Finding where I fit

Chapter 7: Casting and reforming

[Author's note: This chapter directly links with chapter 12 of MMBTSS.  It can be read for extra information, but contains no spoilers.]

Jace sat on a bench in the school yard and wiggled his fingers at a group of girls who were whispering about him. Nearly a year and a half had past, since the day that Alec had run in crying about Magnus. Jace rubbed his hands together nervously at the thought. Nearly two years he'd been with this family and he'd never expected them to ask him to stay. He never believed that he would ever call a woman 'Mom' before. Never believed he would live in a happy home (most of the time) and have siblings who he could share his own worries with.

On the other end of the yard, his brother was sketching on a bench, looking up at the hill with the park on it. In the nearly two years that he'd been with his family, Jace had rarely gone there. Alec and Magnus went there a lot but Jace didn't really have a need to. He watched Alec as he sketched in the sun. He considered going over to talk to him, but Alec liked to be left alone when he was drawing. He didn't know where Izzy was. Jace thought to himself as he watched his brother. Jace knew that even after all this time, Alec was still beating himself up about Magnus. Jace didn't understand how Alec was so unsure about himself. He wiggled his fingers at the girls again and winked, sending them into fits of giggles and sighs.

Izzy came up behind Jace and sat down next to him. Most of the girls in school wouldn't dare be seen talking to their brothers, and usually faced mocking if they did. Jace didn't know if Izzy was left alone because the other girls respected her or were scared of her. "What up big bro?" She followed Jace's line of eyesight. "Stalking our brother then?" Jace rolled his eyes. "I'm not stalking him, I'm looking out for him. He slept in this morning and didn't get to call Magnus before school, so he's been grumpy all day." Izzy sat back on the bench and put her arms behind her head. "I don't get them two, it's like they're an old married couple." Jace turned to face his sister, she'd been going to check up on Max because it was his first day of school.

Jace looked up as the warm summer sun beamed down on them. "Izzy? About Alec, do you ever think-" The school bell interrupted as it rang out across the yard. One more lesson and then they could go home. Izzy, Alec and Jace had all promised to collect Max together, so they could walk home. Since Izzy and Jace were in the same class, Alec was going to meet them outside his classroom after school finished.

After the final school bell rang, Alec walked over to Jace and Izzy's classroom. They were both standing outside the door. "Why are you still here? You were supposed to come to my class, remember?" Jace rolled his head as Izzy stood defiantly against the door frame with her arms crossed. "Okayyy so maybe I shouldn't have talked back to the teacher. But it was to defend Izzy's honour! And if she didn't want either of us to be sent out, then maybe she shouldn't have tackled one of the other girls for saying that she was wearing extensions, whatever they are." Izzy ran her hands through her glossy, black hair. She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned defiantly. "100% natural baby. I regret nothing."

Ten minutes later, the three siblings were walking in tow as they approached Max's class. He was stood outside, waiting for them. "Hey, you guys. What took you so long?" Alec looked over to Jace and Izzy as he checked Max's bag for his lunch box and pencil case. "Well let's just say Max that we're not the naughty ones in this family." Alec closed the bag and turned away to start walking. Jace grinned at Max and he fist bumped both Max and then Izzy in turn.

***

The four siblings had reached the bottom of the hill when Max suggested that they go to the park. Jace liked that idea, he was always up for new experiences with the family and he knew Max would love for them all to go to the park together. Alec wasn't so keen on the idea. "We have to get home, Mom is expecting us back." Jace fought back, he didn't like arguing with Alec, but he had been miserable all day, and it was starting to get on his nerves. "Alec what's the matter? Let's make some new memories, we'll be five minu-"

Alec was having none of it. "I said no! you know what Jace? If you want to play the good brother, why don't you take him yourself? Come on Izzy" Izzy turned around at the commotion, she had been walking slightly ahead. Alec grabbed Izzy's hand and she stared in shock as they raced ahead of Max and Jace.

As Alec and Izzy got further away, Max looked up at Jace with big brown eyes. "Jace? Why is Alec so angry all the time? Did we do something wrong?" Jace sighed and shook his head as they walked quickly. Jace's anger was clearly visible. Max spoke again. "Do you think that Mom will be mad that we didn't stay together?" The house came into view, their Mom had said that she would wait at the bottom of the path to see them all coming home together. Since she wasn't there, Jace presumed that Alec was casing his side of the argument, inside, and he pulled Max along quickly, so he could explain that Alec and Izzy were the ones who had walked away from them.

Jace helped Max to take his bag off and they chucked them both in the corner the second they walked in. "Maryse?! You won't believe what the hell Alec di-" Izzy ran out of the kitchen, tears were running down her face. It was only when the fog of anger cleared from Jace's head that he could hear Maryse crying and arguing on the phone about not having information or something. "Izzy? What's happening? Why is everyone crying?" Izzy shook her head, her hand was over her mouth and she was shaking. Max looked at Jace in concern as he reached to hold Izzy's hand. Izzy looked at them both. "It's Magnus." She sniffed and tried to wipe at her nose. "Him and his Dad were in a car accident this morning."

Robert had seen Max getting upset and offered to take the three siblings to the park. Max had agreed and they both left the house, leaving Jace and Izzy in the hallway. Jace started walking up the stairs, he took himself away when things were too much. Usually, he would have said no, but when Izzy looked up with big eyes, and asked if they could go to his room in the loft, he found that he couldn't refuse her.

Jace and Izzy were clutched together on the floor, with their backs' against Jace's bed, unable to move. Jace was trying to hold onto Izzy who had tears rolling down her face. She jumped every time that they heard Alec screaming. It was like something out of a horror movie. "Listen to him Jace. What do we even do?" Jace shook his head, his arms were around his sister. "There's nothing we can do Iz, you heard Mom, they wouldn't say anything over the phone." He placed his chin onto the top of Izzy's head. "She said it would take four hours to drive there and four hours back, so she wants us to pack stuff up before we go." Izzy trembled as she put her hands over her ears. Alec was in absolute hysterics' downstairs, she'd never heard anything like it. Izzy wiped her face. "I've got to go pack my bag, but I'm scared Jace, can we do it together?"

Jace snuck downstairs to get his bag from by the door. Alec was sleeping restlessly on the sofa and someone had put a blanket over him. Maryse was crouched next to him and was brushing his hair back. He murmured softly in his sleep. His face was red and blotchy. Jace walked over with his bag slung on his shoulder. He noticed that he'd forgotten his lunch box in school. But that was tomorrows problem.

Maryse noticed Jace was watching. "Is he okay Mom? I mean, I know he isn't but...we heard him screaming-" His voice shook. "-I've never heard a sound like that before." Maryse stood up and hugged Jace. "I'm sorry if it frightened you both Jace. Maybe I should have made you go out with your father and Max." Jace shook his head and adjusted his bag. "It doesn't matter. Izzy was more freaked out than me." Maryse rubbed her face. "We're going once Alec wakes up. He needs the rest. I'll come up and check on Izzy in a minute."

Jace nodded and turned to walk out. He already knew that the whole family loved Magnus, he had basically grown up in this house, but Alec had really surprised him today. Jace really understood for the first time the degree to which Alec meant when he'd told him before that he couldn't live without Magnus. Alec loved him. And while maybe no one knew in that way, maybe not even Alec himself, Jace knew that he would protect and defend his brother with his life, as he grew and realised it all for himself.