzy said jokingly as she entered my room.
"He's not my boyfri..." I didn't finish, Izzy was throwing me a look that told me not to argue and I realised that he kinda was my boyfriend now, wasn't he?
"You know even though I wasn't Clary's biggest fan at the beginning, I'm kinda glad that you both turned up here. Sometimes the testosterone in the place is just too much to handle, I needed some girls around." She smiled then came to sit on the bed next to me.
"I can imagine." I smiled tightly.
"All right, you need to get out." She declared pulling the book out of my hand. "Come on, when was the last time you had actual fun like not on a mission?" She asked raising an eyebrow. I shook my head and shrugged, it had been a long couple of months."Exactly. We can go to this club I love, dance, have some fun, flirt. Find cute boys. You know the usual."
"A club? I don't know Izzy. It sounds like a bad idea." I shrugged and screwed up my face.
"Probably but what's life without risks? It'll be fun." She promised then pouted. "I need to get out and you need to let your hair down and relax."
"I don't know... Joe..." I started but Izzy held a hand up and interrupted me.
"Will be fine without you for a few hours." She finished. "My brother will stop Jace from inflicting too much damage." She added jokingly.
"Alright but I have nothing to wear." I got up off the bed and reached for my bag since I hadn't unpacked yet.
"I'll help. I'm excellent at that sort of thing." She said grinning maniacally and I realised I had just made a terrible decision.

***
An hour later I stood in front of the mirror in a light blue skater dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. Izzy had paired the dress with a pair of black lace up heels and told me to straighten my hair before rushing off to get ready herself. I was pulling the flat iron down the final strands of my hair when Joe stuck his head round the door.
"You're going out?" He asked worried.
"Yeah, Izzy's dragging me out to this club. I think she wants me to be her wing girl." I smiled at him and placed the flat iron down. I picked up a strand of black ribbon and secured the top layer of my hair back with it.
"You look beautiful." He smiled walking over and wrapping an arm around my waist.
"I wish you could come too." I said sadly leaning into his body behind me.
"I know but you need to have fun like normal teen girls. I'll be fine here without you." He promised kissing my temple.
"Alright." I sighed and looked in the mirror. "I feel like I'm missing something." He smiled as he watched our reflection.
"I don't know, you look perfect to me. However, may I suggest a necklace perhaps?" He grinned and pulled out a silver chain from his pocket. "Close your eyes." He whispered into my ear and I did as he said. I felt him brush away the hair on my neck with a light, gentle touch that sent shivers down my back as he fastened the necklace. He let the pendant go and it rested naturally just below my collar bones. I reached up and felt the familiar sliver locket, cold and heavy in my hand. I opened my eyes to see my mother's locket around my neck again where it belonged. It was one of two things she'd left for me before she ran away. Inside there was a small picture of my mother and a small note folded so many times I had never dared to try and unfold it.
"Where did you...?" I asked almost in tears. "I thought I'd lost it."
"When the silent brothers were trying to save you in Vienna, they wouldn't let me in the room so I went back to the club and I found it on the floor. I was just waiting for the right time to give it back." He explained running his hands down my shoulders. "Now it's back exactly where it belongs."
"Thank you so much Joe." I whispered trying to hold back the tears filling my eyes.
"Don't cry love." He spun me so I was facing him and hugged me tight.
"I love you. This means the world to me." I said into his chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked into his beautiful grey eyes."
"I love you too." He leant down to kiss me before Izzy walked back into the world.
"Beth, are you rea... oh I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She stopped and stared at us.
"No." Joe chuckled. "Have fun. Not too much fun though. Don't want you to prefer Izzy to me now do we?" He joked. "I'm serious go have fun. I'll be fine." He reassured me smiling.

"Okay, I'll see you later then." I said before give him a quick tight hug and a kiss on his cheek then walked over to Izzy who took my hand and practically dragged me out of the institute before rushing me on to the sidewalk and our course to the club where she expected us to have fun. I on the other hand was not expecting to have the least bit of fun. I was far to worried about, well, everything to consider relaxing but I was going to try hardest. So I stuck my head up high and continued walking trying to push away as the feeling of dread building in my stomach.